South African football and the Premier Soccer League are facing a crisis with the Royal AM saga. Due to the club’s financial and legal troubles, the Betway Premiership has been disrupted severely.
The KZN based side’s issues stem from a tax dispute with the South African Revenue Service and has left the PSL with some tough decisions to make. Here’s what could happen next:
Expel Royal AM and continue the Betway Premiership with 15 Teams
The PSL could remove Royal AM from the league entirely. Rule 57.13 in the National Soccer League Handbook states that under extreme conditions, the league has the power to expel a team from the competition.
If this were to happen, their past results will be erased, and the season will continue with the other 15 teams.
This could unbalance the league however and has repercussions that will affect relegation and promotion for next season.
The team from Durban have played just 11 times this season and have just a solitary victory to their name, drawing five and losing the other five in that time.
Suspending Royal AM’s matches until further notice
The PSL has currently suspended all Royal AM’s games and they could continue to do so until the club resolves their issues, either by selling the franchise, acquiring financial help, or winning their court case against Sars.
If they do return, they will have to play league games every three days until May to make up the fixtures missed.
Selling Royal AM to new owners
Reports have emerged that businessman, David “Mazolman” Skosana and a consortium he represents have put in a R15 million bid to buy the club but were outbid by at least R10 million rand by another potential buyer.
If the club is sold, the team could continue in the league and play out it’s remaining fixtures but that would hinge on a successful and quick sale.
Automatically relegate Royal AM from the PSL
Another option the PSL have is to automatically relegate Royal AM come the end of the season and treat all their missed fixtures as forfeits.
This could cause some uproar from other clubs however with regards to fairness as some teams are yet to play Thwihli Thwahla this campaign.
What’s the most likely outcome?
It looks likely that the club will be sold and allowed to honour their remaining fixtures in the league. If the sale is not swift, they could be expelled, like they were from the Nedbank Cup.
What is important is that the situation is resolved as soon as possible to ensure the league’s structure and credibility.
Furthermore, it is imperative that the PSL vet owners extensively before allowing them to purchase a franchise so we can avoid such disruptions in our national league.
