Playoffs could be a royal stuff-up

THE South African football fraternity can brace itself for the mother of all stand-offs!

After an uneventful start to the contentious PSL promotion/relegation play-offs on Saturday, the mutinous GladAfrica Championship club Royal AM are scheduled to open their fourmatch programme. They will go up against Premiership outfit Chippa United at Chatsworth Stadium today.

However, numerous media reports yesterday informed that Royal AM official Sinky Mnisi has said, in no uncertain terms, that his team will not honour the fixture.

Last week Royal AM obtained a court interdict to halt the play-offs, which finally, after two attempts, started on Saturday when Chippa hosted Richards Bay in the opener at Nelson Bay Stadium.

Royal AM were highly infuriated that the PSL ignored the interdict and proceeded with the playoffs.

The upshot was that Royal AM approached the Supreme Court of Appeal, and the law firm representing Royal AM, Mabuza Attorneys, have notified the PSL to that effect.

Hours before the start of the Chippa-Richards Bay match, Gauteng High Court deputy judge president Roland Sutherland dismissed Royal AM's application to have his initial order, which he gave last week on Saturday, reviewed in the Supreme Court of Appeal.

Sutherland's initial order was confirmation of the Safa Arbitration Tribunal award handed down by advocate Hilton Epstein, who awarded Sekhukhune United three log points. As a result, Sekhukhune secured automatic promotion to the Premiership for next season.

PSL acting chief executive Mato Madlala would not comment on the matter.

In their relentless pursuit to win automatic promotion, Royal AM may unwittingly have found an ally in Madlala, who recently commented on the saga at a recent football function in Durban.

“This is not a scandal. This shows our judiciary is respected and allows people to raise their views,” Madlala said.

“It is freedom of expressing yourself. In our rules, it starts from DC (disciplinary committee) and then arbitration to review if there is a need - like any constitution.

“We encourage that - we don't dictate. We say if you feel like you not happy with the decision, it is your right to appeal the decision, until you are satisfied.

“Even in murder cases, the sentences most of the time takes longer, even six months. Everyone has a right to get a postponement.”