Royal AMbush backfires

AS predicted, Royal AM have been slapped with heavy penalties for the contempt shown to the PSL when they refused to honour any of their GladAfrica Championship PSL promotion playoff fixtures at the conclusion of the regular season in June.

This after they failed to win PSL promotion according to the rules, and resorted to unsuccessful appeals, of which they contested all the outcomes.

At the time, I suggested in an article the following be done: ‘Punishing Royal AM for bringing the league, and football itself, into disrepute. This by not only awarding 3-0 losses for each playoff game they did not honour, but by fining them heavily for the extra costs incurred.’

As it happens, a statement issued by the National Soccer League Disciplinary Committee on Tuesday imposed the following sanctions for Royal AM’s misconduct:

• All four matches in which it was obliged to participate (against Richards Bay FC and Chippa United) but failed to do so were awarded to their opponents with a 3:0 goal difference

• Royal AM was fined the maximum fine in terms of the NSL Rules, being R1-million per match (total R4-million), with R700 000 of each fine (total R2.8-million) being suspended for two years on condition that, during the period of suspension it did not fail to honour any NSL fixtures

• The club was further sanctioned with a deduction of three points for each game not played (12 points in total) for the current season. This deduction is also suspended for one year on condition that, during the period of suspension it did not fail to honour any NSL fixtures

• Royal AM FC was ordered to pay all the costs of the sittings in the four matters.