The entire Bermuda Football Association (BFA) executive offered to resign during Monday night's annual general meeting, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

BFA president Richard Thompson also offered to tender his own resignation at one point. His stewardship has been shrouded in controversy, particularly during the last nine months in the aftermath of the arrests of seven members of the Bermuda Under-23 soccer squad in Miami.

In what could have been a potentially devastating blow to the association on the eve of a new domestic season, the resignations were immediately rebuffed when affiliates gave the executive a ringing endorsement.

"The members of the executive committee came and they wanted to express their commitment to football in a volunteer capacity and they were concerned that the fraternity of football may have lost faith,'' revealed general secretary David Sabir yesterday. "In this regard they were prepared to tender their resignations and allow the body to decide on who should lead or run football.

"And the affiliates overwhelmingly stated that `they know it has been a difficult year, they realise as the executive committee realise that certain mistakes may have been made', but they are 100 percent behind the association's executive and are looking forward to the executive putting that year behind us and working for the future.'' Also highlighted at the meeting was the fact that local sporting clubs will need extra funding if they are to implement most of the recommendations set forth by the Sir John Sharpe board of inquiry investigating drugs in soccer.

While accepting that changes were necessary in order to improve the image of the sport, they would prove too costly at a time when most of the clubs find themselves in a financial straitjacket.

Thompson said that it would take much work to implement the outlined suggestions and that there would be no quick fix.

"I feel that the meeting was a very productive one and I would say that the recommendations were well received by the clubs who are very supportive of most of what was outlined by the board of inquiry,'' said the embattled president.

"(However) costs are a major concern and clubs have voiced that they would certainly need compensation from somewhere, possibly government, if these measures are to be carried out.'' The issue regarding the banning of the sale of alcohol during matches was quickly shot down as it would cut off the life-blood of the institutions that depend on liquor as a primary source of revenue.

"The clubs feel that the sale (of alcohol) is not a problem at matches,'' said Thompson.

Thompson's statement, however, was in stark contradiction to one of the findings in the Sharpe report which declared that there was indeed abuse of alcoholic beverages "by many spectators, including teenagers'' at games.

The report went on to say that the "problem is not confined to smoking, drinking is also a problem -- even worse when combined with smoking.'' Said Thompson later: "There are always supermarkets nearby that sell alcohol and people already often buy beverages and bring them into matches.

"Also many of the clubs have had their liquor licenses for many years and have impeccable track records.'' Meanwhile, any increase in police presence or installation of video surveillance cameras carry a high price tag which, according to Thompson, was just not feasible at the moment.

Thompson added that talks would be scheduled with the Department of Sport to discuss the reaction of the Sharpe report by the affiliates.

He also expressed confidence that soccer would bounce back from the Under-23 arrests.

Thompson said that soccer would again restore its lost lustre and show itself as a wholesome activity not to be despised.

However, he stressed that support was needed from several areas, including affiliates, the public, the corporate community and the media.

Conspicuous by their absence from Monday's meeting were the members of the board of inquiry, including Sharpe, Eugene Blakeney, Louis Mowbray, Kenneth Richardson and Calvin Symonds, even though Thompson had originally said that they would be in attendance.