Ikorodu
United FC of Lagos has requested and secured approval from the League
Management Company (LMC) to play the remaining of its 2015/16 home fixtures of
the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) at the MKO Abiola Stadium in
Abeokuta.
It
will be recalled that following crowd incident during the Match Day 30 fixture
against Shooting Stars at the Onikan Stadium, Ikorodu United was found not to
have ensured adequate security and were ordered to play three home games at
Abeokuta with two suspended on condition of good behaviour by the fans.
Ikorodu
United served the sanction on Match Day 32 and defeated Niger Tornadoes 1-0 but
in a letter to the LMC, the club General Manager, Dele Gbajumo appealed that
the club be permitted to relocate to Abeokuta for the remainder of the games of
the on-going season.
“We
will not be able to guarantee the full control of the crowd and general safety
at the Onikan Stadium as the unruly fans at the Onikan Stadium are not known to
us and neither can they be identified should there be any form of fracas”, the
club wrote in its appeal letter.
In
granting the approval, the LMC directed Ikorodu United to liaise with the Ogun
State Football Association towards ensuring that adequate preparations are made
for security and crowd control for the matches.
Ikorodu
United will thus host El-Kanemi Warriors in one of the Match Day 33 fixtures at
the MKO Abiola Stadium on Sunday.
The
LMC has consistently and in accordance with provisions of the Rules and
Framework meted out appropriate sanctions to erring clubs, players, officials
and fans to ensure decorum in the NPFL. It is ironical that what initially
seemed punitive has turned out a blessing for Ikorodu United.
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