Security fears and the Island's social problems will not be allowed to overshadow the start of the new Bermuda football season, vowed David Sabir.

The Bermuda Football Association's general secretary made the pledge while unveiling the final schedule for the new season at a press conference yesterday.

Concerns had been raised about the BFA's decision to hold Sunday's Charity Cup between Devonshire Cougars and Boulevard Blazers at Wellington Oval in St. George's, given the violence that marred Cup Match at the same venue, and the suspected involvement of gangs from Hamilton.

However, despite acknowledging that the Association had concerns ahead of the season's tradition curtain-raiser, Sabir said the time had come to recognise that the problems were nothing to do with football, and the BFA would not abandon the game because of it.

"Are we concerned? Yes. Are we prepared? Yes. Are we going to walk away from promoting football? No," said Sabir.

"These teams will have to play Island-wide throughout the season, this is something that we have to stop making a sport issue. This didn't happen in football, and we don't want to elevate it to a football problem, because it's not.

"It wasn't even a cricket problem, because if it was then Cup Match would have to move off Island. So what we have to do is now speak to the actual problem, not to where the problem takes place.

"Our mission, written on any piece of paper the BFA sends out, is two things – promoting the sport and developing the sport. It doesn't say by inviting all the other anti-social, or negative behaviour into our programme. We know it exists, and that's why we make the plea, we continue to say, 'people, Bermuda, football is a sport of life, not a detriment to life'. So everyone who wants to be a part of it, please come in the spirit of fair play.

"In St George's there may be problems between groups, or organisations, unaffiliated with any of our clubs. So I'm asking everybody to look at that, and not make it a football problem.

"We will do, and we will take, the necessary steps as they (St. George's CC) did at Cup Match, and we hope, and we pray that Sunday, and every game throughout the season is not effected by what we all know is anti-social behaviour."

Sabir, however, was keen to point out that it wasn't just St. George's, Boulevard, or Dandy Town that suffered from the problem, and said the BFA were well prepared this season to deal with any potential problems.

"We have a comprehensive security policy in place, and the Association, via its security committee will look at issues affecting the game across the board," he said.

"We are not singling out any particular club. We will earmark high-risk matches, we have established a working relationship with the Bermuda Police Service.

"There are a number of things that we have as initiatives ranging from environmental crime surveys that have gone to all of our clubs, the installation of CCTV cameras, to an ongoing dialogue with our clubs.

"There are a whole array of issues and initiatives that we have to look at and implement as we did last year.

"It's not going to be easy, but at the end of the day we have to protect as best we can the values of football. We know all our clubs are steadfastly behind us, we know there are challenges that they face as a result of that."

"This is where we have to be strong, but also sympathetic in the plight affecting football clubs who, in my opinion, are doing a fantastic job in providing programmes for young people."