Mete out severe punishment on perpetrators of hooliganism

What you need to know:

  • In yet another case, a fan embarrassed the referee by chasing him all over the pitch in a bid to beat him up
  • We shall condemn it as many times as possible even if we end up boring our readers
  • The club has gone ahead and ‘suspended’ him but the IDCC should go one better and make an example of him

There has been a long peaceful period in Kenyan football devoid of any incidents during matches that some people, like me, thought the past was behind us.

We forget quite easily that some years ago, a certain Mombasa team angered by a referee’s decision assaulted the official aiming to inflict maximum pain going even further to target his genitals.

It was a very wicked act that attracted condemnation and ire in the country.

It had passed the threshold of football violence and was now a criminal case.

The only problem was the delay in arresting perpetrators of the heinous act. In the end, the team was banned including their well respected coach.

The official sustained serious injuries to his private parts and sued for compensation.

We do not know whether he was ever paid, but knowing our country we guess he was not reimbursed.

In yet another case, a fan embarrassed the referee by chasing him all over the pitch in a bid to beat him up.

He never caught up with the scared official simply because he was wearing moccasins and could get a good grip on the grassy pitch.

The match was actually televised and many Kenyans watched the fool in utter disbelief.

He was suspended from watching live football for a period.

Unfortunately, a few weeks later, he was sneaking unnoticed into the stadium contrary to his suspension and nobody seemed to remember it.

We simply could not effectively implement the ban!

We have condemned hooliganism in Kenyan football in these pages and we shall condemn it as many times as possible even if we end up boring our readers.

We shall not give up on it!

Football matches are supposed to attract families to the stadium but the fear of violence usually makes many parents wary of going to the stadiums with their children.

When we watch foreign football matches on TV, we see fans who have the guts to take even their babies to the match!

It means they are assured of their security; it means they have confidence on their safety.

This is something that only a reckless Kenyan parent can do it seems. The result is that teams get less revenue from gate collections and only attract a bad lot that is only bent on mayhem.

On the 6th of January 2019, the folly of violence was taken a notch higher.

This time round it was a club official - the organising secretary - who led some angered lot in assaulting the referee and his assistant at Kenyatta stadium in Machakos.

He was the organising secretary and so he must have felt duty bound to organise some hooliganism.

AFC Leopards had scored one goal in the 92nd minute. Nzoia Sugar equalised.

Mr Timothy Lilumbi did not like this, deemed the goal offside but it stood.

That’s when he saw red and assaulted the referee.

Well, disciplinary action on him shall and must follow with all harshness possible.

We demand that he bears the brunt!

The club has gone ahead and ‘suspended’ him but the IDCC should go one better and make an example of him.

We demand!