any further matches this season with struggling St. George's Colts. ..or return to his duties as a referee and linesman.

Smith was recently involved in an incident in the bar at the club which brought about a six-month suspension. An appeal has been lodged by Smith and president Mansfield Smith would only say it would be heard "before the next game''.

With that match taking place on Sunday when St.George's entertain Devonshire Colts at Wellington Oval, the appeal will be heard sometime this week. It is then that Smith will know whether he will get a reprieve or be forced to serve the suspension which would bring an end to his season.

Coach Earl Basden admitted the latest incident had affected the team's build-up to Sunday's game with Boulevard as players threatened not to play if Smith was taken off the team-sheet before his appeal had been heard.

"This whole last week has been a distraction and the players decided they were going to do something about it,'' said Basden.

"Their stance was that they were not going to play if he was not allowed to play while his appeal was pending. That was something they decided and I wasn't involved in that.'' Added the coach: "Yesterday (Sunday) we didn't prepare properly and the game was played on a lot of emotion and frustration.'' Smith has been largely responsible for the team's revival since his first match of the season on October 13, as his experience helped stabilise a defence that had conceded 23 goals in their first five games. Sunday's 4-0 loss was the heaviest defeat since Smith has been playing.

Smith, at 42 the oldest player in the First Division, had only intended his return to be temporary, having stated that he planned to go back to officiating this season.

The team have been hit by problems all season, with the latest setback coming just as they were returning to full strength with Derek Wright and Marlon Outerbridge rejoining the ranks.

Now inspirational defender Neil Paynter, who took over the captaincy from Stevie Dickinson, will miss Sunday's match after being sent off against Boulevard.

With St. David's picking up their first win of the season on Sunday, St.

George's, who finished third last season and won the Friendship Trophy, are now two points adrift at the bottom and a further four behind third-from-bottom Devonshire Cougars.

Still, Basden remains optimistic relegation can be avoided."We are only one victory away from getting back into things,'' he insisted.