It has long been said that the PSL is a ticking time bomb, and this is partly reflected in the clubs that have, scandalously, recently made it onto the Fifa transfer ban list over the past few months.
The clubs – Richards Bay and Marumo Gallants, along with embattled Royal AM – are on the list after having been punished because, in most cases, they have not respected players’ contracts. Over the years, several clubs have acted with abandon, showing no regard for sound governance.
This lack of sound governance is also evident in the way the mother body has conducted their affairs most recently. The Royal AM mess has come about because of the PSL’s failure in that department.
Had the PSL adhered to their handbook, they would have conducted thorough due diligence. This exercise would have flagged any issues regarding the owners’ financial stability and integrity.
A few months ago, PSL chairman Irvin Khoza said that he was grateful a buyer (Royal AM) came along when Bloemfontein Celtic could no longer afford to run a Premiership franchise, reflecting the PSL’s desperation. The legaue’s image, however, has been severely tarnished by the ensueing debacle.
Other troubling issues include late scheduling, resulting in unrealistic playing demands, the state of playing surfaces at municipal-owned fields, a lack of transparency, double bookings, frequent changes in clubs’ technical staff, conflicts of interest in governance matters, a poor match officiating.
These issues pose a constant threat to the PSL’s brand. It seems Khoza can secure sponsorship for the PSL when needed, but the same cannot be said for PSL clubs. Very few clubs appeal to the country’s corporate world. Consequently, the main source of income for some clubs are their monthly grant.
On the other hand, the PSL have already hosted several matches played in front of jam-packed stadiums this season. However, these have been largely restricted to Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Kaizer Chiefs clashes.
Club coaches regularly speak out about ‘killer’ match schedules, and Sundowns’ coach, Miguel Cardoso, has described the hectic fixture list as “inhuman.” Admittedly this season’s scheduling issues arose because the PSL were caught off-guard when DStv pulled out of their sponsorship despite having a year remaining.
But instead of appointing professionals to secure sponsorship, PSL officials — who are often club chairmen — choose to handle it themselves. In the past, it has emerged that PSL officials have received generous commissions for landing those sponsors.
Coaches also frequently complain about the state of playing surfaces. Most PSL matches are played in municipal-owned stadiums, some of which are almost exclusively used for football. The Lucas Moripe Stadium is a case in point.
The PSL have done a good job of vetting venues for matches but have not monitored the condition of playing surfaces ahead of games. After numerous criticisms, the PSL should have established a committee in each province to inspect pitch conditions before matches.
In the past, coaches like Gavin Hunt have criticised the playing surface, calling it “a joke.”
Last week, the PSL were forced to postpone a Nedbank Cup match because a venue had been double-booked. Despite all these years, the PSL still do not have a system in place to foresee and prevent such embarrassing situations.
The lack of transparency is evident in the PSL’s failure to produce annual financial statements for the past two seasons. As a registered company, the PSL is required to prepare such statements within six months after the end of their financial year.
Poor club administration has created massive instability. This is one of the reasons why clubs frequently change coaching staff. Since the start of this season, there have been 15 coaching changes.
The PSL have also undermined themselves by failing to appoint a CEO since Brand de Villiers resigned in December 2015. There is a recurring conflict of interest, as club chairmen serving on the PSL executive committee are responsible for deciding the fate of fellow club owners.
In two month’s time, the Premiership will crown ist champions – most probably Sundowns – but will they have a cup to lift. At this stage, no, because the PSL has to reveal the Betway Premiership trophy.
