Security at football matches was thrust into the spotlight in the wake of the shocking scenes at Wellington Oval.

And after the public outcry that followed Government launched a fresh blitz against dangerous weapons.

Trouble erupted during the second game of a day of finals as Somerset Eagles took on North Village.

With several hundred fans present at St. George?s Cricket Club to watch four different teams from across the Island play, and with outbreaks of trouble at other soccer matches still fresh in the memory, Bermuda Football Association chiefs still decided the flagship game was not high-risk.

This meant they did not hire extra police cover at $40 per hour per officer ? although the retrial heard evidence from police officers who had been at the game either officiating or as spectators.

But when violence flared the question of where were the police was not the only one on the lips of most players and fans.

As well as policing issues, the riot sparked concerns about how to make grounds more secure.

In the immediate aftermath, Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith asked how youths could be able to smuggle weapons, often hidden in baggy clothing, into private clubs.

He suggested a string of measures including clubs employing stewards, metal detector installation, fencing upgrades and more effective public address systems.

And hours after the trouble at Wellington Oval, Shadow Youth and Sport Minister John Brunson called on Government to be proactive, rather than reactive.

In response, Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister Randy Horton announced Government was considering bringing in minimum standards for sports clubs, although he admitted funding could be a problem for some cash strapped organisations.

This summer, however, Government rolled out tough new laws delivering jail terms of at least three years for people illegally carrying sharp weapons, such as machetes, in public.

But despite the crackdown, nobody has been sentenced yet under the new legislation.

The last outbreak, earlier this month at Southampton Oval, triggered an urgent response from officials in a bid to curb the growing menace of gang violence.

Machete-wielding thugs drew weapons behind the clubhouse and in the car park, in all too familiar scenes on the opening weekend of the 2005 season.

An emergency meeting was called in the aftermath and it was decided that Police would target ?high risk? games when gangs from different parts of the Island come to support teams. The PSU and drugs units will also provide back-up.

Stewarding would be increased, it was confirmed, while permanent bans will be slapped on spectators considered security risks.