The player in the eye of the storm surrounding the Police rugby squad last night implored team-mates to abandon plans for a boycott this season.

When flanker Dave Bird was informed two weeks' ago that he could not play for the team this year because he was suspended from the Police force, a firestorm of controversy ignited with several team-mates threatening to quit the squad.

At least eight players were reportedly prepared to bolt the team, leaving Police with the real possibility of not being able to field a side in the Beck's League this season.

But Bird -- clearly moved by the groundswell of support for him in recent days -- addressed a team meeting following last night's training session and told team-mates they should be prepared to play this season without him.

"I don't want anybody else to leave and I don't want anybody to get themselves into trouble,'' said Bird yesterday. "(Deputy Commissioner Michael) Mylod is not going to change his position and things can certainly be made awkward for people.'' Players were miffed when Mylod would not tell them why Bird would be barred from playing, even though he was a Blues' stalwart since being suspended from the force in February, 1994.

"I've never met the man,'' said Bird of Mylod. "I don't think the fact that I was stopped from playing was the reason the boys felt so strongly about this. I think the reason was the way it was done. If Mr. Mylod had come up and said it was the team policy that a suspended Police officer can't play, then I think everybody would have said `well, that seems to be the way the British Police run it and we can't moan about it'. It's just the fact that no reasons were given. But I think he probably wishes he hadn't started this. ..it's all been a little bit embarrassing for the Police I think.'' When Bird arrived for a training session two weeks' ago he was told by team-mates Alan Oliver and Callum Welsh that he would be banned from playing this season. Bird said it felt like a hammerblow at the time, but by the end of practice he was joking with team-mates. "I said I was looking forward to playing against them, but still people weren't happy about it and I wasn't happy about it. It was definitely a shock.'' It was at that moment that Bird first began to realise his career as a Police rugby player was coming to an end.

"To be perfectly honest the training session was fine,'' recalled Bird.

"Everybody was coming up saying `I don't believe it', but everybody carried on. That's just the way it is isn't it? "But the lads were going to try to discuss it with Mr. Mylod and see why he's come up with this. They were going to try and appeal it and see if there was anything they could do constitutionally within the rules and regulations that govern the Police club. The thought was how can they stop me from playing when half the team is made up of non-Police players. So they didn't think that they could actually do it.'' According to sources, however, Mylod refused to budge from his original position outlawing Bird from the squad.

"I've read most of what people have said in the paper,'' said Bird. "I was surprised that they did as much as they did. I was obviously flattered.

"I think that's what makes Police such a special team, what they've just demonstrated, how much they will stick together. It's not just the Police lads, it's been everybody. There's been many phone calls from the other lads that play besides the Policemen.'' Bird, 29, who credits Police for moulding him into a bona fide rugby union player, played rugby league in his native Manchester from the time he was 14.

Although on the periphery of the national squad since his arrival in Bermuda he was chosen to represent the Island during last year's highly-successful tour to Luxembourg.

Banned from Police, he'll now join Renegades where he is expected to step into newly-retired Ali Nicoll's shoes at number eight.

"It looks like that's where I'll be going now,'' he said, his voice suddenly fading. "I know some of the lads already, but obviously it won't be the same.'' Later he added: "I'll be sorry to leave the Police if I do have to go, which I think is inevitable now... but just the way the lads have put their own necks out for me will count for a lot. That is, until the first game of the rugby season.''