MELULEKI NCUBE — THE NORTON TIMES*
NORTON – Norton Community FC have finally been confirmed as the second club from the Mashonaland West town in Zimbabwe’s second-tier Northern Region Soccer League (NRSL).
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| Finally ... Norton Community FC has been confirmed as part of the 2024 Northern Region Soccer League after a lengthy promotion debacle. They travel to Karoi United in the season opener scheduled for the weekend of 5-6 April 2024. |
Although their penalty-shootout victory over Kadoma City last year should have all but sealed the promotion, controversial changes by the NRSL stayed the celebrations in Norton.
The order from the Martin Kweza-led NRSL was for Community to play another playoff against CCLEE Mhangura to determine a single provincial champion, departing from the usual promotion of two provincial champions.
The Norton Times reported much on the resultant outcry over the unfairness of the ‘new promotion regulations’.
Of NRSL’s three feeder provinces, Harare Metropolitan and Mashonaland Central went ahead with the playoffs, while Mashonaland West refused to do likewise. In Harare, Simbisa Brands beat DZ Royal Stars, while in Mashonaland Central, Agama FC beat Zambezi Gas.
There was speculation galore over the fate of the Mashonaland West joint-champions Norton Community and CCLEE Mhangura, including that there was a possibility of shutting the door on both clubs.
The NRSL has since stepped back from the controversy after, according to one of its officials, taking into consideration the advice of the FIFA-appointed Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) Normalisation Committee (NC). But even the release of Week 1 fixtures, with Norton Community set for a trip to Karoi United, did not help end the speculation.
Hopefully, the emergence of a photo of Community chairperson Taurai Nyakungu in NRSL regalia is final confirmation to the remaining doubters.
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| Norton Community FC chairperson Taurai Nyakungu |
Nyakungu, who has almost single-handedly funded and steered the Community ship since its formation, was one of the delegates at the NRSL Annual General Assembly held at Meikles Hotel, Harare on Saturday 23 March 2023.
Norton Community FC becomes the second Norton club in the NRSL, after MWOS FC.
*The Zimbabwe Sphere is engaged in a content partnership with The Norton Times.
In our thrust to tell the stories that matter to every Zimbabwean across Zimbabwe, we are working with Norton's only community newspaper to document this booming town — its people and its perspectives.
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