Celtic bidder eyes move to Kimberley

BLOEMFONTEIN Celtic have a serious bidder offering about R45-million for the club and with plans to move it to Kimberley‚ according to club insiders‚ but others in soccer circles are pouring cold water on the idea.

Celtic – one of South Africa’s best supported teams and a founder member of the old National Professional Soccer League in 1971 – are up for sale after owner Max Tshabalala said he had run into financial difficulties and wanted to sell the club.

Tshabalala’s own business interests have taken a knock.

The club’s MTN sponsorship is now also up and will not be renewed‚ effectively costing the club R21-million annually.

Tshabalala said he had three suitors from Gauteng, but the bid from Kimberley is a new development.

Club officials have said they consider it to be serious, but observers close to Celtic do not believe it is sustainable.

Several people with inside knowledge were interviewed and provided insight, but only on condition of anonymity.

The real test of any serious bid will be when it is brought before the Premier Soccer League’s executive committee for approval.

The exco have brought forward their usual last-Thursday-of-the-month meeting to today to coincide with the PSL awards.

If nothing is tabled by Celtic in the next 24 hours‚ any proposed sale would have to wait until the end of next month.

It is a tricky dilemma for the PSL as Celtic are one of their prestige franchises‚ with healthy support in one of the country’s major centres.

Allowing the club to move from Bloemfontein would come as a real knock.

But the league cannot also allow Celtic to continue in its current condition for there is every chance they might default on their obligations and create not only a major headache for the PSL but also much embarrassment.

Already in the last months, the club has been bedevilled with reports of players not being paid on time.

Midfielder Lantshane Phalane said the players had not been told anything about a prospective sale.

“We have just heard the rumours like everybody else‚” Phalane said.

“We are just waiting to return for preseason on June 20 and then hear what they have to say,” he said. - TimesLIVE