General Secretary of Bermuda Football Association, David Sabir, has moved quickly to dispel any impression created by an article published in yesterday's Royal Gazette that may have implied he was criticising the newly-formed Corona League.

And he insisted the BFA did not consider themselves a rival to the new league.

Sabir answered a series of questions put to him by The Gazette concerning the acute shortage of match officials, a problem which surfaces almost every year prior to the start of the season. But he took exception to a separate article on the front of the Sports section.

"We weren't even aware that the (Corona) league were trying to lure referees away from the BFA," pointed out Sabir yesterday.

"While we attempted to respond openly and honestly to questions asked by (Royal Gazette reporter) Josh Ball, unfortunately some comments were attributed to me (BFA) that I (we) did not make either in the official written response as contained on page two of The Royal Gazette Sports section neither in any verbal conversation between Josh Ball and myself.

"Although he published the entire text of the responses on page two, the lead story sets the tone in my opinion negatively.

"We did not "blast the Corona League for poaching referees, rather than training their own.

"We did not say 'The Corona League have lured Bermuda Referees Association members to join their league by outbidding the BFA. We did ask the question because we do not know that for sure. It may be rumoured or Josh might know but we didn't say that was the case in our reply'.

"Sabir did not laugh off any suggestion that the league which was forged in the dying embers of the Commercial League could operate as a rival to the BFA's competitions.

"We did not say 'Sabir did, however, issue a warning to all football lovers on the Island saying that the continued shortage of referees may eventually lead to the loss of games in the Professional Development League, and in the women's game."