adminThe match was abandoned after 81 minutes play when the visitors were leading 3-1 and the home fans were not happy when the referee disallowed a Shabanie goal.
The angry mob began to throw the missiles leading to the abandonment of the match.
In his report the referee Sambulo Dube wrote that, “trouble started in the 80th minute when the second referee Ephias Mkombe flagged for an offside offence and l blew the whistle to rule out the goal.
“This did not go down well with the home team fans who started pelting the second referee with missiles (beer cans, plastic water bottles and stones).
“I then stopped the match for 11 minutes to allow the police to bring order and sanity and to ensure the security.
“The match resumed after the police assured me that it was safe to do so but barely a minute played after the resumption, the fans started throwing the missiles this time at the Harare City goalkeeper who had to scurry to the middle of the pitch for safety.
“I had to stop the match again for five minutes. Even the intervention of the Shabanie Mine team management did not help things as they were also pelted with missiles.
After ascertaining that the situation was no longer safe for a football match to continue, l then called off the match after 81 minutes of play.
“The home team was also locked in their dressing room as angry fans bayed for their blood. We left the stadium at 1810 hours under police escort,” wrote Dube.
Yesterday, the club was hauled for a hearing for breaching the PSl Rules and Regulations.
According to the Rules in terms of Order 31.1.13.3 it is an act of misconduct on the part a club whereby its supporters misbehave in any manner, whatsoever, inside or outside a ground before, during or after a match, no matter on which ground the match is played.
This includes causing the abandonment or attempting to cause the abandonment of the match, throwing or attempting to throw missles, bottles and other objects, whether potentially harmful or dangerous or not, onto the pitch or at any person, as well acts of violence or attempted acts of violence against anyone at the game.
This season already, Highlanders have been found guilty of crowd trouble in their away match against Shabanie at the same venue Maglas. The Bulawayo giants have been slapped with a heavy penalty of US$8 000.
Online Reporter