PSL indaba frets over Crowd trouble

Fungai Muderere
THE Castle Lager Premier Soccer Leagueaï¿½ï¿½s Annual General Meeting (AGM) is set for Saturday in Harare with crowd management set to be among the key issues to be discussed.

This comes against a backdrop of a number of disturbing crowd trouble scenes that have previously punctuated Premier Soccer League matches in every breath and length of the country.

aï¿½?We are going to have our Annual General Meeting on Saturday and chief among the things to be discussed is crowd management. We had a lot crowd trouble at different venues last season. We want to address this issue as we want our football venues to remain safe because we are in the business of providing entertainment through football,aï¿½? said Premier Soccer League communications and media liaison officer Kudzai Bare.

Early last year, the Highlanders versus Dynamos tie ended prematurely at Babourfields Stadium when Bosso fans threw missiles onto the pitch protesting the Dynamos equaliser scored by Cameroonian forward Christian Ntouba three minutes before the break.Aï¿½ The home side had taken the lead after 24 minutes through a wonderful strike by then captain Rahman Kutsanzira.

Highlandersaï¿½ï¿½ fans were not happy with the decision by referee Munyaradzi Majoni and assistant referee Thomas Kusosa to allow Ntoubaaï¿½ï¿½s strike to stand.

Bossoaï¿½ï¿½s angry followers pelted match officials on the pitch questioning the authenticity of DeMbareaï¿½ï¿½s equaliser which they strongly felt should have been ruled offside.

In the process, the Bulawayo giants were compelled to aï¿½?donateaï¿½? three points to their old nemesis after the blockbuster tie was abandoned a few minutes before the half time break with the rivals tied a goal apiece.

There was another fiasco in a Chibuku Super Cup match between Harare giants Caps United and Shabanie Mine inAï¿½ October last yearAï¿½ at Maglas Stadium when Makepekepe fans showered an assistant referee with missiles for flagging a CAPS unitedAï¿½ goal offside.

Other issues to be discussed at the AGM will be club licensing, club structures and competitions.

The 2018 league race is set to commence on 10 March with returnees Mutare City Rovers joined by three new comers Bulawayo Chiefs, Herentals FC and Nichrut FC.

Of all clubs set to compete in this yearaï¿½ï¿½s premiership race, 2017 Champions FC Platinum, wereAï¿½ the most active in the current pre-season as they took partAï¿½ in the CAF Champions league campaign which painfully ended on 21 February at the hands of Angolaaï¿½ï¿½s Club Desportivo de Agosto on a 5-1 goal aggregate.

PSL clubs were required to register their players by 23 February to enable the verification of playersaï¿½ï¿½ information and processing of licenses.

The first Player Transfer window will close on 31 March.

The fixtures for the season will be released in due course. .