News / National
No fans charged for Barbourfields Stadium melee
21 May 2022 at 13:25hrs | Views
NOT a single hooligan has been charged from both sets of Dynamos and Highlanders fans that charged into the pitch last Sunday, B-Metro Sport has learnt.
Scores of supporters from both teams breached security lines - for different reasons - and invaded the pitch.
Bosso supporters were the first to swarm into the pitch in celebration of their team's goal.
Dynamos supporters also vented their frustrations on the 1-0 scoreline in the dying stages of the match by uprooting a goal post and tearing down nets.
The magnitude of the violence shocked the football fraternity, forcing the PSL to suspend the league in the aftermath of the embarrassing scenes of hooliganism.
B-Metro Sport was this week informed that none of the hooligans had been brought to court to answer charges of public disorder.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed that no fans were arrested for the Barbourfields Stadium violence.
Videos recorded at the stadium show Dynamos supporters uprooting a goal post at the Mpilo end stand.
Bosso fans also ran around and danced on the pitch causing a delay to the restart of the game.
A senior police officer told this publication that the officers on the day acted accordingly by avoiding head-on confrontations with the marauding crowd.
"Crowd control doesn't always mean that the police have to engage in running battles with the people that are causing trouble. The officers obviously assessed the situation and decided that the use of force was not the best option in the interests of protecting lives and property.
"The situation simmered down eventually and no one was injured as far as we know," said the senior officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The PSL this week said the decision to suspend games was to afford stakeholders time to find lasting solutions to violence and hooliganism in local football.
Both teams and the police have been asked to submit reports on what transpired on that day.
Disciplinary action will be taken when the PSL receives the said reports.
Scores of supporters from both teams breached security lines - for different reasons - and invaded the pitch.
Bosso supporters were the first to swarm into the pitch in celebration of their team's goal.
Dynamos supporters also vented their frustrations on the 1-0 scoreline in the dying stages of the match by uprooting a goal post and tearing down nets.
The magnitude of the violence shocked the football fraternity, forcing the PSL to suspend the league in the aftermath of the embarrassing scenes of hooliganism.
B-Metro Sport was this week informed that none of the hooligans had been brought to court to answer charges of public disorder.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed that no fans were arrested for the Barbourfields Stadium violence.
Videos recorded at the stadium show Dynamos supporters uprooting a goal post at the Mpilo end stand.
Bosso fans also ran around and danced on the pitch causing a delay to the restart of the game.
A senior police officer told this publication that the officers on the day acted accordingly by avoiding head-on confrontations with the marauding crowd.
"Crowd control doesn't always mean that the police have to engage in running battles with the people that are causing trouble. The officers obviously assessed the situation and decided that the use of force was not the best option in the interests of protecting lives and property.
"The situation simmered down eventually and no one was injured as far as we know," said the senior officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The PSL this week said the decision to suspend games was to afford stakeholders time to find lasting solutions to violence and hooliganism in local football.
Both teams and the police have been asked to submit reports on what transpired on that day.
Disciplinary action will be taken when the PSL receives the said reports.
Source - B-Metro
