a lot easier in theory than in practice.

Offenders -- in four instances, players or ex-players -- have been seen at grounds this season after being slapped with suspensions, The Royal Gazette has learned.

Two Vasco players, Dwight Basden and Sinclair Gibbons, while not being allowed to play at Devonshire Rec. following an incident last season at that ground, have reportedly been at that facility to watch their team play.

The pair were banned for breaking glass in a dressing room window during Vasco's FA Cup loss to Wolves last January.

Two other players who received long bans following incidents at grounds in 1995 have also been seen at matches this season, one as recently as Sunday's All-Star match in Somerset.

The one major problem for gate officials: Identification.

Mansfield Smith, president of St. George's, alluded to that problem after slapping a ten-year ban on Wolves fan Troy Thomas for striking referee Irven Simmons and linesman Gregory Smith just recently at Wellington Oval.

The east end club took firm action against another offender earlier when Clifton Anderson Jr. of St. George's was banned from St. George's Cricket Club for life for an incident on New Year's Day in the Dudley Eve final between Vasco and Devonshire Colts.

Anderson, who was barred from the ground at the time, was banned for life for his conduct when he ripped up the Devonshire Colts flag and broke the pole after Vasco scored their winning goal. He then interrupted the trophy presentation at the end of the game.

"He has always claimed he never received the registered letter (informing him of the ban),'' said Smith. "We have had a lot of problems with this one offender and we don't want him at the club.'' Under a crackdown imposed by the Bermuda Football Association in 1995 and supported by all field operators, Thomas' ban will be Island-wide, though clubs are still awaiting correspondence advising them of the suspension.

Smith confirmed that letters had been sent to both the BFA and the Commissioner of Police.

"We agree with what St. George's did and he (Thomas) will be suspended from our club for ten years, unless he appeals and he has to appeal directly to St.

George's,'' said one club official this week.

The unified stance was taken by the clubs after an incident in 1995 which involved Social Club player Troy Saunders, who became the first person to be dealt with in the BFA crackdown.

Saunders was banned from Devonshire Rec. for using threatening behaviour to club officials while attending a Social Club-Wolves match as a spectator. The ban was supported by all field operators although Saunders was later reported to have been seen watching a match at PHC Stadium.

Basden and Gibbons have been seen at Devonshire Rec. since their ban from the premises. Basden was actually approached by vice president Gladstone Brown during a recent night match.

"That was the first time I had seen either one at the ground and that's why I made an approach to him,'' said Brown yesterday.

"I said `Listen you're not even supposed to be at the ground' and he said he was writing in and appealing it.'' The ban on the two players is not serious enough to warrant bans at all grounds.

But Brown admits more effective methods of enforcing the bans need to be adopted.

"I think it needs to go further than just to say this person is banned,'' he said.

"You have to get some type of identification or picture circulated to the clubs and posted whereby officials can take some action.

"To give the ban some teeth we are going to have to do some more work with it. I think all parties need to sit down on it. Knowing these persons and identifying them...that's the problem.'' The Bermuda Referees Association had a meeting on Monday night, when the incident at St. George's was discussed. Referees' concerns of safety during matches were also talked about.

"We are still concerned about the lack of proper facilities for officials,'' said Lyndon Raynor, vice president of the BRA.

"In some instances officials have to go through bars to get to their changing room and those things should not be happening.

"The executives of the BRA will be sitting down with the BFA soon to iron out some of the problems so that come the 1998-99 season some of these things will be sorted out. It really can't go on too much longer.'' BFA general secretary David Sabir did not return calls.