Referees have started a boycott of the current Super Nawettan yesterday unless their demand for a D500 per match allowance is met.
As result of the action, all three fixtures of the tourney yesterday bite the dust, driving the championship into abyss of uncertainty.
A senior official for the referees association said the said sum was agreed at a meeting between the refs and the Super Nawettan Organizing Committee, SOC, attended by retired and senior veteran Gambian referees.
”From today we have down our tools and will not return until our demands are met,” he said …
The referees claimed the demanded D500 allowance is very reasonable; in fact a chicken change compared to the trouble referees take to and at matches.
A young referee who spoke to The Standard yesterday lamented that Gambian referees are the most financially neglected in the region. ”It’s about respect for one another. We are not asking for a fortune but at least the basics should be provided for the referees to move about without hassle or stress,” he said.
There has not been any immediate reaction for the SOC over the refereeing criseis that hit this most popular tourney but GFF second vice president Ebou Faye yesterday commented on the saga on Facebook saying: ‘“The matter is resolved and the matches will continue tomorrow, [meaning today]. The GFF has intervened and will pay the requested amount upfront. Also, all the rescheduled matches of today will be free entrance.”
Meanwhile if the tourney continues today, Serekunda East will play Kombo East at East Park while SK West will play Sukuta at West Park.
