Vasco Mariners have been landed with a $3,000 fine and two club members hit with lengthy bans after they were found to have "deliberately deceived" the Bermuda Football Association.

The BFA meted out the punishment to the Commercial League A Division club after a bizarre incident involving players Stephen Rodrigues and David Barbosa and club coach Dennis Rodrigues.

Barbosa, banned from playing in the November 24 game against Key West Rangers, is said to have turned out under the name of Stephen Rodrigues, his team mate.

However, he was sent off after striking coach Rodrigues, who was running the line.

At the subsequent disciplinary hearing Barbosa once again masqueraded as Stephen Rodrigues and the BFA unwittingly banned the innocent man for five years.

Pressure from Rodrigues, understandably upset at being prevented from playing, apparently led to Vasco coming clean, and as a consequence, the club was dragged over the coals at the latest BFA disciplinary meeting.

Rodrigues had his suspension lifted and Barbosa had a six-year ban slapped on him instead after having a charge of behaviour designed to bring the game into disrepute proven.

Coach Rodrigues, meanwhile, was equally treated in a no-nonsense fashion. The BFA suspended him from both coaching and playing for five years for allowing an ineligible player to play under a false name. The club was then hit with the whopping fine for a "deliberate act to deceive the Bermuda Football Association and the Disciplinary Board".

After a meeting on Tuesday night, Vasco announced yesterday it was to appeal the decision.

However, Larry Mussenden, President of the BFA, felt the punishment fitted the crime.

"The penalties reflect the view of the Bermuda Football Association when it comes to adherence to the rules and regulations and the constitution of our association," said Mussenden, who did not sit on the disciplinary committee.

"We are aiming to uphold the highest standards within the executive and we expect that our affiliates will also uphold the highest standards when administering football.

"We have found in this particular incident that the club fell far short of these standards and what we expect of an affiliate.

"So we found it necessary to impose the penalty so that it would serve as punishment for the deliberate act of the particular affiliate, and also that it may serve as an incentive to all clubs to abide by the rules and regulations.

"It may have the added feature of deterring clubs from trying to bend the rules in any particular way."

However, Mussenden said he knew, expected and was confident that all affiliates prided themselves on maintaining the highest standards among their players, their officers and their spectators.

"We are striving to be a united and happy organisation and one that is pursuing the positive development of football for everyone in Bermuda," he said.

Paul Fortuna, Vasco club secretary, said the club was not happy with the punishments.

"The only comment I am prepared to make at this stage is that we did receive notification of the disciplinary hearing and the fines and punishments meted out and we are now appealing those punishments," he said, adding the BFA had received notice of the appeal yesterday afternoon.

Fortuna said Vasco had a change of the club's executive on February 2.

"The new interim executive had a meeting last night (Tuesday) and discussed the situation and it was felt it was in the best interests of the club to appeal it and at least have a hearing with that disciplinary committee if they so chose to hear us," he said.

Coach Rodrigues, meanwhile, was particularly unhappy at the severity of his sentence and the fact it involved both playing and coaching.

"I don't know if I can comment on that, or even if it should be public, but what I was expecting was probably a year's suspension as a coach," he said, adding: "I don't see that one should have any effect on the other. If I was a coach and I did something against the rules and regulations then as a coach I should be punished but not as a player."

Mussenden, however, hopes that after the furore has blown over the club can get back to doing what it does best - playing football.

"We look forward to the continued involvement of Vasco Mariners as we feel that, as a club, they do have a positive contribution to make," he said. "We are aware that they have been concentrating on the development of the young people in their club and that they have set aside a youth facility on Reid Street consisting of an alcohol-free bar, games and after-school provision. It appears to provide a vibrant atmosphere for its young people.

"We look forward to them continuing with their programme."

Other clubs found themselves in trouble at the hearing.

Dejuan Paynter, of St. David's Cricket Club, was put on probation for one year for violent conduct in the match with St. George's on January 20.

Team mate, Otis Minors was hit with a four game suspension for the same offence in the same match.

Ernest Signor, of St. George's Cricket Club, was also charged with violent conduct in an incident in the same match and was given a one game suspension and probation for the rest of the season.

Joe Carola, of Tuff Dogs, was given a three game suspension for using foul language towards a referee in the January 12 game against Vasco Mariners. Craig Whited received the same punishment for the same offence in the January 12 game against St. George's Allstars.