The Bet9ja Nigeria National League (NNL) have banned Crown FC of Ogbomoso from playing at their home ground, the Soun Township Stadium following ceaseless crowd violence against match officials and visiting teams.
The club will now play the remainder of their home games in Abeokuta, with the League Management also ruling that the Soun Township Stadium in Ogbomoso will not host NNL games for the next two years.
“Official Report received by the league management body indicts Supporters and officials of Crown FC for assaulting match referees and players and officials of their opponent, Abia Comets in matchday 29 fixture in the Southern Conference.” An official statement from the NNL explains.
“The supporters of Crown descended on the match officials and beat them up with security personnel watching without intervention, the uniform of the center referee was torn and stop watches of the three officials were destroyed.”
Two officials of Crown FC, Mr. Adetunde Adewunmi, the team manager and Mr. Alabi Jonathan, who is the Team’s Physio, were also suspended from all NNL activities indefinitely and are to face the League’s Compliance Unit on Wednesday 27th of September 2017.
Furthermore, Crown FC was handed heavy monetary fines as stated below:
- To pay the sum of N2, 000.000, 00 (Two million) for beating match officials and the away team.
- Will pay N1, 500,000 being compensation to match officials on items damaged as well as for two Camera of Abia Comets destroyed.
- Pay N500,000.00 (Five hundred thousand) as medical bills for match officials, Abia Comets Players and officials assaulted.
NNL added: “management has equally mandated the Oyo State Football Association and Crown FC management to produce the assailants involved in the attack of match officials and to ensure they are brought before the NNL Compliance Division before their next home game.”
