Affiliates of Bermuda Football Association can tonight end the crisis which has effectively suspended the soccer season -- provided they vote to implement a list of proposals drawn up by referees.

Bermuda Referees' Association vice-president Richard Knight handed in the list of five recommendations to BFA general secretary David Sabir yesterday lunchtime.

And later Knight said he was hopeful the measures would be accepted by affiliates at tonight's BFA special meeting at Young Men's Social Club and that referees could be back in action by the weekend.

All senior soccer over the past two weekends was postponed after the BRA withdrew members' services in response to an alleged attack by a player which sent referee Perry Scott to hospital.

Also on the agenda tonight will be the results of arbitration carried out to solve the ongoing controversy over the BFA presidential election in September.

"We are very optimistic that they (the recommendations) will be implemented and hopefully we can be back on the field by the weekend,'' said Knight.

"Really, that is now up to the affiliates. We are asking for some official response after the meeting. We want something in writing to say they have approved the recommendations.'' In summary, the BRA recommendations are: each team should provide two people as security for match officials and one field operator; all clubs should take measures to ensure that spectators are kept at least five yards away from the playing area, where applicable; all clubs should provide a clean and secure changing room for the match officials and at all times ensure no direct contact with players or spectators; no beverages should be sold in bottles or cans from one hour before the first match until one hour after the last match and clubs should ensure that any bottles or cans on the field should be cleared by 15 minutes before kick-off; all match documentation, such as team sheets and cards, should be given to match officials at least 30 minutes before kick-off.

Knight said many of the recommendations were already rules -- now referees wanted to see clubs and the BFA make sure they were enforced.

It is clear from the proposals that security is a high priority for referees.

"I would like to inform the general public that referees are not just doing this for referees,'' said Knight, himself a top referee currently sidelined with a broken ankle in plaster.

"We have to ensure the safety of everyone in the football ground and this is what our recommendations are all about. If they are implemented, it will be better and safer for everyone.'' Although the BRA want to see at least five yards' distance between fans and the pitch, Knight stressed the referees did not expect to see fences going up around the Island's fields.

"We did not want to be that strict in our recommendations, because we appreciate that clubs have a financial shortage,'' he said.

"We don't expect something like that to be applied at full strength at the moment. But at fields like White Hill and BAA, we can get people five yards back around the whole pitch and it should be done.'' On secure changing rooms, Knight added that he would like to see an end to match officials having to walk through a crowd of spectators to reach their changing area.

Sports minister Dennis Lister met referees' representatives and BFA officials last Thursday and he had been supportive, added Knight.

"He let us know he was very concerned and wanted to get it sorted out as soon as possible,'' he said. "That was very encouraging for us.'' Richard Knight: submitted a list of five recommendations from the BRA.