The recent concluded local topflight season has been rated high in terms of organization and many administrative issues. Unlike previous seasons, no team has been awarded points from the boardroom and no matches were abandoned due to fan trouble.
However, there is one pending issue that is still a black spot on the white linen-irrelevant postponement of matches.
Vipers and SC Villa have been the biggest culprits in requesting fixture postponement due to their Caf engagements.
Three weeks to the end of the season, Villa had only played 22 games while others had only two remaining to close the season!
“Fixture instability has been a thorn in our flesh this season and we have learnt a lot of lessons,” UPL CEO Mr. Bernard Bainamani admits as quoted in an interview by secretariat media but promises change.
“Next season, we shall be rigid when it comes to postponing and rescheduling of games. A rule will be a rule!”
“Look at the situation where a club is preparing for an international match due on a Saturday at home but does not want to play a Tuesday league match in the same week,” Bainamani wondered.
Most of the directives to postpone games especially for teams whose players are involved in national team duties comes from the Fufa competitions department but maybe that will be a thing of the past after UPL and FCC agreed to have all activities incorporated in the activities calendar for smooth running.
The last undoing has been stadium managements renting out the facilities for other activities like galas and political rallies. According to Bainamani, the Secretariat “shall demand from some clubs to make enforceable agreements with the hired stadiums which agreements respect league fixtures.
“In addition we shall ask clubs to get stadium activity calendars and provide them to the secretariat before releasing the final league fixtures.”