North Village and Somerset Trojans will play their FA Cup semifinal tonight - but only after the Police agreed to increase their presence at Devonshire Rec.

It was feared that tonight's match may befall the same fate as last night's Friendship and First Division Shield matches, the Bermuda Football Association calling off the ties in light of Tuesday night's gang violence.

Feuding groups fought pitched battles on Elliott Street and Police had to be called in to quell the violence.

Fearing that trouble might erupt at last night's games and hoping to send a message to those involved, the BFA stepped in yesterday afternoon.

"We are very concerned with the seeming increase in violence being demonstrated by Bermuda's young people, both in social settings and near or at football matches," said the BFA's general secretary David Sabir.

The official said such incidents would not be tolerated and the BFA was prepared to take a stand against the perpetrators.

"We are letting everyone know that, unless this activity ceases, not only at football matches but in the whole of Bermuda, we are going to cast a very negative impression of what this beautiful country and this beautiful sport stands for," Sabir said.

"At the end of the day we are asking the young people - those who know who is engaging in violence and those who are engaging in violence - to please respect what the BFA is attempting to do with this sport and this country. And if they are going to attend a football match come to cheer on their team and/or come to cheer on football in general," Sabir said.

Tonight's match, which will be preceded by a womens' FA Cup semifinal, kicks off at 9 p.m.

"The FA Cup matches will be played with a significantly heavier presence of the Bermuda Police service," Sabir said. "We have had a discussion with our participating clubs and I can assure you that we have their 100 percent support for the initiative and the corrective stance that we are taking."

He added: "We have had discussion with the Commissioner of Police who has stated that in no uncertain terms will we give in to these violent acts as it relates to football or any other community sport activity.

"It is unacceptable and the Police have communicated to the Association that we will not be left standing alone in this regard and for this we are very pleased. We are very grateful and have always had a very good working relation with the police service. And as such they understand that football doesn't create this; football is not the catalyst for this sort of behaviour.

"This activity is the responsibility of the individual who engages in it and as such we will not back down from it and (we) stand firmly with the Bermuda Police service."

Last night's postponement marked the second time in four years that domestic football had come to an abrupt halt as a result of escalating violence among the Island's youths.

League play was temporarily suspended during the 2000/01 season after referees withdrew their services in protest at North Village player Casey Simons attacking referee Perry Scott. That incident came just months after another official, Leroy Wilson, was involved in a physical skirmish with former Devonshire Colts player Yul Wade.

Wade was banned from the sport for life while Simons received a 12 year ban.