SC Villa suffer points deduction for hooliganism

SC Villa have had two points and two goals taken away from their tally following the violence that crowned their 2-1 StarTimes Uganda Premier League loss to Wakiso Giants on November 15 at Wankulukuku Stadium.

The Fufa Competitions Disciplinary Panel (CDP) communicated the decision in press release on Thursday.

“An immediate deduction of two (2) points and two (2) goals from those already accumulated by the club,” the statement reads in part.

Villa lie fourth having accumulated 13 points from seven games, one behind the top three – Bul, Wakiso Giants and Express.

Also, Villa will play five games behind closed doors starting with their next home against KCCA on November 25.

“Five (5) StarTimes Uganda Premier League home matches for SC Villa played in a closed stadium in a neutral territory outside the jurisdiction of the Fufa Regional Football Associations of Kampala, Buganda and Eastern and at a stadium already licensed for the 2022/3 StarTimes Uganda Premier League matches,” it added.

In addition, Uganda’s most successful club were handed a suspended deduction of two points and two goals for a period of 30 days within which SC Villa is to avail to the CDP the individual culprits and all relevant details that orchestrated the hooliganism for onward transmission to the match integrity committee for necessary action.

However, this aforementioned sanction “shall be retracted automatically should the club avail the culprits within the above stipulated time frame. Failure for the club to avail the said individual culprits, two points and two goals shall automatically be deducted from those accumulated by the club.”

In the violence that ensued, the Wakiso Giants doctor was struck by a stone as teargassed was fired to disperse fans.

The Fufa CDP found that; “During half time interval, match officials were denied access to the dressing room by the home team fans who were violent, throwing stones and bottles to the match officials and the match officials failed to access the dressing room at half time interval

“After the match, the fans continued to throw bottles at match officials as they walked from the field of play to the dressing room which prompted police into action. The fans poured urine at the match officials while in the dressing room through the windows.

“It was further reported that during the scuffle the team doctor of Wakiso Giants’ Fc was stoned and injured on his forehead.”

In the strongly worded communication, the Fufa CDP says that “SC Villa is a repeated offender.”

Following that violence, there was even more hooliganism in the game between Busoga United and Express after the latter took an 87^th minute through an Allan Kayiwa free kick. The game was consequently abandoned amidst teargas.