PSL crack the whip on Bosso

By Grace Chingoma

The Premier Soccer League have continued to crack the whip on violent conduct at top-flight matches and have summoned Bulawayo giants Highlanders to answer charges related to missile throwing and pitch invasion early next month.

There was crowd trouble after the final whistle of the match between Highlanders and Chicken Inn at Barbourfields on August 14 as Bosso players protested that an assistant referee should have signalled for off-side before stoppage-time, the same time that the Gamecocks were in a better position to score.

In their summons, the PSL ordered Bosso to attend a disciplinary hearing on September 8 in Harare for flouting some sections of the league’s Rules and Regulations.

The PSL’s actions come after they received the referees and the match commissioner’s reports.

According to the match commissioner’s report:

“Confusion then ensued as Highlanders players confronted the assistant referee demanding that he should have signalled for off-side.

“Meanwhile, the Chicken Inn players confronted the referee presumably for ending the game when their team was in a very good scoring position.

“Supporters on the Southern/Soweto End mainly in Highlanders colours started throwing missiles onto the pitch.

“As the police moved in to try and control the situation more missiles were thrown and the supporters then moved onto the pitch throwing more missiles even at the police.

“Some supporters from the Eastern stand joined in the pandemonium forcing the police to retreat to the tunnels despite using dogs to scare away spectators.

“I saw one police officer lying on his back being attended to near the tunnel leading to the away team’s dressing room,” said the match commissioner.

Bosso have been charged for breaching PSL Rules and Regulations in terms of order 31 which says it is an act of misconduct on part of the club where order 31.1.13 states that: “its supporters misbehave in any manner whatsoever, inside or outside a ground before, during or after a match, no matter which ground the match is played.

“Without derogating from the generality of what constitutes misbehaviours on the part of supporters, the following are specifically declared to be acts of misbehaviour.

“31.1.13.1 Invasion or attempted invasion of the field of play, save for the reasons of crowd safety.

“31.1.13.3 Theory or attempting to throw missiles, bottled and other objects, whether potentially harmful or dangerous or not to the pitch or at any person.

“31.1.13.5 Acts of violence or attempted acts of violence against anyone at the game.”

This week the league’s fathers have also summoned various clubs for different offences.

Chicken Inn have also been summoned for threatening match officials and refusing to pay them their fees following their defeat to FC Platinum at White City on July 23, alleging that the visitors had bribed Gweru referee Thomas Masaa.

There were PSL summons too for Bulawayo City on allegations of bribery and match-fixing after their assistant coach was reported to tried to bribe the Border Strikers goalkeeper to throw away the game. The Herald