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‘BULL’ SLAPPED WITH E80 000 FINE

25/05/2018 09:27:00 BY CHRIS DLAMINI

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MBABANE – Fans’ barbaric behaviour is haunting Mbabane Highlanders as it has cost them E50 000.

This is their latest financial setback after the National Football Association of Swaziland (NFAS) Disciplinary Committee (DC) found them guilty on Wednesday night. Highlanders appeared before the NFAS DC on two counts of misconduct during their MTN League clash with Young Buffaloes at Mavuso Sports Centre last week.

The black and white ensemble was charged under Article 7.1 (c) of the recently ended MTN League Rules and Regulations which provides for unsporting behaviour and comes with a fine of not less than E50 000 by the DC. It reads in part; “Assaulting a referee, PLS official, player, club official, marshal, supporter, fan, spectator shall be punishable with a fine of not less than E50 000 by the DC if found guilty.”

In addition, they were charged in terms of Article 7.1 (I), which stipulates that failure to control fan(s), supporter(s), official(s), marshal(s) who commit any acts listed in 7.1 will be liable to a fine of not less than E30 000 by the DC.

“The DC went ahead on Wednesday night and the report we received is that Highlanders was found guilty on both counts and fined E80 000. However, given the similarity of the counts, the DC exercised leniency and ruled they pay E50 000, allowing the fines to run concurrently,” confirmed PLS COO Pat Vilakati.

However, he said at the time, he had not received the full report of the case but was alerted officially Highlanders lost and are to pay E50 000. The assault happened after they lost 3-1 to Buffaloes, with some fans said to have attacked their rival and assaulted him.
This blow comes on top of their gate collections and prize monies being deducted by up to 40 per cent. The gate collections were deducted in every match by the PLS to ensure that they settle their E300 000 loan and fines worth over E100 000.