It was intended to be a memorable experience for members of PHC Zebras? Under 13 youth team, invited to meet and watch their senior counterparts take on Somerset Trojans at Southampton Oval on Sunday.

Instead, it turned out to be an experience they might soon want to forget.

Moments after Zebras had stolen a hard-fought point off visiting Trojans, armed thugs ran amok at the South Shore facility.

When the dust had settled, three men required hospital treatment for wounds believed to have been inflicted by a machete.

The incident, the third of its kind at the popular sports venue in the past two-years, further underlined one of the biggest challenges facing domestic football.

?I was totally disgusted because this was our first home league match of the season in which we had invited our Under 13 youth team to attend as guests,? a disturbed Zebras? coach Mark Wade told

?They were there to meet the senior team players and spend some time with them and were also involved in some of our pre-game activities. But to then have them subjected to that was really a disappointment for us as a club.?

Wade said the ugly incident also ruined what had moments ago been one of the most entertaining matches, and largest crowds gathered at a local football match, in recent times.

?Everything was at stake. There were no tempers on the pitch, players competed hard and at the end of the day everything was amicable. But words can?t really describe what I really feel about the whole situation,? he added.

?Obviously we were very disappointed afterwards and just wanted to go home instead of doing the normal thing of fellowship around the club.?

And Wade believes better security measures should have been installed as a deterrent.

?Without a doubt there needs to be security in place, but even moreso I believe the clubs don?t have the tools and require additional assistance to what is presently being offered,? he said.

?The stance has always been the Police would do random checks or if Police presence is needed inside the grounds then their services have to be paid for. But the clubs aren?t equipped to do that and I think more assistance needs to be offered because this is our national sport and so we need to start protecting the game as a country.?

Wade said increasing gate admission could in turn help clubs generate additional funding to offset the implementation of security measures at local sports venues.

?Five dollars per person does not cover costs of your average league match,? he added. ?So I think that?s going to have to rise and the fans will have to pay for it. And the type of security we are going to need is probably going to take the cost of a match up to $15. But will the fans be willing to go along? I really don?t think so at this point in time.

?But it?s going to take some support and in my mind I believe we need a Police presence at matches. They should be present at the match and not just on call. I just think they need to be present because as usual when they do arrive after being called and the guys have already scattered and left.

?So at the end of the day I think this is where the Police and the Government of the day need to step up and assist.?

Trojans? coach Dennis Brown concurred.

?The people who are involved and have authority need to come together if they are serious about getting rid of violence in this country,? he said.

?We as a community need to come together and try to do something to direct our youth ? predominately black youths ? on the right patch because at the rate we are going we?re going at right now we are going to have to build bigger prisons.

?So we need to come together as a body; as an Island and try to get rid of this violent nature among our young people.?

The former Trojans and Bermuda international sweeper described Sunday?s large turnout of supporters as one of the ?biggest? witnessed since his playing days.

?I thought it was a very good match for the spectators and for it to end on that note certainly put a sour taste in my mouth,? he added. ?We need to come to grips with the problem which is not a football problem . . . it?s a society problem. We need to come to grips with these young boys which in my opinion starts at home.

?Parents need to deal with their children because these little guys who are fighting are really children and we need to find a way to deal with the issue.?