No football matter in court, clubs warned
Boitumelo Khutsafalo | Friday September 1, 2017 14:04
The body led by chairperson, Mfolo Mfolo warned that severe punishments await licensed clubs who will in future take their battles to courts. This comes in the wake of factional battles amongst local clubs, which end up in court.
In the recent past, Premier League giants, Township Rollers, Mochudi Centre Chiefs and Gaborone United (GU) have been in and out of the courts. Rollers’ case in which some members of the club are challenging the control of the club is still before Justice Leatile Dambe.
The GU case in which some of their supporters are challenging the legitimacy of the executive committee is also before Justice Dambe. Chiefs’ long running battle between two factions is also back in court after they failed to reach common ground. One of the FIB committee members, Phuthego Setete said with the implementation of Club Licensing this season, such cases in courts must be a thing of the past.
He said with the club licensing, Premier League clubs have committed to resolving football matters outside court. He, however said it will not apply to cases that are already before the courts. “By applying for the licence, clubs are making a declaration that they will not take any football issues to court. It is not anybody, but the clubs making a commitment,” Setete said.
He said clubs will face the wrath of the law regardless of whether it is some members taking the club’s executive committee to court or vice versa. He said decisions and resolutions should be made through general meetings depending on what the constitutions entail to avoid such cases.
Notwane in the past were nearly suspended by the Botswana Football Association (BFA) national executive committee for taking a football matter to court, but survived when the general assembly refused to ratify the NEC decision. Setete said club licensing is the only way to take professionalism to the next level.