This is the script file that I am having trouble with. I have look at examples on the net and tried several different ways of getting the "if"
command to work, but inside the case statement (the "if" works fine outside the case statement) the type of error is always the same:
"syntax error near unexpected token `;' ".
I need to be able to nest more than one command inside the "if" command so doing it on one line will not help me in the long run. It must be some simple in format that i am missing - tjis has beat me up for three days and I need help. Thank you.

WOLSLEEP=""
if [ "${WOLSEND}" = yes ]; then
if [ -f /etc/sysconfig/networking/profiles/default/wakeup.conf ]; then
while read woldev woladd woldelay; do
case ${woldev} in
"#" ) continue ;;
host ) WOLSLEEP=${woldelay} ;;
eth* ) if [ "${woldev}" = "${DEVICE}" ]; then
--> /sbin/wol_wakeup ${woldev} ${woladd} ${woldelay} & ;
fi ;;
esac
done < /etc/sysconfig/networking/profiles/default/wakeup.conf
fi
if [ "${WOLSLEEP}" != "" ]; then
echo "Waiting "$WOLSLEEP" seconds for other host(s) to wake up."
sleep $WOLSLEEP
fi
fi

The line marked --> above is line 384 produces the error in the system log:

Apr 29 11:34:30 watchdog ifup: ./ifup: line 384: syntax error near unexpected token `;'
Apr 29 11:34:35 watchdog keytable:
Apr 29 11:34:35 watchdog kernel: mtrr: v1.40 (20010327) Richard Gooch (rgooch@atnf.csiro.au)
Apr 29 11:34:30 watchdog ifup: ./ifup: line 384: ` /sbin/wol_wakeup ${woldev} ${woladd} ${woldelay} & ;'

# the following lines are the in the file wakeup.conf

# The wake up lan config layout
# <device> <mac address> <delay>
# device <eth0 ... ethn or host> mac address <ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff>
# delay ge <0>
# The '#' must have space after it for the line to be a comment in this file
eth0 00:02:b3:2b:59:f7 180
eth0 00:02:b3:1d:05:9e 180
eth0 00:90:27:91:e3:b2 180
host ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff 30

Remove the last semi-colon of the --> line. That's in the 'if' and has a newline. No semi-colon needed. Might be some other way to write all that, too.

Or just formatting - I assume you did and it just got lost in posting.
Just guessing, as I can't think how to quickly test that myself. Could be wrong. A quick butchery of it into nothingness made it exit silently whereas the semi-colon threw an error.

Thank you very much - that did the trick for me. Also it helps me understand some how bash thinks.