referee McNeil Smith who died on Thursday after a long illness.

Smith, one of the top referees of the past decade or more, was widely respected for his strict, no-nonsense approach to the game, a man Director of Referees Aldwyn Savery described as "very strict but very fair''.

"Both the BFA and the referees association are very saddened by the death of Mr. Smith, particularly at his young age,'' said Savery yesterday. "He was really one of the finest technicians we had on the field of play. We would like to give our sympathy to his family.

"He was very well respected and read the game very well. He was able to use his personality to control the game.'' Smith first took up refereeing in the early 1970s and though he had not officiated in games for a number of years he did make a brief comeback a few years ago. Despite his illness he expressed interest, according to Savery, of returning to help out in some capacity.

"During his hospitalisation he had been talking about returning and helping out with the juniors,'' Savery disclosed. "In his illness he was still thinking about refereeing. In fact he made a prediction that he would be back in 1994. I started in 1971 and he started around that time.'' Smith molded his style after another former senior referee Carlyle Crockwell, an approach that gained respect from his peers as well as players and team officials.

"He was very much in the vein of Mr.Crockwell but he was strong and fair,'' said Savery. "Once he made a decision he never went back on that decision.

One thing a referee must be is predictable and players knew what to expect from him when they went on the field.

"He made a very brief return and then stopped. We had been asking him to come back and he was always promising that he would. He was a quality referee.

There was no doubt he was one of our best. He really stuck to the letter of the law.'' Smith was seen less frequently on the field after the Bermuda Football Association suspended him some years ago for not submitting match reports.

"But even when McNeil was suspended he still assisted,'' Savery said.

"I have no doubt that had he continued refereeing he would have been an international referee.'' NEIL SMITH -- There was never a doubt as to who was in charge when he was in the middle.