What the Siya crew has been told…

Thidiela escaped a five-year ban from football, which was reduced to just 12 months.

The Siya crew is in possession of the ruling and, in it, the League – through prosecutor Nande Becker – had asked and urged for a severe sanction that would have shocked the football fraternity.

What would have prompted such a serious punishment is the panel’s belief that the Leopards boss, a repeat offender, had launched a “bitter vitriol and diatribe” against referee Hlungwani, which was aimed at “dehumanising” him to the core.

Thidiela had made his way to the pitch five months ago having watched his side narrowly lose 1-0 to Bloemfontein Celtic on September 16 at the Thohoy- andou Stadium – their stomping ground. Accusing the match official of costing Lidoda Duvha three points, the club boss told Hlungwani he would be coming to the venue “at your own risk” the next time he makes the trip to Venda.

This was all in a recording that went viral almost immediately, and the killer blow – the Siya crew has been told – was Thidiela’s tribal references and his violent threats to the referee, who he said was targeting his club.

The panel in the PSL disciplinary committee recalled a very similar case – a confrontation of another referee, Anwar Alexander, back in December 2016 prior to their game against Royal Eagles in the National First Div- ision.

Leopards were found guilty of not restraining Thidiela, who, at the time, told Alexander: “I will have you removed from the referee panel because I am the boss in football. Jou donnerse hotnot (derogatory and offensive racial term), I will show you.”

As punishment for what the panel called “racially insulting and discriminatory” words towards Alexander, Thidiela was fined R200 000, of which R150 000 was suspended provided he is not found guilty of a similar misconduct within two years.

His rant five months ago is believed to have forced the committee’s hand and influenced, immensely, the league’s submission to have him banned for five years and Leopards fined.

The PSL, who were the complainant in this case, argued that Thidiela, a club boss who should know better, ignored the “socio-political impact of the misconduct” within South Africa’s fledgling democracy. The panel then concluded that referee Hlungwani suffered the same or similar fate as his colleague less than two years prior – and that the sanctions imposed then on Thidiela were “ineffective”.

They also criticised the club boss for accusing the disciplinary committee of not being “impartial” and lacking “integrity”, arguing that they were often conspiring against Leopards with this case and in ones previously.