Radical plans to shake up the Commercial League, including enforcing an age limit and splitting the league into three divisions of eight teams, will be unveiled tonight.

Bermuda Football Association are also considering reintroducing a Commercial Cup.

Charles Clarke, Chairman of the Leagues and Competitions Committee, urged each team to send a representative to tonight?s meeting which gets underway at 6 p.m. at BAA.

He said the Commercial League had always had a rule barring players under 30 but it had not been strictly enforced.

?Fifty year-olds don?t want to be charging after 21-year-olds,? said Clarke. ?Everything will be discussed. We might change the format from two divisions with 21 teams to three divisions with eight teams.?

That format could allow the reintroduction of a Commercial Cup pitching all three divisions against each other while in league action the C division would remain recreational with strict age limits and relegation and promotion only between the A and B divisions.

Clarke stressed nothing would be forced on clubs and he was keen to get input.

The proposals were welcomed by Chris Fleming, president of reigning Commercial A champions MR Onions.

?If that was the case it would probably work quite well, ? he said.

In recent years age disparities have helped make a mockery of the promotion with teams often relegated immediately after enduring a season of heavy defeats.

However, secrecy regarding the agenda for tonight?s meeting has fuelled fears among teams featuring players under 30.

Tuff Dogs player Miguel Da Ponte said he was concerned about the BFA placing age restrictions on the league.

?Most Bermudian teams always seem to get on Tuff Dogs about having a young team but in fact our average age is about 28-29 years old,? he said.

?They never seem to complain about the expat ? I use this term loosely and not in a derogatory manner? teams which probably have an average age similar to ours.

?I think if they raised the age to 35 say, it would also count out a lot of players from the expat teams such as Lobster Pot, MR Onions and BAA.

?So they will not only be excluding teams such as ourselves but close to half the teams in Commercial A.

?It boils down to this ? some guys can?t be bothered with the nonsense that goes on in the Premier and First Division and would rather just come out and play some competitive football and have some beers afterwards regardless of age restrictions.?

He said a lot of Tuff Dogs players had joined teams at the higher level but believed selection was tinged with favouritism.

?If you don?t want to play against the teams in Commercial A because they are younger then give the B league teams the option to go up or stay in B, simple as that.?

Plans to enforce an age restriction has also led some players to question whether teams in the Premier and First Division would then be barred from playing older players.

One player told : ?Age shouldn?t be the deciding factor. You have some 35-year-olds who are fitter and a whole lot more skilful than some 20-year-olds.

?Where does the 27-year-old fringe player get to play. He might not have the physical tools to play in higher leagues but gets a good run on a Commercial team.

?And there weren?t any complaints when Kyle Lightbourne decided to play Commercial Division only one year removed from professional football.?

Clarke said no-one currently playing would be stopped from playing but the aim was to ensure senior players weren?t forced to over-do themselves every week in an age mismatch.