Bermuda Football Association (BFA) sent a stern and ominous signal to clubs last night ? ?no foul play in our competitions?.

The national governing body moved swiftly to strip two teams of recent successes after Somerset Eagles and Wolves Sports Club were deemed guilty of fielding ineligible players in matches.

In both instances, for different reasons, the sanctions proved costly.

Eagles ? who brought on Darnell Pickney as a half-time substitute in a tough 1-1 draw against Southampton Rangers on Tuesday ? forfeited a Martonmere Cup semi-final place. No registration card was produced for Pickney at the game and later it was learnt that his card expired last April.

Rangers, who were awarded a 3-0 win by the BFA, now advance to meet Dandy Town in the semi-final.

Wolves, too, saw a massive 18-1 thrashing of Hamilton Parish in the opening First Division fixture come to nought with the discovery that one of their players was not eligible. Robert Thomas, who scored a brace in the onslaught, also had an April 2004 expiration date on his registration card.

However, nobody ? including team or match officials ? noticed that and it was only spotted when the BFA were putting him onto their scorers? list for the new season and realised his name was not in the system. Like Rangers, Parish have been awarded a 3-0 victory.

Citing the BFA Standing Orders, Article 13 ?Qualification of Players ? Domestic Competition?, a BFA Press release stated:

The statement also indicated that, in a knockout tournament, the offending club would be dealt with in accordance with the said competition?s regulation and, in a league match, the points would be given to the ?non-offending team?.

BFA general secretary David Sabir cautioned all clubs to heed this situation.

?The (offending) teams and their fans will be disappointed but obviously the message being sent is that the team managers and coaches must pay close attention to the eligibility requirements prior to each game in order to avoid such mistakes.

?When they happen we have to take the appropriate action which we have done in this case and hopefully we won?t see a repeat at least (not) from these teams or other teams who are now aware of these circumstances,? said Sabir.

Speaking from the club last night, Eagles striker Rodre (Piper) Wilson ? who scored the vital equaliser on the stroke of half-time ? termed their bad luck ?a misunderstanding?, noting that though Pickney?s card was lost the team thought it was still valid.

He agreed it?s a wake-up call for teams to ensure they comply with regulations but he also suggested the BFA could send reminders to players whose cards are near expiration.

However, the Somerset veteran is not overly perturbed by their misfortune, disclosing that Eagles, who have diced perilously with relegation in recent seasons, are focusing on the Premier Division and trying to erase their growing reputation as great escape artistes who barely survive the annual drop.

?It feels good to win and it would have been nice to be in the semi-finals but, in a way, it?s a good thing that we?re not because we?re really trying to concentrate on the league. We don?t want to keep being one of those teams that people say ?Eagles, they struggle. They are gonna go down?.

?In my opinion, as long as we haven?t lost any league points, everything is all right.?

Rangers forward Janeiro Tucker was very surprised but elated to hear the news. He looked at it philosophically.

?I thought we played pretty well and deserved to win but we just didn?t get the result. Now it?s gone our way and it?s a plus for us,? he noted.

Meanwhile, Wolves president Delroy O?Brien was bitterly dejected yet matter-of-fact about his club?s costly error.

?It was an oversight by the person who was entrusted with the (registration) cards. That person vetted the cards and thought they had picked out all the expired cards but they missed one and they passed the cards on to another person on the team staff and that individual never double-checked the cards themself. They just accepted the pack of cards as it was and that?s a no no.

?I felt the person writing out the team sheet should still have checked every card for players who they were putting on that sheet,? reasoned O?Brien, adding the penalty was all the more disappointing given the comprehensive nature of their success.

However, he assured that he had already moved to remedy the issue.

?I signed a form for the player and he was supposed to go to training last night (Thursday), get the form, fill it out and go around to the office (BFA) and get his picture taken.

?I haven?t followed up to see if he has done it yet but if he hasn?t done it he won?t be on the team. I can?t babysit grown-ups,? said the Wolves chief.