NPL fines Heartland for breaching league rules on encroachment

By Wale Mustapha

The board of Nigeria Premier League, (NPL) have placed a fine of One Million naira on Heartland FC for breaching the Framework and Rules of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) following the pitch encroachment of their players and officials in protest of a decision by the match officials against Rivers United  on Wednesday.

The league board handed the fine on the Naze Millionaires on the offense that they been warned of previously.

Meanwhile, the management of the club have expressed their displeasure at the NPFL decision not to grant their request to have their Sunday’s tie with Rangers’ International in Awka at early kick off on humanitarian ground.

Heartland FC had written to the league body requesting them to have their weekend match at Awka Township Stadium, Awka played by 2 pm so the players and officials of the club can return to Owerri same day, after the game due to the restrictions of movement in the South East on Mondays.

The league body, however, overruled the request stating that they do not want to alter the arrangements they have made with their Over the Top (OTT) Broadcast partners, Propel Sports as regard the timing of the game.

Mr. Promise Nwachukwu who is the General Manager of the club expressed his displeasure with NPFL decision noting that they have made similar sacrifices for visiting teams in the past and wondered why theirs would be different.

Nwachukwu expected the NPFL to be humane in their actions and strive to put into consideration the cogent reasons the club postulated as reasons for their request for an early kick off against Rangers than the flippant throwing out of the request.

“The decision not to grant our request for an early kick off of the Sunday game with Rangers International FC does not sit well with us at all.

“We wrote to the NPFL with the mindset that we would be heard and that the league body would consider the safety of our players and officials as important over other issues.

“We all know the situation of the South East on Mondays with the sit at home. We do not want to endanger the lives of our players and officials. It was because of this we wrote to the NPFL becoming on them for the game to start earlier than 4pm so that we can return to our base without issues at the end of the game.

“We are not requesting for what is out of place. It is similar thing we have done for other teams that have visited us who requested for their games to be played early for the same reason, why should our own be different?,” Nwachukwu queried.

Heartland are still in search of their first win of the new NPFL season after six games, an indication of pressure on the club’s technical crew led by Christan Obi.