‘RUBBER-ISH’ SCENARIO

Mbabane Highlanders Chairman Bheki ‘Rubber’ Simelane (circled) being ushered iinside a police sedan by Leopard’s Mcolisi Dlamini before being taken by police caspir after fans held him hostage following the 0-3 defeat by Royal Leopard yesterday. (Pic: Nt

Highlanders.................................0
Leopard.......................................3
Xolani 29th, Lungelo 59th, Juries 77th

LOBAMBA – Football is only a sport but that does not apply to a minority of unruly Mbabane Highlanders fans who once again are at the centre of controversy after holding the team boss, Bheki ‘Rubber’ Simelane hostage.

It took the quick intervention of the police to diffuse a situation that was about to explode to a nasty one as around 30 to 40 fans bayed for Simelane and his brother Mandla’s (chief scout) blood after the 0-3 loss to Royal Leopard.

OSSU (Operational Support Services Unit) police had to transport Simelane out of the stadium as focus shifted from everything to him as the team’s Managing Director. An OSSU casspir vehicle immediately parked in front of the Highlanders’ dressing rooms where the group of fans had gathered and hurling insults at Simelane. “He and his brother must not set foot again at Highlanders. The team is dead and buried without good players who can compete and we’re going down to First Division again. Rubber must just leave,” were some of the things they said.

Interestingly, Leopard have dominated Highlanders in the last 10 years but the fans’ behaviour was clearly aggravated by the fact that the police side was fresh from two shock defeats against minnows Tambuti (Highlanders beat them 4-0) and then Manzini Sea Birds, who are all considered smaller teams.
“How can we lose to Leopard when they are also not at their best and lost to smaller teams?” shouted the angry fans.

However, most preferred to simply accept the result and walked out of the stadium even saying they would always rally behind their team regardless of the situation because they were ‘true supporters, not fans’.
The aggrieved group waited in front of Simelane’s car but police quickly surrounded the vehicle to ensure no damage was done to it. As they kept guard of the car, one team marshal came and drove the car off to the pitch escorted by the OSSU vehicle and the fans followed behind.

However, they were prevented from entering the pitch by police as Simelane walked out through the tunnels but seeing the fans would attack his car if he used it to get out of the stadium, he climbed into the casspir which sped out to the Lobamba Police Station with his car behind it driven by an unidentified gentleman. Realising their mission had failed; the fans resorted to banging any car exiting the main gate saying they were looking for Simelane, even one used by journalists from this newspaper went through the ‘search’ ordeal.

Simelane, who was experiencing this for the second time in about three months this season, as it happened recently in one of the derby matches with Mbabane Swallows, could not give an immediate comment. His brother Mandla said they would only comment once they had digested the whole thing, especially because this was a sensitive matter affecting people’s lives.

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