PSL with egg on its face after disregarding sound governance

Herman Gibbs

The Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) image has been severely tarnished after Royal AM FC's tumultuous tenure was sparked by their refusal to play in the relegation/promotion play-offs of the 2021 season.

It should then have served as a warning to the PSL hierarchy that Royal AM was not a club that would enhance the image of the league. The PSL bent over backwards to accommodate them, even rescheduling play-off fixtures.

When the club failed to win promotion to the Premiership, Royal AM decided to enter the elite league through the back door and bought the Bloemfontein Celtic Premiership franchise.

As a result, Royal AM started playing at the start of the 2021/22 Premiership season.

It was a sad day for PSL football because this club showed scant regard for sound governance and should not have been allowed to purchase a Premiership franchise.

Today the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has seized control of Royal AM and it has been slapped with a transfer ban by Fifa for failing to pay their former striker, Samir Nurković, R15 million when they terminated his contract in 2022.

Irvin Khoza, the chairman of the PSL said at the time that Bloemfontein Celtic had run into financial difficulties and at the time he was pleased that a buyer had come forward to buy the franchise.

He said he was faced with a massive problem that the PSL could not field a 16-team league.

There was a hint of desperation as Khoza explained that he was pleased that the Bloemfontein Celtic franchise had been sold.

Decisions such as club ownership and transfer of franchises rest with owners of PSL clubs.

These owners serve on the PSL executive board and make decisions even though they may not be an authority on matters before the executive.

There are massive conflicts of interest when club owners decide on matters which affect them directly as owners.

The situation worsened a few years ago when the then PSL CEO Brand de Villiers resigned from the PSL and was never replaced. Instead, Lamontville Golden Arrows owner Mato Madlala has since then assumed the CEO's duties.

The club owners who serve on the executive will have to make important decisions over the next few days but should do that honestly because their decisions may come to haunt them should they end up in similar financial positions in future.