Bell remembered in football festival
All roads lead to Bernard Park on Saturday, the venue for the second annual Derek Bell Memorial Football Match honouring the late Hotels International, North Village and Bermuda national team defender.
Saturday?s event, sanctioned by Bermuda Football Association, kicks off at 12 noon with Bermuda?s Under-17 female national team pitted against a local select.
Commercial teams Devonshire All-Stars and St.George?s All-Stars will do battle at 2 p.m. before inaugural winners of the Derek Bell Memorial Shield, North Village Rams meet PHC Raiders for the commemorative showpiece at 4 p.m.
All participants will receive trophies while food, entertainment and refreshments will be available.
All three matches will be officiated by members of the Bermuda Referees Association and presentations will be made to the Most Valuable Player following each match.
Players from each team will make a $20 donation ? with the exception of the girls ? which will go towards the Derek Bell Memorial Education Fund. Spectators can also make a donation while commemorative Derek Bell Memorial T-Shirts will be on sale.
Thirty eight-year-old Bell passed away in September, 2002 following a freak boat accident on the wharf at Rocky Bay in St.George?s. He is survived by daughter Cheyra, two sons Tahj and Detre and wife Kim.
The late sportsman was also an avid golfer and cricketer, having represented North Village?s cricket team in the Commercial Division.
Devonshire Colts stalwart MaKonnen Hollis has been slapped with a four-match ban for ?behaviour designed to bring the game into disrepute?.
Hollis was found guilty by a BFA disciplinary committee of using abusive language and making obscene gestures towards a match official during a March 21 Premier Division clash at White Hill Field.
In addition to the ban, Hollis has been put on probation until the end of the 2004-05 season.
Others who received four-match suspensions and probation for the duration of next season were Devonshire All-Stars Commercial Division player Shawan Spencer (insulting language and threatening behaviour) and BISYS Royals female player Goretti Viera (foul and abusive language).
However, Prison Officers? player John Richardson escaped with only probation after committing the exact same offences as those receiving suspensions.
Richardson was reprimanded for using abusive language and threatening a match official on March 20 but only received probation until the conclusion of next season.