PSL ‘does not run football’
LOCAL GOVERNING BODY MAKES ITS STANCE CLEAR
Premier Soccer League appears to be fighting losing battle.
The South African Football Association appear to have won the first round of a sponsorship spat with the Premier Soccer League, after referees this weekend sported OUTsurance kits.
Safa announced last week that that they had signed a R50 million, five-year deal with OUTsurance to sponsor their match officials. The PSL, however, almost immediately convened an emergency PSL executive committee meeting, to discuss Safa’s announcement.
The Citizen understands that OUTsurance had previously approached the PSL about a sponsorship deal, but were turned away, partly because the deal would infringe on the rights of Absa and Nedbank, two of the PSL’s key sponsors, who have insurance products of their own.
The PSL exco clearly did not want referees to wear OUTsurance branded jerseys in their matches, in either the Absa Premiership or National First Division, but Safa on Friday issued a strongly-worded statement, reminding the league of exactly who is boss when it comes to the game in this country.
“...In terms of the Safa Statutes read with the Fifa Statutes, the NSL (League) as an organisation is subordinate to Safa,” read part of the statement. “It is Safa that has licensed the PSL, which is a stakeholder, to administer and run professional football in South Africa. On the contrary, it is not the PSL that runs and controls football in our country and that Safa is subordinate to the PSL. THIS MUST BE MADE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR.
“We understand that the league appears to be complaining that the rights of OUTsurance are in conflict with the rights of Nedbank and Absa who are sponsors of the league. This is absurd and nonsensical‚ to say the least‚“the statement continued.
“Some of the clubs in the league have obtained sponsors such as Bidvest‚ Hollard and Standard Bank. Surely‚ if it is alleged that there is a conflict between OUTsurance and Absa Bank and Nedbank‚ then there is equally or ... a greater conflict between the clubs sponsors‚ Bidvest‚ Hollard and Standard Bank ... and Absa Bank and Standard Bank.”