Refs body warns against lack of professionalism
The National Referees Committee (NRC) has warned that the association will not hesitate to crack the whip on referees who fail to display professionalism on the pitch.
Chris Kalichero, NRC general secretary, said this when commenting on the increase of cases of questionable officiation after Grade One referee Roy Williams was suspended for nine months last Thursday.
Williams became the third to be suspended in recent times after Rafael Anthony, who is currently serving a three-month suspension and Arnold Maseko who has since finished his suspension.
“We will not stop punishing referees when they fail to discharge their duties professionally. Football is a family entertainment and we need to be serious as referees as sponsors are spending a lot of money training referees. Referees need to stamp authority and be felt to be in charge on the pitch,” said Kalichero.
FAM referees’ sub-committee suspended Williams for messing up a TNM Super League meeting game Epac and Big Bullets at Silver Stadium where violence, for the first time in an otherwise relatively peaceful season so far , reared its ugly head a fortnight ago.
Bullets general secretary Harold Fote yesterday welcomed the suspension for Williams, who controversially awarded a penalty which Jaffalie Chande converted to earn Epac a 1-0 win.
“To say the least, the referee’s decision was unprofessional, intolerable and we were robbed,” said Fote.
Bullets were fined K1.2 million (US$2 919.7) after their supporters damaged stadium property and assaulted people, including Silver Strikers’ striker Tony Chitsulo outside the venue. Epac were fined K350 000 (US$852) for the same fracas.
After the incident, Super League of Malawi (Sulom) Disciplinary Committee recommended that Williams be disciplined for incompetence.
