Hub takes FA to court

MBABANE – Just when the dust was about to settle on the contentious playoffs saga, Hub Sundowns have taken National Football Association of Swaziland to court over the matter.

The Manzini side had been cited as the second respondent in the recent court case where Hellenic successfully challenged the playoffs. High Court Judge Justice Thomas Masuku ruled in favour of the Mangwaneni based side.

Sundowns has joined the PLS as respondents in the matter over its failure to defend the playoffs court case against Hellenic FC which condemned the Manzini side to the relegation zone.

Sundowns Director Steve Horton confirmed that they have instructed their attorneys to challenge the FA and PLS in court over the uncertainty pertaining to their premier league status.

"We are not going to appeal the court judgement in the Hellenic case because we feel the FA and the PLS have a mandate to uphold their constitutions and rules of the game. They have dismally let the football fraternity down by failing to defend the matter," he said.

Horton said they believe that they have every right to take the matter to court because their right is violated by the failure to clarify their standing in the premier league.

He said they played their games during the 2009/10 season under the new rules which provided for the promotional playoffs.

He further mentioned that his team will suffer prejudice if they are not allowed to participate in the promotional playoffs.

"We will definitely suffer great prejudice if the FA and the PLS decides that the play-offs should be cancelled and Hellenic should gain automatic promotion. We are not however against Hellenic and the judgement but we are guarding our own interests," he said.

Sundown’s attorney Sipho Simelane confirmed that he has received instruction from his clients to take the football mother body to court.

Simelane said his client feels that his right is being violated by the respondent’s failure to clarify his standing regarding relegation.

"I have received instructions from my clients to take the matter up with the High Court and I will be filing my papers very soon. We are taking the FA and the PLS to court as the custodians of my clients rights regarding the matter," he said.

Sundowns wrote to the PLS seeking clarity on the matter and the PLS replied that they will only get to attend to the issue during their annual general meeting.

The PLS, however, could not give a stipulated date of the AGM except that it will only be held after the FA has deliberated on outstanding issues.

The matter first got to the public domain when Hellenic successfully challenged the play-offs in court.

A serious contradiction of rules was exposed and the PLS withdrew its defence in court.

Hellenic’s success in court meant they were being automatically promoted to the premier league which spelt doom to Sundowns who were second from the bottom in the premier log standings.

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