Soccer in Bermuda degenerated into a farce last night as a First Division match was cancelled five minutes before kick-off because the players did not want to play.

The coaches of Devonshire Cougars and Hamilton Parish informed referee Cal Simons at 8.55 p.m. that they would not be fulfilling their scheduled fixture at Devonshire Rec.

The fans who came to see the first top-flight soccer of this month, following Bermuda Football Association's cancellation of last Sunday's league programme in response to escalating violence on the field, trooped off into the night disappointed.

At the same time, less than a mile away at CedarBridge Academy, club officials had just ended a two-and-a-half hour meeting to discuss the crisis in the game and what they should do about it.

It is understood that club representatives, annoyed with the BFA's decision to cancel a round of First Division fixtures, discussed pulling out of this weekend's programme in retaliation.

But in the end, they decided only to request players to wear gold ribbons for the remainder of the season, as a token of their support for fair play.

A source inside the dressing room of one of the clubs to pull out of last night's match said it was the players who had boycotted the game.

He added there was a feeling that the cancellation of last week's fixtures had "handed the league title to Vasco'', who now have a six-point lead at the top with two games left.

And referee Cal Simons said: "I was informed by both coaches that because the clubs had not reached a resolution with the BFA, the teams had decided not to play. I was told at five to nine.'' Although Parish have already been relegated, second-from-bottom Cougars could have given themselves a First Division lifeline with a win last night.

To stay up, they need to overtake Southampton Rangers, whom they trail by four points with two games remaining.

Having to decide whether last night's fixture should be rescheduled gives the BFA another unwanted headache.

The governing body have still not ruled on the abandoned March 7 FA Cup semi-final between Boulevard and Devonshire Colts, ended prematurely with Colts leading 2-0 by referee Anthony Mouchette after he was hit on the back by a bottle thrown by a player he had just sent off.

Club officials came out of the marathon meeting at CedarBridge with a brief prepared statement, on which they declined to elaborate.

The statement read: "We, the affiliates of the BFA, came together this evening to discuss the issues plaguing our sport.

"The meeting was extremely productive and positive. A number of initiatives were discussed with a hope of improving our sport and community in general.

"In support of non-violence and fair play, we are requesting all clubs to wear gold ribbons for the reaminder of the season.''