It looks over for Lagos State based Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL side, Mountain of Fire and Miracle Football Club, MFM FC to be relegated from top-flight football after they were sanctioned by the League Management Company, LMC over the fracas that occurred during the Match Day 26 encounter with Enugu Rangers.
It will be recalled that officials of the match were assaulted after the final whistle as the relegation battlers played a goalless draw with Enugu Rangers.
But in its decision made public on Wednesday, the LMC have fined the Church club a total sum of three million, two hundred and fifty thousand naira only (N3, 000 250 000.00) only for failure to provide effective security during the match, encroachment of fans into the field of play, unsportsmanlike behaviour and assault of a match official.
The club who are 20th on the NPFL table also had their Team Manager, Geoffrey Aghogi indefinitely suspended from the league as well as two players, Jerry Isaac and Christian Molokwu handed a 12-match ban each for their roles in the melee that took place after the match.
The club were also banished to play their next three home matches at the Ijebu-Ode Stadium and received a further suspended two points deduction in the event such an ugly situation occurs again during the current season
Below is LMC decisions:
MFM FC have been charged for breaching the NPFL Framework and Rules in their Matchday 26 fixture vs Rangers last Sunday.
Some of MFM supporters and officials encroached onto the field of play & attacked the centre referee.
MFM also failed to provide and ensure effective security during the game which resulted in breakdown of law and order at the match venue.
MFM further breached the rules as their supporters, players and officials behaved in a way capable of bringing the league into disrepute.
MFM, furthermore, failed to control their players and officials in ensuring they displayed proper conduct in the course of their match vs Rangers.
MFM team manager Geoffrey Aghogi breached the Fair Play rules by going to the hotel of the match officials to harass, threaten and intimidate them, thereby bringing the league to disrepute.
MFM have been fined N1 million for failure to provide general security and also fined another N1 million for encroaching onto the field of play.
A fine of N1 million has also been imposed on MFM for unsporting behaviour of their players, officials and fans.
MFM players Jerry Isaac and Christian Molokwu have been suspended for the next 12 matches for their involvement in the infraction in this first instance.
MFM team manager Geoffrey Aghogi is banned indefinitely from all NPFL-organized activities including matches.
MFM have been ordered to identify the persons involved in the assault of match officials and further show evidence of arrest by the police and prosecution/arraignment in a competent court of law.
The assaulted centre referee will get a compensation of N250,000 and any other additional verifiable medical costs.
MFM will play their next three home matches at the Dina Dipo Stadium in Ijebu-Ode and will only return to their home ground upon LMC receiving a satisfactory report on the prosecution of the persons involved in the alleged assault by the police.
A suspended two-point deduction has been imposed on MFM which will be for a probationary period for the remainder of the season.
MFM have 7 working days to pay all fines & also have 48 hours from the date of the notice to appeal the sanctions.
