Sports / Local
Referees, cops snatch Bosso cash
23 Feb 2016 at 05:12hrs | Views
THE Bulawayo Football Festival held at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday as part of celebrations to mark Highlanders' 90 years of existence grossed just over $5,000 and the bulk of the money went to the six referees that took charge of the four games.
According to figures released by Highlanders' treasurer Donald Ndebele, the six match officials were paid $2,180 and $1,463 was for the 37 police officers deployed.
"Football cannot develop like this. How do we have someone demanding $360 for about two hours? Who in this country earns such an amount? Players, who were giving us entertainment, never received any payment, but we've referees going all the way to the bank smiling," said Ndebele.
He said it was disappointing that after agreeing with Bosso's chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede that they would be paid $100 each, the referees, who were represented by Mlindeli Ndebele and the retired Edson Nkau, made a sudden about turn on Sunday morning and demanded standard match fees.
The centre referee was paid $180 per match and chief negotiator Mlindeli Ndebele handled the final, while Nkau was the match commissioner. The match commissioner and centre referee are paid the same amount.
None of the four matches were 90 minutes long, with only the final between Highlanders and Bulawayo City being the longest as it was played over 80 minutes. The other matches were 30 minutes each half.
"We gave the referees $1,180 and we're left with a balance of $1,000. We owe the Sport and Recreation Commission as well as Zifa $38 each, which is their regulatory six percent. The PSL waived their percentage fee and as a club we're really hurt and disappointed by the actions of the referees who are people we live with here in Bulawayo.
"These matches were basically friendly games, more like training sessions, at least to all of us but clearly not to the referees. We almost called off the tournament as it became clear to us that we were not going to raise the amount being demanded by referees as we had budgeted $600 for the referees' fees," the Bosso treasurer said.
A total of 2,464 fans paid to watch the tournament involving Bulawayo-based PSL teams – new boys Bulawayo City, Tsholotsho FC, How Mine and hosts Highlanders. Organisers said plans were afoot to make the tournament an annual event, with a foreign team being invited from time to time.
According to figures released by Highlanders' treasurer Donald Ndebele, the six match officials were paid $2,180 and $1,463 was for the 37 police officers deployed.
"Football cannot develop like this. How do we have someone demanding $360 for about two hours? Who in this country earns such an amount? Players, who were giving us entertainment, never received any payment, but we've referees going all the way to the bank smiling," said Ndebele.
He said it was disappointing that after agreeing with Bosso's chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede that they would be paid $100 each, the referees, who were represented by Mlindeli Ndebele and the retired Edson Nkau, made a sudden about turn on Sunday morning and demanded standard match fees.
None of the four matches were 90 minutes long, with only the final between Highlanders and Bulawayo City being the longest as it was played over 80 minutes. The other matches were 30 minutes each half.
"We gave the referees $1,180 and we're left with a balance of $1,000. We owe the Sport and Recreation Commission as well as Zifa $38 each, which is their regulatory six percent. The PSL waived their percentage fee and as a club we're really hurt and disappointed by the actions of the referees who are people we live with here in Bulawayo.
"These matches were basically friendly games, more like training sessions, at least to all of us but clearly not to the referees. We almost called off the tournament as it became clear to us that we were not going to raise the amount being demanded by referees as we had budgeted $600 for the referees' fees," the Bosso treasurer said.
A total of 2,464 fans paid to watch the tournament involving Bulawayo-based PSL teams – new boys Bulawayo City, Tsholotsho FC, How Mine and hosts Highlanders. Organisers said plans were afoot to make the tournament an annual event, with a foreign team being invited from time to time.
Source - chronicle
