Ex-Premiership sides adjust to life in Division One

relegated from the top-flight league last season and will be campaigning in the Northern Region Division One championship in their bid to return to the Premiership.
During their previous flirtations in Division One, the two teams played in the Eastern Region but are now seconded to the Northern Region.
Interestingly, Kiglon have raided Shooting Stars for coach Tonderai Marume, chief executive Lewis Matindife and some players. 
Kiglon and Shooting Stars were also joined by Division One league runners up Dstv Rangers who had appeared set to play in the Premiership until the Northern Region restored Harare City’s 18 points.
Only Glendale-based Baca failed to send their representatives at the two-day workshop which Northern Region acting chairperson Saidi Sangula said was part of their efforts to improve efficiency in the running of the league.
“We have organised a clubs’ management meeting for the executive. The meeting is basically a refresher course for the executive on how to run their clubs,” said Sangula.
Fifa administration instructor, Kenny Ndebele, who is also the Premier Soccer League chief executive, is one of the facilitators at the workshop along with retired referee Tendai Bwanya.
Zimbabwe Olympic Committee chief exe-cutive Anna Mguni gave a keynote address yesterday.
“We should also be having a member of the referees’ fraternity to come and talk on the laws of the game. Each club had been asked to send its chairperson, secretary and the team manager. The team managers are the link between the players and the executive,” said Sangula.
Sangula believes that engaging the clubs bosses on the laws of the game will help to minimise disputes during the season.
“We also want to minimise disputes and protests. Our experience in running the league has shown that most players do not initiate the protests. Usually the players take a cue from the executive and walk off the pitch if there is a protest. Last year there was a match abandoned due to protests and this is why we have made this meeting compulsory,” said Sangula.
The Northern Region championship is expected to kick off on March 31.
Sangula also said they would convene a meeting for all regions before the end of this year. “After this meeting we should initiate a meeting for all the four regions. There is a view that all the four Division One leagues should be synchronised on rules and the registration of players should be centralised so that we avoid disputes,” said Sangula.