PSL to grapple with contentious franchise deals
THE Premier Soccer League (PSL) is today expected to rule on several contentious issues‚ including the controversial R42-million deal that will see AmaZulu return to the topflight.
AmaZulu‚ relegated from the topflight two seasons ago‚ have bought the franchise of National First Division champions Thanda Royal Zulu and are set to play in the PSL next season instead of the Richards Baybased team.
The deal has been in the works for months but needs to be approved by the PSL’s executive committee‚ who will sit today to decide the matter.
Also to be discussed is the sale of FC Cape Town and a proposed move for Milano United to Johannesburg as they are subject to a R11-million bid.
The AmaZulu takeover of Thanda’s status has been confirmed for weeks by club officials with Thanda’s owners saying they are unable to keep up with the cost of running the club.
But there are many detractors to AmaZulu buying the PSL status‚ not least the municipality of uMhlathuze‚ who released a statement last month condemning the proposed sale.
“The City of uMhlathuze strongly condemns the alleged move by Thanda Royal Zulu’s chairman to sell the club to AmaZulu. The City urges the PSL board not to approve this deal as it is a daylight robbery for soccer fans in the northern part of KwaZulu-Natal.
“The City is disappointed at the recent media reports citing the negotiations between AmaZulu FC and Thanda chairman Mr Pierre Delvaux‚ to sell his club’s Absa Premiership status without the consideration of the supporters’ hearts.
“The City of uMhlathuze has‚ for years‚ invested millions of rands to the club as main sponsors with the intention of seeing the club developing to the top league.
“City people and soccer lovers invested their hearts when the club was struggling and supported with all they had until the glory days.
“Taxpayers’ money was also invested in improving the stadium to accommodate the club’s success and just recently‚ R14-million worth of Fifa accredited stadium lights were installed and more improvements in the facility worth millions of rands are under way‚ which will go down the drain‚” it said.
FC Cape Town are being sold for R9-million to the Ubuntu Football Trust‚ which started out as an academy for boys in the Cape and has already placed some of its graduates on college scholarships in the USA. It is run by Zimbabwe-born Michael Jenkins and American Casey Prince.
Milano United‚ who struggled to stay up in the NFD last season‚ have been up for sale since March with an original price tag of R50-million that has come down drastically to R11-million because of a lack of takers. A Midrand-based tenderpreneur is said to have made an approach.