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Home / NPL still embarrassingly failing at basics … referees ‘dodge’ writing match reports
NPL still embarrassingly failing at basics … referees ‘dodge’ writing match reports
2018-03-01Staff Report 2 Otniel Hembapu Windhoek-For almost 29 years of its existence, the Namibia Premier League (NPL) is sadly, or rather embarrassingly, still failing to get the basics of smooth football administration right. It recently came to the attention of New Era Sport that some, if not most, match officials or referees in the country’s flagship football league, the MTC Namibia Premier League (NPL), do not know how to compile a comprehensive and well-detailed match report. In fact, instead of the required detailed match report the referees are expected to submit to the NPL secretariat and its relevant technical committee, the seemingly handicapped match officials would sometimes rather resolve not to submit a report at all, due to their inability to compile a comprehensive match report. They (referees) would sometimes submit a match report containing one line that reads: “It was a good match”, a practice that was openly admitted by the chief administrator of the NPL, Tovey Hoebeb, at yesterday’s press conference in the capital. Hoebeb, somewhat evidently embarrassed to admit the unacceptable handicap of local match officials, said the league’s secretariat has taken note and is seriously concerned about referees not knowing how to compile a basic match report, especially in this day and age. “Unfortunately I have to admit that we have such a problem with our referees, especially when it comes to writing or submitting comprehensive match reports. It is no longer a secret, because sometimes one would receive a match report reading one line that says ‘It was a good match’. I mean, tell me, where will one even start with such a match report? It is really bad, but as a responsible organisation, we have taken a decision to work around the situation and find a solution. Soon, in conjunction with the NFA’s referees department, we will engage our match officials and see how we can improve the situation. Even if it means allowing them to submit match reports written in their home languages, it will be welcomed as they are easily translatable as opposed to submitting a report with just one sentence,” said Hoebeb. For starters, a match report is a vital component of a football match, where the referee records almost all aspects or developments of a particular match, such as players that were cautioned, sent off, and they are also expected to report any incidents. Referees are generally expected to compile and submit a detailed report to the NPL office within two days of the match (Sundays not included). Another thorny issue also exposing the sad realities clouding Namibian football is the situation of local match commissioners who are many a time fingered for not taking their responsibilities at stadiums seriously. Just like referees, match commissioners too play a pivotal role as they are of paramount importance in organising the match and making sure that all aspects of the match are in place and run smoothly. The role of match commissioners in modern-day football cannot be compromised taking into consideration their significance to the achievements of a recreation. Beginning from their appointment down to their particular person character, care has to be taken to ensure that the right people are appointed to fee a match. As element of their characteristics, they have to have the ability to make prompt and accurate final decisions. Some of the roles of match commissioners are to carry out joint inspection of the area of play prior to the start of a match and also ensure that the pitch is extremely significant in a football match. It is also the responsibility of match commissioners to assure that there are sufficient security arrangements and that unauthorised people or objects do not enter onto the pitch. They are also expected to submit detailed reports of the match to the NPL office, at least within 48 hours or so after the match. Unlike with referees, match commissioner reports should incorporate almost everything that occurred ahead of, throughout and following the match. But sadly, and to the admission of Hoebeb, local match commissioners also find the going tough when they have to submit reports, as they too appear not to know how to structure detailed reports. “There are cases where a match commissioner would simply take a referee’s match report and directly copy everything the referee had written and then send it to us. But they do not realise that those reports do not focus on the same things, as their roles are different. At times we notice that a certain match commissioner that was assigned to a specific match is not present at the pitch but rather sitting somewhere on the pavilions chatting, as opposed to commissioning the match underway at that particular time. Match commissioners too do not submit their reports on time or sometimes do not at all,” added Hoebeb, who strangely for the first time shared challenges faced by the league. 2018-03-01Staff Report 2
