Ireland Rangers executive Duane DeRoza yesterday distanced his club from a fan alleged to have made "insensitive comments" while Somerset Eagles goalie Gabriel Wilkinson lay prone on the pitch following a horrific collision with a player from the opposing team in a recent football match.

Wilkinson, 26, was knocked unconscious after being struck on the head by the knee of Rangers midfielder Andre Outerbridge during Sunday's First Division match involving Rangers and Eagles at White Hill Field.

And according to observers, one fan, totally unaware of the severity of the situation, is alleged to made insensitive remarks while the stricken footballer was being attended to in the goalmouth area.

Berkeley Institute teacher Wilkinson was subsquently airlifted to Lahey Clinic near Boston where he has since received treatment for a fractured skull and swelling to the brain.

"I don't know exactly what was said, but it was something to the effect of 'take that damn boy off the field' not knowing what was wrong with the player (Wilkinson)," DeRoza told The Royal Gazette.

"Kenny Thompson (Eagles player/coach) came to me and pointed in the general area where the comments came from and I went over there and told the guys there that the situation was more serious than they think and that those kind of remarks were not warranted at this present moment.

"They were apologetic but of course the words had already been spoken and so we couldn't change that.

"But it wasn't our fans or Somerset Eagles fans. It just happened to be a guy watching the game.

"It was just a fan who wanted to see the game go on but obviously there was other more important things to worry about at the time."

Referee assistant and Bermuda Football Association (BFA) general secretary, David Sabir, was also present at the ground when the fan allegedly made the unpleasant remarks.

"It was most upsetting to hear some of the insensitive comments by some fans while Gabriel lay motionless on the ground.

"Whilst we understand your desire to get on with the game, recognising that you think your team has a real chance of victory and accepting that you paid the admission price to see a football match, nothing should matter when a fellow human being's life is on the line," Sabir stated.

"Gabriel's life is in real jeopardy and I wonder if these fans would have felt the same way if they had seen his head up close. It is commonly stated that 'Football is more than Life'.

"Today, one of our member's life meant far more than football. Therefore, I make this appeal to the family of football to please put the preservation of life ahead of all else."