Former Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions Caps United were made to pay heavily for a season punctuated by transgressions with their standing order fines bill clocking $11 600.
By Kevin Mapasure
This means that the Green Machine, the most ill-disciplined club in the top-flight league, will forfeit a large chunk of their prize money in a season where the PSL collected $32 600 in standing order fines alone.
About half of the total amount came from fines accrued from coach Lloyd Chitembwe’s stubborn refusal to give pre and post-match interviews to the media.
Chitembwe played truancy with the media for the better part of the season and the bill could have been bigger had all cases been reported to the PSL.
Caps United, on three occasions during the season, were fined $2 000 related to missile-throwing in a match against Dynamos at the National Sports Stadium in September as well as in the match against Black Rhinos at the same venue in August, while pitch invasion at Mandava in their match against FC Platinum also cost the financially-struggling Green Machine dearly.
The Harare giants have been struggling to pay their players and reportedly in three months’ salaries arrears while some players have not received their signing-on fees as winning bonuses are also lagging behind. Last season they also lost $12 000 of their prize money to standing order fines, which left the club fuming.
Highlanders, who have also been struggling for funds this term, incurred the second biggest bill in standing order fines and will lose $6 000 of their prize money.
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Bosso suffered the consequence of missile-throwing on three occasions in matches against ZPC Kariba in April, Ngezi Platinum Stars the same month as well as against Yadah at Rufaro last month.
Bosso also incurred other penalties in matches where they had to be arraigned before the PSL disciplinary committee and were found guilty.
They will forfeit more than just the $6 000 they will pay in standing order fines.
During the season, Bosso were fined
$4 000 for causing the abandonment of their league match against Dynamos.
Dynamos will only pay $2 500 in standing order fines, but will lose more after other transgressions where they were found guilty by the PSL disciplinary committee.
They were fined $2 500 following violent scenes at the Baobab in their match against Ngezi Platinum Stars, the same amount the home team was fined.
Chicken Inn can count themselves lucky after their coach Rahman Gumbo was only reported three times for refusing to grant pre and post-match interviews to the media. The media struggled to get Gumbo’s voice throughout the season, but the club escaped with just a $1 785 penalty.
Shabanie Mine and Chicken Inn are the only two clubs that were fined for failing to provide clean dressing rooms, which attracted fines of $375 each.
The Zvishavane-based Chinda Boys are the only team to attract a fine for failing to produce technical licences as well as failing to put the sponsors’ logo on their shirts.
They will lose $2 700 of the money due to them from the league.
FC Platinum did not incur any standing order fines and will enjoy all of their $100 000 prize money.
