St.George's Cricket Club are to launch an inquiry into the bizarre action taken by match officials just minutes prior to Tuesday night's Dudley Eve final which prevented Colts player Mackie Crane from playing in the clash against Somerset Trojans at Somerset Cricket Club.

According to observers, referee Khun Evans demanded that Crane's name be "scratched" off Colts' official team registration form after the player was alleged to have verbally abused referee's assistant Wendy Woodley before the start of a match St.George's won 4-3 in a dramatic penalty shoot-out.

"This incident did take us by surprise and we will review the laws and make inquiries to the BFA," vowed St.George's president Neil Paynter.

Crane was replaced by sub Dean Bailey who started the match in his absence.

It's understood that Crane wasn't shown a red card but was simply told he could not play.

Bermuda Football Association (BFA) programme director Ian Rawlins has confirmed that both the referee's (Evans) and match commissioner's (Troy Brimmer) reports have been received by the association, but has declined to comment on the matter "until further notice".

Bermuda Referees Association (BRA) president Anthony Francis was also reluctant to comment on the incident.

"I haven't seen any reports as of yet and I would assume that once the reports are in, the normal disciplinary process will take place," he said.

Crane, meanwhile, could be facing disciplinary action for allegedly verbally abusing a match official and for his public outburst moments after he was informed that his name had been removed from the St.George's team-sheet.

The Colts midfielder is alleged to have displayed unruly behaviour and thrown gear onto the pitch in anger after being informed he would not be allowed to take any part in his team's historic win.

"Mackie was completely out of order," one observer told this newspaper.

Only last month Devonshire Colts coach and BFA executive Ray Jones was banned from all football involvement for two years for making negative remarks to top referee Ronue Cann at a Premier Division match at St.John's Field last November.

Jones was initially hit with a one-year probation but had harsher punishment imposed on appeal by a BFA appeals committee who took into account his past disciplinary record.

The Jones saga prompted the BFA to clamp down on referee abuse in all forms.

"The point can't be made strong enough that we must adopt a zero tolerance for any negative behaviour directed towards referees," stated BFA general secretary David Sabir.

"This is a cause for great concern to the referees and the association considering the general feeling that times have changed and spectators, players and team officials have become increasingly less tolerant with regards to the role the referee plays in the outcome of the game."