The report from Government's Board of Inquiry into drugs in soccer is to be introduced when the House of Assembly reconvenes this morning following an Easter break, The Royal Gazette has learned.

The 80-plus page report, which reportedly contains at least four sections and a number of recommendations, will be tabled in the House by Youth and Sport Minister the Hon. Pamela Gordon, who received a draft copy approximately five weeks ago.

The Government-appointed board, which looked into the drugs controversy and was chaired by former Premier the Hon. Sir John Sharpe, met for over two months earlier this year.

Also on the commission was Mr. Louis Mowbray, Mr. Eugene Blakeney, Mr. Kenneth Richardson and Mr. Calvin (Bummy) Symonds.

The inquiry was launched following the arrests of seven Under-23 soccer players at Miami International Airport last December.

The surrounding upheaval resulted in some of the darkest days in the history of Bermuda soccer.

The players -- Mr. Shawn Riley, Mr. Herbie Dillas, Mr. Donnie Charles, Mr.

Meshach Wade, Mr. Keishon Smith, Mr. Kevin Jennings and Mr. Tokia Russell, were taken into custody during a stopover in Miami on their return home after successfully qualifying in Jamaica for the Pan-American Games.

The players later pleaded no contest to possessing marijuana, but were banned from international football until 1998 and suspended from local soccer until 1997 by the Bermuda Football Association.

Although targeted for blame, members of the Bermuda Football Association executive were spared the heaviest criticism for soccer's drug scourge. Clubs, apparently, were dealt with far more harshly.

Contacted at his office yesterday, Sir John was unwilling to divulge the contents of the report nor was he prepared to confirm that the report would be tabled in the House this morning.

"I can't pre-empt it,'' Sir John said. "We've done our job and we're prepared to do some more if they want us to.'' It is understood, however, that the report will examine the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the arrests in Miami, the widespread incidence of misuse of drugs in local soccer and other matters which the board considered to be of paramount importance.

Ms Gordon, attending yesterday's cricket match involving Australia and a St.

George's Cup Match XI, was unavailable for comment.

"You'll have to ask her how she's going to deal with it,'' Sir John said.

Almost 50 people appeared before the commission, which met in the Senate chamber from late January until early March.

"It wasn't an easy report to put together,'' Sir John revealed. "As we became much more aware of the high instance of marijuana use by football players generally in Bermuda...then we had to turn our minds to thinking of what might best be done about it.'' The Gazette has learned that the first portion of the report looks at the sequence of events surrounding the players' arrests, putting under the commission's microscope: whether members of the Under-23 team smoked marijuana in Jamaica; whether members of the "Miami Seven'' knowingly carried marijuana; and whether any players suspected of drug use should have been sent home.

Also looked at is rampant drug use as related specifically to soccer and how the drugs culture affects soccer and spectator behaviour.

Other matters which the board considered to be crucial and included in the report is how important soccer is to Bermudian society, the financial sacrifices players and officials selected for the national team make and the support soccer receives from government, the private sector and executive members of the Bermuda Football Association.

The report does state that the controversy could have been avoided had bags been searched or players been been drug tested.

But as one official told The Gazette : "Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that it did happen because it raised the level of perception about the problem. Hopefully it'll help Bermuda to deal with it. If it hadn't been for the arrests everybody would have gone on as they did before.'' The report's last section contains a number of recommendations, some of which are designed to encourage a drug-free environment within organised soccer in Bermuda.

The Hon. Sir John Sharpe