THE Premier Soccer League believes the stand-off between NetOne and BancABC centred on Dynamos in this year’s NetOne Charity Shield is a matter that should be handled with utmost care.

There was a spat last Sunday when the NetOne Charity Shield was almost called off following a row over playing kits between the sponsors of the competition and Dynamos’ principal backers BancABC.

Dynamos wanted the jerseys to be designed in such a way that gave BancABC, as their sponsors, advertising space at the front.

However, an agreement could not be reached until Match Day leaving Dynamos to play with another kit although they used the NetOne T-shirts for warm up.

NetOne signed a three-year contract with PSL to sponsor the Charity Shield in 2011 and they are now in their second year of bankrolling the season-opening competition, whose proceeds are channelled towards charity. There are fears that Dynamos could be hauled for a hearing but PSL chief executive, Kenny Ndebele, chose to be diplomatic. “This is a very delicate matter and our lawyers are handling it.

“They should exhaust all the possible ways before we can make the next move. A letter has already been sent to the lawyers to handle the issue,” said Ndebele.

The incident has caught the PSL at the centre of their two sponsors as BancABC bankroll the Sup8r Trophy, which had been the richest knockout competition for the league before Mbada Diamonds came on board last year.

“This matter has serious ramifications because we are looking at the current sponsors and the potential sponsors. We want to avoid any potential hazards and we are also considering tournament sponsors and the clubs’ sponsors,” said Ndebele.

The PSL, Ndebele said, are looking at finding an amicable solution to the dispute.

“We are taking it step by step because there are certain statements that may lead us taking football into disrepute,” said Ndebele.

Yesterday, NetOne issued a Press statement in which they alleged that Dynamos were in breach of contract through their refusal to play in the branded kits.

“NetOne signed an agreement with the Premier Soccer League (PSL) on the 11th of March, 2011. Article 14.1 of this agreement clearly states that, PSL shall ensure that all football clubs participating in the competition wear playing shirts on which the NetOne Cellular (Pvt) Ltd logo appears on the right front breast/chest.

“In addition to the contractual position cited above, the NetOne Charity Shield Rules and Regulations issued by the Premiership Soccer League provide in Article 10 thereof that ‘The participating teams shall be provided with the playing kits branded with the sponsor’s logo on the breast as well as branded warm up t-shirts.’

“No player will be allowed to participate without wearing the sponsor’s branded kit,” read part of the statement.