there was no evidence that he deliberately punched referee Ralph Tumbridge in a match last December, a referees' representative has disclosed.

Members of the Bermuda Referee's Association were assured that this was the reason during their monthly meeting at Police field on Monday night, according to president Gregory Grimes.

"The charges were not as serious as they were made out to be, the committee felt that it basically was an accident,which was the position and sole defence of the player,'' said Grimes.

The incident occurred during a First Division game at Wellington Oval on December 5 between Paget and St. George's Colts with Tumbridge alleging in his report that he was struck from behind by the player as he was walking off after being substituted.

Sources within the BRA had claimed the player was able to get off the hook because the referee "chickened out'' and changed his story at the disciplinary hearing, allegedly claiming that he wasn't sure that it was intentional.

However, Grimes emphasised that Tumbridge did nothing of the sort. "First of all of we need to correct the belief that Tumbridge went soft at the hearing.

Certainly he did not,'' said Grimes.

"He stuck to the report that he put in, that he was struck in the back, he never changed from that position. He never wavered or caved in as some may think.

"It was just unfortunate that none of his assistants saw what happened, nobody could say that it was a deliberate hit. The player put forward a story that was different from that of the referee and, obviously, if the referee was hit from behind it was difficult for him to prove that he saw a player coming deliberately at him.'' Grimes added: "The committee was in a tough position, the player said that he was running backwards and when he turned around the referee was there as he threw his hands up in despair and hit him.'' The BRA wanted to clarify the incident because of hints that some within the organisation had become discouraged after seeing a player in their view get away with a seemingly light ban for a serious offence.

But Grimes said that it was not a concern of a large number of members, and those that were worried had probably been expecting a longer ban based on earlier assumptions.

"If there are any referees who are upset, they shouldn't be. The facts of this case were presented to our members on Monday and they seemed to be satisfied that the right decision was eventually made,'' he said.

"It was just one of those cases where nobody saw anything and the player's position could not really be contested after he insisted that it was never his intention to put a finger on the referee.'' In a separate matter, Grimes said Tumbridge would not be placed under scrutiny for sending off three players during Saturday's's Commercial League game at BAA between BAA Wanderers and North Village Rams.

"Ralph's actions will certainly not be questioned by us or anybody else because he is a very capable official, indeed one of our more dedicated ones, and we know that a player would not be ejected for any unreasonable reason when he is in charge,'' said Grimes.