Johannesburg – The PSL has reportedly thrown the NSL rule book at national first division club Royal AM after the Durban side’s no-show for the promotion/relegation play-offs last month.
The Durban-based side is due to face the music on July 17 when the PSL disciplinary committee (DC) sits to hear their reasons for boycotting the play-offs to determine the second club to be relegated, promoted or to remain in the elite Premiership.
“[The PSL prosecutor Nande] Becker is expected to push not just for a 3-0 win to be awarded to the opposition team from all four matches Royal AM did not honour, as per the NSL Handbook rules, but for the harsher sanction of a fine. It is understood that the DC does not have the power to expel a club, but that it can recommend such a sanction from the PSL board of governor,” TimesLive has reported.
The stand-off stems from the saga that started when Royal AM’s second-tier league counterparts, Limpopo-based Sekhukhune United, were automatically promoted by the PSL to the top flight DStv Premiership after being awarded three points while Royal AM were moved to second position on the GladAfrica Championship log and required to contest the play-offs.
The awarding of the points follows a protest by Sekhukhune against their opponents Polokwane City, who failed to include five under-23 players on their team sheet in a match between the two sides in January.
The matter went to arbitration and Babina Noko were awarded the three points and Royal AM were relegated to second place on the log following arbitration by advocate Hilton Epstein SC.
Royal AM appealed Epstein’s decision and the appeal was heard by deputy Judge President Roland Sutherland, who dismissed it and also dismissed the club’s application for leave to appeal his decision.
The KwaZulu-Natal-based outfit, owned by reality TV star and businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize and his son Andile Mpisane, is standing its ground, arguing their constitutional rights have been trampled upon by the PSL and that the play-offs should have been halted as stipulated in the June 14 ruling by Judge AJ Nyathi, who ruled that matches should be suspended pending the club’s appeal.
Also read: Royal AM bosses want PSL CEO behind bars
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