Eastern Region D1 in eye of storm

Tadious Manyepo

Sports Reporter

ZIFA Eastern Region Division One Soccer League side Grayham are crying foul over what they feel is unfair treatment by the region.

The Ruwa-based team have appealed the decision by the region’s executive committee to fine them US$8 000 for causing the abandonment of their game against GreenFuel at Windsor Primary School three weeks ago.

Surprisingly, despite the appeal which was filed on Friday last week, the region has decided to suspend Grayham’s matches while also threatening to expel the team should they not meet the stringent punishment by September 14.

On the day in question, GreenFuel, who needed just a point to be confirmed the Eastern Region Division One Soccer League  champions arrived early at the match venue.

They were denied entry by security manning the entrance, resulting in skirmishes which left dozens, including a journalist, injured.

The Chisumbanje team were only allowed entry, according to the match commissioner, Ian Karoto’s report, at 2:50pm but the Lloyd Mutasa-coached charges refused, citing security fears given the thin Zimbabwe Republic Police details on the ground.

Karoto further reported it was at that point that security was beefed-up while GreenFuel officials suggested it was too late to start the match, further delaying kick-off.

The encounter then started well after 4pm and inevitably got darker, resulting in the match officials calling it off with 18 minutes still on the clock.

The Eastern Region Division One Soccer League executive committee then called for a “fact-finding meeting” with both Grayham and GreenFuel bringing their submissions in Masvingo last week.

Only two members of the executive committee, vice-chairman Wisdom Simba and secretary general Farai Rutsvara presided over it.

Grayham had brought their legal representative at that meeting to which they were told the meeting wasn’t a disciplinary one but rather a fact-finding gathering which needed no representation of any nature.

While the Ruwa team’s away fixture against Pro Melfort had been suspended on the day of that meeting, GreenFuel were given the nod to host Surrey whom they beat 5-0 to secure promotion into the Premier Soccer League.

After the “fact-finding meeting”, the Eastern Region Division One Soccer League then wrote to Grayham informing them that they had been found guilty for causing the abandonment of the match against the Chipinge team.

The Gray Hama-owned team was fined US$8 000 while the ill-fated match, which was goalless at the time of cancellation, was awarded to GreenFuel on a 3-0 scoreline.

Grayham’s match against Surrey, which was scheduled for Surrey on Saturday, was also suspended with the message communicated on Friday.

Even when the team filed an appeal, which the committee has not responded to as yet, Grayham’s future in this league looks increasingly uncertain following threats of expulsion.

In their appeal, Grayham noted that they were supposed to be punished, if there was a need to, by a Disciplinary Committee rather than the two executive members (Simba and Rutsvara) who even misled them into believing last week’s gathering was a “fact-finding” meeting.

“Before the meeting we requested to know the type of the committee before we were appearing and its jurisdiction. We were advised that it was just a fact gathering committee.

“We were then shocked that the fact gathering committee had turned itself into a Disciplinary Committee and imposed some monetary penalties against our client,” noted the appeal filed by Grayham’s legal representatives Mambara and Partners.

1. The “Committee” that sat to gather the facts had no jurisdiction to turn itself into a Disciplinary Committee.
2. To the extend that it turned itself into a Disciplinary Committee it was in violation of Rule 17 of the ERSL Rules with regards to composition.
3. All decisions made and penalties imposed should be deemed null and void.”

Simba had last week told The Herald Grayham would be allowed to play after only appealing the charge but the team were still barred from facing Surrey on Saturday.

While there is pandemonium in the east where GreenFuel have already made it to the Premier Soccer League, Simba Bhora are on the verge of punching a ticket to the top-flight in the Northern Region.

The Shamva side beat Harare City Cubs 1-0 on Saturday at Rufaro to maintain a four-point lead at the top with just two games remaining.

The Arthur Tutani-coached team need a single win from the last two encounters against Commando Bullets at home and Karoi United away to book a place in the Premier Soccer League.

Despite winning their own encounter 1-0 against Trojan, second-placed Herentals Under-20 will be praying Simba Bhora capitulate while they win their remaining games.