Sports minister Owen Darrell has spoken about the brawl that marred the opening game of the Premier Division season between North Village and Devonshire Colts on Friday night.

After that game, players and fans of both sides were involved in a fight that left one man unconscious and led to police being called to Bernard Park.

Darrell, who describes himself as a “passionate supporter” of Devonshire Colts in his profile on the Progressive Labour Party website, has offered the services of his ministry to assist both clubs after they issued a joint statement apologising for the incident.

“I commend both clubs for swiftly taking responsibility, issuing a public apology and committing to a full investigation,” Darrell said.

“I also support the Bermuda Football Association in its efforts to review the matter through its established disciplinary processes. Violence has no place in our sport or our society, and the safety of players, officials, and supporters must always remain the highest priority.

“Football, and sport in general, plays a vital role in uniting the community, inspiring the next generation, and moving Bermuda forward as a stronger island. Incidents such as these detract from that purpose.

“The Ministry of Tourism & Transport, Culture & Sport stands ready to work with the BFA, clubs, and all stakeholders to ensure that the values of respect, discipline, and sportsmanship remain at the heart of Bermudian sport.”

The Bermuda Football Association confirmed that it had launched an investigation and condemned the incident.

“We can confirm an investigation is under way, which is in line with the BFA protocols for any major incident,” read a statement from BFA on Monday.

“We expect a file to be passed to the BFA disciplinary committee in the coming days. This type of incident is unsavoury and is not acceptable to the Executive Council nor any of our member clubs.”