Lagos State FA Slams Smart City With Two Years Ban, N6m Fine

Lagos State FA Slams Smart City With Two Years Ban, N6m Fine

By Niyi Busari

Lagos State Football Association has banned Smart City FC for two years with payment of six million naira fine, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

In a press statement signed by the state FA Vice Chairman, Adedotun Coker, the team in the State Federation Cup versus Inter Lagos held in Thursday beat up the match official who was admitted in a General Hospital and also threatened the lives and properties of Lagos FA as well as the Lagos State Referee Association.

The statement reads in part, "Sequel to the review of the match report from the Centre Referee and Match Commissioner. It was established that the following incidents occurred at the end of the match that hugely brought the beautiful game of football to disrepute:

"A player of Smart City Football Club, Lagos in Jersey number 4 named Bankole Afeez ran to the Centre Referee harassing and abusing him with unprintable words and blocked him from leaving the field thereby creating an unenabling environment for their fans to catch up with the Centre Referee.

"One of the well-known fans of Smart City Football Club, Lagos catches up with the Centre Referee and punched him on the right eye resulting into bloodily cut that impaired his vision.

" The Centre Referee was rushed to the General Hospital, Randle Avenue, Surulere, Lagos for treatment.

"The fans of Smart City Football Club, Lagos attempted to attack the Vice Chairman, Lagos State Football Association and the General Secretary, Lagos State Referees Council and threatened the lives and property of members of the Lagos State Football Association and Lagos State Referees Council.

"Smart City are directed to produce the fan that punched the Centre Referee for assault charges for prosecution. Directed to produce the enabler, Mr. Bankole Afeez for the Centre Referee to be attacked for interface with the Disciplinary Committee.

"The club is also fined N1,000,000.00 (One million Naira only) for the treatment of the Centre Referee payable within seven (7) days from the date of the summary jurisdiction.

"With another N5,000,000.00 (Five million Naira only) fine for their fallure to control the behaviors of their fans, encroachment of their fans on the field of play to cause mayhem, and threat to the lives of the members of the Lagos State Football Association and Lagos State Referees Council, thereby bringing the beautiful game of football to disrepute payable within seven (7) days from the date of the summary jurisdiction.

"The club, Smart City FC is banned from participating in Lagos State Football Assoclation sanctioned football activitles in the next two (2) years.

"The Lagos State Football Association and Lagos State Referees Council are to immediately report the threats to lives and property to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State." 

 The decision according to the FA is without without prejudice to the right of appeal to the Disciplinary Committee.