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ONE of the things that have given the domestic Premiership its enduring appeal, in the past six years, has been the titanic battle for the league championship and the gruelling fights for survival.

We have been witnesses to six epic battles for the league title, which have spilled into the final day of the season and captivating fights for survival, which have gone to the wire.

Football fans love all this drama, which keeps them guessing right until the very end, and the last four Premiership titles — 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 — were all decided by goal difference while Dynamos pushed Monomotapa and Gunners, who were champions in 2008 and 2009, all the way.

This year isn’t any different with everything to play for, on the final weekend of the 2014 Castle Lager Premiership season, as giant-killers ZPC Kariba lead the race by two points over defending champions Dynamos ahead of their last matches of the season.

At the other end of the table, two of these six Premiership teams — Chapungu, Triangle, Buffaloes, Shabanie, Harare City and Black Rhinos — could follow Bantu Rovers and Chiredzi FC, who have already been relegated. Against this intriguing background, it is important that we emphasise that the spirit of Fair Play guide all the teams, including those with very little to play for, but whose result could have a huge influence in the fate of other teams, especially those fighting for survival.

Bantu Rovers, who were relegated three weeks ago, have been an excellent example of how to carry yourself, in such circumstances, and they went to Ascot, after their relegation had already been confirmed and became the first team to beat Chapungu at home this season while they also came to Rufaro and fought bravely in a goalless draw against Dynamos.

Sadly, we have heard whispers of some questionable behaviour elsewhere and Shabanie Mine suspended their ‘keeper, Victor Twaliki, following a 1-3 home defeat to How Mine with the asbestos miners vice chairman, Fidelis Chimedza, coming out publicly, at the weekend, to suggest that there could have been a manipulation of that result.

On Sunday, Gishon Ntini, the outspoken coach of Chiredzi FC, who failed to save his team from relegation, also publicly questioned their loss to Lowveld rivals, Triangle, claiming that their opponents allegedly used their financial muscle to make some of his players under-perform in the derby.

As we have shown in saluting Bantu Rovers, we are merchants of the spirit of Fair Play and we condemn, in the strongest terms, any machinations that may be at play to try and manipulate results as we believe that the better team should always win. Only that way can the integrity of our football be saved because once the fans start believing that the games are being played somewhere in the boardrooms, and the results are being manipulated, then they will stop coming to the stadiums and, gradually, the game will die.

However, it’s also important that the Premier Soccer League authorities demand that Chimedza and Ntini back their allegations of match-fixing, with credible evidence that can be tested and proven, or they face disciplinary action because there is a danger, too, that their utterances could bring the league into disrepute.

And, crucially, these utterances could drive sponsors away from the top-flight league.

For why should Delta Beverages want to keep sponsoring a league where matches are being manipulated, if we are to believe Ntini and Chimedza?

Chimedza’s utterances also dragged the name of How Mine into controversy and the company should be asking itself today whether it’s worth it to continue pouring money into their football team, or divert it elsewhere and before we know it, we have about 40 or so people, directly employed by this project, who could be out of work come end of season simply because someone was careless with his words to the media.

Ntini’s utterances are not different, either and have dragged the name of Triangle into the mud and the company should be asking itself today whether it’s worth it to continue injecting money into the football team, or divert it elsewhere and before we know it, we have about 40 or so people, directly employed by this project, who could be out of work end of season simply because someone was careless with his words to the media.

Shabanie have lost 12 league games this season, but somehow their vice chairman wants the world to believe that only one of their loss, against How Mine, was suspicious rather than just conceding that, probably, his team, which had its fair share of financial challenges, has punched below its weight.

Interestingly, the same Shabanie officials who accepted a coach, who is employed by FC Platinum, to come and try to save their season, suddenly question the integrity of others while Ntini, a motor mouth whose team has lost 19 times, finds fault in just the one loss to rivals Chiredzi FC.

The English Premiership guards its integrity and also protects its sponsors, by even charging players and coaches for what they say on social media and Ntini and Chimedza have to substantiate their claims or face sanctions from the domestic Premiership.