THE TERM 'hooliganism' is an ugly one.

In Jamaica these days it rarely refers to violent clashes between rival sets of fans; here everyone's attention seems diverted towards the men in the middle of the pitch, but the fact of the matter is that it remains a scourge which must be eradicated in any shape or form.

While some believe that the $75,000 fine imposed on Waterhouse and the banning of all spectators from viewing the final 15 minutes of the Western Union Jackie Bell Knockout final is too harsh, from this corner it looks just about right and could even have been tougher.

The fact of the matter is that a strong message needs to be sent that such behaviour by fans of any team will not, and cannot, be tolerated in today's game. Football, the game which unites the globe, is a passionate one, and any avid fan will know that there is nothing quite as infuriating as a bad call against the team you support (in the case of the Harbour View-Waterhouse game the call was a correct one).

Casualties

In this country we have been blessed by the fact that football game casualties are a rarity, increasingly so these days and any trend which could see the local game head in that direction must quickly be stamped out. Let's make it clear that this issue is not confined to just Waterhouse, as in recent times there have been other instances which have seen fans behave in similar fashion.

Seba were fined $50,000 just last year for a stone-throwing incident at Jarrett Park, while Elletson Flats were suspended for a lengthy period of time after their fans attacked and injured a referee.

However, even though the Drewsland team, which has some of the most devoted followers of the game locally, may have a legitimate grouse in thinking it was unfairly treated this time around, as Harbour View could have been fined for a bottle-throwing incident which occurred when midfielder Jermaine Hue was sent off the pitch, it is a reputation they have developed on their own accord which may be the cause of that.

Just a season ago, the team also picked up a similar fine for a stone-throwing incident at the National Stadium which saw their anger directed towards then coach Barrington 'Cobra' Gaynor after a loss to Harbour View. In 2004, the team was also fined a whopping $100,000 for a half-time incident involving Rivoli United.

Sound sleep will always be impossible for anyone who has made such a hard bed. While we all love the game of football, it would suit us to remember that referees' decisions, horrendous as they may be at times, are part of the sport and that is not likely to change any time soon.