Birds cry foul as game is abandoned
ALEXANDRA - Alexandra’s Bluebirds Ladies football Club is crying foul following a decision by the referee to declare the pitch at No 3 Square Grounds as unplayable and therefore called-off the game.
Alexandra’s Bluebirds Ladies Football Club is crying foul following a decision by the referee to declare the pitch at No 3 Square Grounds as unplayable and therefore called off the game.
The Birds were due to host Randburg’s Crusaders in a Sasol League game on 24 May. Birds’ coach Malvin Khumalo said the referee arrived late for the game, and went straight to the visitors and held a private discussion with them.
The referee didn’t think it was necessary to involve the home captain in these discussions, Khumalo said.
“Protocol demands that the referee touches base first with the home team to announce her arrival before calling both captains to inspect the pitch and look at player cards to verify all particulars before the match can get underway,” he said.
“All this was not observed. The referee arrived late and went straight to the visitors and held talks for more than 10 minutes and only came to us to tell us that the pitch was unplayable and that she would not allow the game to continue,” Khumalo said.
If a game is called off, it might be declared a walkover, which means that the Crusaders would be awarded the three points at stake as stipulated in the rule book of the South African Football Association.
A furious Khumalo said what fueled his suspicion of the referee conniving with the visitors, was that the Crusaders had arrived with only eight players. Before the arrival of the referee, the Crusaders had proposed to Khumalo that his side agree to a walkover, which would see the Birds being awarded the three points, or agree to play the fixture as an eight-a-side match.
While Khumalo and his technical staff were mulling over the options, the referee arrived only to call the game off.
“The referee never made an effort to consult with us, as the home team. She only came to us with a decision she had taken with the visitors,” Khumalo said.
Even the intervention of the secretary general of the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association was not enough to save the game. The referee would not listen to any voice of reason, Khumalo said.
