The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has advised participating clubs to curb a number of inappropriate conducts of their Coaches, Players and Ball Boys during matches.
In a memo to the Clubs, titled “Regulating MatchDay Conduct of Coaches, Players and Ball Boys, the Chief Operating Officer, Davidson Owumi reminded the clubs that relevant provisions of the NPFL Framework and Rules will be invoked to ensure that no individual or group demeaned the public perception of the league.
The memo, he noted was intended to avert the minds of leadership of all clubs to some inappropriate conduct that is tainting the league and bringing the game to disrepute.
It began by drawing attention to the dress code of Coaches, some of whom the league categorized as “appearing for matches in inappropriate apparel that portray the entire league in a bad light.”
Warning that henceforth such Coaches would be charged based on relevant provisions of the rules.
The NPFL appealed, “to the leadership of our Clubs to take interest in the dress codes of their Coaches who sit on the bench especially now that our games are on television.
“Football broadcast requires intentional packaging from arrival of teams to the dressing rooms, to the field, bench, and actual play. Let us join hands with our Broadcast Partners to make the league attractive to viewers at home and fans in the stadium”, the memo stated.
It raised a second issue of simulation of injury by players to hold up matches in a bid to run down the clock thereby denying fee-paying fans full value for money and time.
“Football has been accepted as big business with entertainment value and this frequent disruption robs the league games of entertainment spectacle. It does not encourage fans who have paid money and spent time to watch games.”
Owumi observed and urged clubs to encourage their Coaches to adopt fair means of getting results.
The memo also frowned at the resort to hiding match balls by Ball Boys of home teams to confer undue advantage through time wasting when the ball is out of play.