Soccer under fire
The National, Tuesday 26th March 2013
By GABRIEL LAHOC
THE Gigira Laitepo Morobe United executive management and several others have raised serious concerns about the way the Telikom National Soccer League is being run.
Morobe manager Toki Mambare, pictured left, said this season had hit a low point compared to past years.
He said for the first time in the competition’s seven-year history “there is now no window period for the clubs to sell and buy players”.
Mambare said there were no uniforms supplied before the season started and that saw some franchises forced to make special arrangements for their players.
Morobe was forced to wear the uniform of City United, a local club in the Lae Football Association for the first round.
He said there were no beverages at match venues unlike the past when there was an arrangement with Coca-Cola Amatil to provide drinks.
Roy Kamen, the Morobe franchise president and senior vice-president of LFA agrees saying there is no clubs representation on the NSL board.
Kamen questioned the transparency of the decisions being made so far affecting the clubs.
He described the appointment of the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Isaac Lupari to replace John Kapi Natto in the NSL and PNG Football Association as “a step in the wrong direction”.
He disputed the explanation by PNGFA president David Chung that a PNGFA congress endorsed and appointed Lupari.
“Which congress meeting was Lupari appointed at?
“I am questioning that as the president of the Morobe United because I was at the last congress meeting in Kimbe,” Kamen said.
Despite concerns raised by independent sources in Lae and questions being posed to NSL development manager Chris Brown, pictured right, in an email as he requested, he has yet to respond to these allegations.
Brown could not respond to unconfirmed reports that Besta PNG United, currently on second spot on the competition table, has yet to pay its required K75,000 franchise fees, K35 player registration and K500 expression of interest fee.
He has yet to respond to another report that NC Civil Works Oro’s cheque of K50,000 bounced.
When contacted by telephone, Brown said he was too busy to respond to these reports and claims and asked to respond through email but has yet to do so.