Newly promoted side Heartland FC have been charged for breaching the Framework and Rules of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) following the pitch encroachment of their players and officials to protest a decision by the match officials during their game against Rivers United on Wednesday, November 1, 2023.
A fine of N1 million has been imposed on the Naze Millionaires for encroaching into the field of play in the face of a recent warning letter.
Meanwhile, the management of the club have expressed their displeasure at the decision of the NPFL not to grant their request to have their Sunday’s Matchday 7 tie with Rangers’ International FC 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.
The General Manager, Heartland FC, Promise Nwachukwu told the club media that they are not happy with the decision of the NPFL noting that they have made similar sacrifices for visiting teams in the past and wondered why theirs would be different.
He said he 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,” Nwachukwu began in a chat with the club media.
“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?”
The Owerri-based club is still searching for its first win of the season after six rounds of matches played as pressure continues to mount on the technical crew led by Christian Obi.
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