Mark Gleeson
PSL prosecutor wields handbag
2011-11-07 07:05
Sport24 columnist Mark Gleeson (File)
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Mark Gleeson
The
Premier Soccer League has a new, lady disciplinary boss. Advocate Ntietso
Mofokeng comes from running the SABC’s legal affairs, a busy job one would
presume.
When
the PSL announced her appointment, it listed her impressive qualifications. But
the accompanying press release forgot to give us her soccer credentials. Not
that would seem necessary. Besides an understanding of the game and where
professional football in this country is headed, what does she really need to
know?
The
new disciplinary boss has gone about her work with surprising independence,
little deference to the past and perhaps, I suspect, a complete ignorance of
what is good for the game.
Her
predecessor Zola Majavu was an eccentric, maverick and, as his recent premature
departure from the PSL chief executive officer’s post suggests, no team player.
But
he did work for the good of the game, some times with alarming firmness.
The
highlight of his tenure was a hefty fine to AmaZulu for not wearing the right
socks.
He
fined Mpumalanga Black Aces’ defender Felix Musasa R10 000 after breaking the
leg of a Carara Kicks opponent
*R10
000 to Wits coach Roger de Sa for his verbal touchline tirade against referee
Daniel Bennett
*R50
000 for Jomo Cosmos for delaying the kick off of the NFD game in October 2008
*R50
000 fine to Sundowns when coach Henri Michel failed to speak to the TV cameras
*R10
000 fine to Free State Stars when their captain failed to go to the MTN8 launch
function.
Majavu’s
firmness set standards. Few miss meetings these days, few are late, few fail to
follow the procedures.
The
new prosecutor has taken a completely different tact. While Majavu hit with a
stick, she’s been wielding a handbag.
This
past week at least.
In
the National First Division, Sivutsa Stars used a suspended player in a game
this season, one of the cardinal sins of the professional game.
The
player had been due to serve a one match ban after an accumulation of yellow
cards but Stars played him anyway. Their punishment - a R10 000 suspended for
the rest of the season.
Also
down in the second tier, Dynamos’ volatile owner Pat Malabela forced his way
into the tunnel after a game against Black Aces in Witbank and, according to
the charge sheet, used “threatening and abusive language towards the referee”.
Given
that De Sa got 10k for chirping from the touchline, Majavu would have had
Malabela on the braai.
But
Malabela walked away this week with a paltry R10 000 suspended for the rest of
the season.
So
what message is the new advocate sending out? Does she know the unsavoury
individuals she is dealing with? The chances they are prepared to take in order
to win.
A
weak DC will see the gains of recent years lost. This, the new advocate must
quickly learn.
Mark Gleeson is a respected television commentator and Editorial Director of Mzanzi Football.
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