Just a few cases of top-flight franchise sales

CASES of clubs purchasing the franchises of top-flight sides are rare in South African football, but there have been a few high-profile cases, including a previous instance involving AmaZulu.

Another Durban side, Manning Rangers, were relegated at the end of the 1992 season but bought back their topflight status from QwaQwabased Ratanang Maholosiane.

They entered the top division again in 1993 and four years later would be crowned league champions under Gordon Igesund in the very first season of the Premier Soccer League in 1996-97.

Rangers were relegated again in the 2004-05 season and a year later were declared bankrupt and ceased to exist as a professional club.

AmaZulu have previous experience in this area. After a yoyo period in the club’s history when they were up and down between the top two divisions, they purchased the franchise of top-flight Dynamos ahead of the 2006-07 season.

It was reported at the time that owner Patrick Sokhela paid R37-million for the franchise, though Dynamos club boss Pat Malabela had to seek relief from the Johannesburg High Court in order to get all of his money after Sokhela reportedly could not come up with that figure.

It proved a near-disastrous move as they ended up second bottom and in the PromotionRelegation Play-offs in the very next season, but managed to win those as they denied University of Pretoria a place in the top flight.

Dynamos have also since slipped into obscurity after they were relegated from the NFD in the 2012-13 campaign.

Yet another side from KwaZulu-Natal, Maritzburg United, got their top-flight status after they bought the franchise of Tembisa Classic in 2005.

At the time that deal was reported to be in the region of R9-million, with Classic owner Thabo Masilela desperate to sell as he battled with financial challenges.

A number of current PSL clubs have bought the First Division status of clubs and were later promoted to the top flight, including SuperSport United, Mpumalanga Black Aces, Free State Stars and Polokwane City.

Jomo Cosmos also bought their way into the top-flight when the club was formed in 1982. Owner Jomo Sono bought then top team Highlands Park and changed the club’s name to his beloved Cosmos.

Highlands Park were revived and later became Silver Stars, before being created for a third time and now campaign in the National First Division.