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Cougars pair offered reprieve

Devonshire Cougars? star strikers Heys Wolfe and Raymond Beach could be reunited with their team-mates on the pitch sometime before the Christmas break, has learned.

Although officials at Bermuda Football Association (BFA) and Devonshire Recreation Club have remained tight-lipped over the matter, reliable sources yesterday revealed that the talented pair could have a lengthy BFA suspension significantly reduced upon submission of an official letter of apology to the association.

It is understood Devonshire Recreation Club submitted a letter to the BFA asking to have the players? bans reduced and are presently awaiting further correspondence from the governing body.

After an initial request by the BFA to have the players submit letters of apologies fell on deaf ears, it appears as though the association are willing to give the two players a second chance.

Arguably the most lethal striking combination in the Premier Division, both Wolfe and Beach were initially suspended by the BFA until January 1, 2005, after being found guilty of verbally abusing former national coach Kenny Thompson and BFA second vice-president Gregory Grimes during a tour match at the National Sports Centre last February.

Devonshire officials immediately appealed against the ban ? later upheld by a BFA appeals committee ? and have since taken their case to the Ministry of Youth and Sports Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) committee where it has already been presented to an arbitration panel.

Cougars officials maintain standard protocol was not adhered to during the initial BFA disciplinary hearings and now await the ADR?s final ruling.

In recent years Beach and Wolfe have proven to be invaluable assets at the Den where they have accounted for the bulk of their team?s goals.

Beach has topped the Premier Division goalscoring charts for the last three seasons and was voted as the Premier Division?s Most Valuable Player in 2002-03.

In April of this year, Wolfe became the first player in FA Cup final history to score a hat-trick on a losing team after Dandy Town defeated Cougars 2-1 in a replay at the Sports Centre after the first encounter ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw.

It is understood the incident involving Beach and Wolfe and former national coach Thompson and BFA executive Grimes stemmed from the pair?s frustration at being omitted from the senior national squad leading up to this year?s World Cup campaign.

The Cougars pair apparently fell out of favour with Thompson after turning up for practice two weeks after the team had already begun training.

In a subsequent interview with Thompson insisted the door would be still open for the pair to rejoin the national squad but their services were never called upon.

Only last week Thompson?s successor Kyle Lightbourne recalled David Bascome ? overlooked during the last World Cup campaign ? before hinting that both Beach and Wolfe could be called upon to play leading roles in the national team once they had served their suspensions.

Cougars, meanwhile, travel to Bernard Park this Sunday to take on North Village in the day?s top Premier Division clash.

Premier Division, Martonmere Cup and FA Cup runners-up last season, Cougars picked up a few key players over the off-season while former Village star midfielder Andrew Bascome officially signed on as coach.

Cougars won both league matches against Village last season.