The Nigeria National League (NNL) in a series of judgments have decided to sanction Smart City and Crown FC for the behaviour of their fans in the games played over the weekend, www.aclsports.com reports.
Smart City of Lagos travelled to Ijebu Ode to face Gateway United on Sunday and during the course of the match, the fans of the away side made their way to the pitch, assaulting match officials, inflicting bodily injuries, and stealing items from them.
Trouble started when referee Oni Stephen decided to send Tunde Adejokun (Smart City) off for a second bookable offense and the fans took law into their own hands by deciding to invade the pitch with the encounter still goalless in first-half stoppage time.
Smart City supporters chased the referees after their player was sent off by the centre referee in Ijebu Ode during the NNL game against Ijebu United.
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Acting based on video evidence and reports from the referees and match commissioner, NNL charged Smart City and its supporters for pitch encroachment and assaults on match Officials. A fine of N3,500, 000.00(Three million, five hundred thousand Naira) and three points and three goals deduction have now been imposed on the Lagos-based club for the unruly behaviour of their fans.
“After investigating the incident, NNL found Smart City of breaching sections 16:2,16:4.1 and 26.1 of the codified NNL rule book for the season and were charged as follows,” reads a statement.
A total fine of N3, 000,000.00 (Three Million Naira), for pitch encroachment, assault on match officials and for replacement of valuable items lost by the match officials during the course of the disruption.
Another fine of N500, 000.00(Five hundred thousand Naira) for the medical bills of the match officials. Meanwhile, the league body ruled that the match be concluded on Thursday 20th April 2023 at the same venue under strict closed doors.
NNL warned Smart City that any further acts of violence and assault would lead to a complete withdrawal from the league. The body equally issued warnings to the Ogun State Football Association and management of Gateway Football Club to ensure adequate and effective security measures are put in place before, during, and after their matches.
In a related development, Crown have been asked to pay a fine of N2,000,000.00 (two Million Naira) for the ungovernable conduct of their fans.
This is following the unruly behavior and violent conduct of the home fans during the match day five (5) fixture in the Southern Conference B2 tie with visiting Ijebu United which ended 1-1 on Saturday. The disruptive behavior of Crown FC Supporters led to the match commissioner rescheduling the match to the next day.
In a summary jurisdiction, NNL ruled that Crown are to play without their fans in their next three home matches, pay the sum of N1, 000,000.00 (One Million Naira) for the missiles thrown onto the pitch of play by its supporters and another N1, 000,000.00 (One Million Naira), for deliberate acts of intimidation and harassment of match officials by their supporters.
Smart City and Crown have been given a 48 hours ultimatum to appeal to the summary jurisdiction reeled out.
