LMC deducts three points from Sunshine Stars for rules violation

Three Match Officials Sanctioned
The League Management Company (LMC) has imposed a three-point deduction on Sunshine Stars of Akure, Ondo State, in an unprecedented application of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Framework and Rules.

The deduction, is the result of a review of past breaches of rules by the club in the 2014/2015 season, for varying sanctions, including monetary fines, playing without fans, breach of security and or interference with match officials among others.

According to LMC’s Chief Operating Officer, Salihu Abubakar, “These repeated breaches constitute aggravated circumstances, which are considered with a view to imposing more severe sanctions.

“It is noted that despite the imposition of a range of corrective sanctions including fines, ‘closed door’ orders and stadium bans, Sunshine Stars has failed to curb these acts of disturbances and contempt for match officials, which are capable of bringing the league to disrepute.”

The Akure-based club was also ordered to pay a fine of N1m and N500,000 to the injured match official in addition to a further order to deduct additional three points from the club’s total for the season in case of a recurrence.

Sunshine Stars was, however, given 48 hours to, in writing, submit to the decision or enter an appeal, which if it loses will attract additional sanctions.

Meanwhile, the LMC has asked the Nigeria Football Federation to withdraw the services of three match officials from further officiating in future NPFL matches for conducts capable of bringing the league to disrepute. The officials are centre referee David Akure and assistant referees, Apine Emmanuel, and Lewis Owolana.

According to LMC, they failed to satisfactorily capture in their match report, the widely circulated photographs showing an injury to one of the assistant referees, which they also submitted late.