UPDATE: How PSL voted to reportedly expel Royal AM

THE Premier Soccer League (PSL) Board of Governors (BoG) on Thursday reportedly terminated beleaguered club Royal AM’s membership after a day-long voting session held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

The nail in the Royal AM coffin came after recommendations made by the PSL’s Executive Committee (Exco) last week that the Pietermaritzburg-based club be put under a guillotine.

In a video leaked from the Sandton conference in which some National Soccer League (NSL) identification can be seen and some top leaders can be heard, the votes regarding the expulsion of the Royal AM were counted as 149 yes, with 37 voting no.

There were 31 teams involved in the conference, 15 Premier Division and 16 First Division/Motsepe Foundation Championship clubs, with Royal AM ostensibly not allowed to vote.

Premiership teams were reportedly given 10 votes each, with First Division teams handed two voting points each, and PSL exco members had one each.

Two First Division teams, including Cape Town Spurs, who were relegated last season, reportedly abstained.

The league made no official statements on Thursday, as they are believed to have set a new date to deliberate on relegation arrangements, as the season will now finish with 15 Premiership teams instead of 16. 

Since November, Royal AM have been under SA Revenue Service (SARS) curatorship over a tax debt of around R40 million linked to owner and businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize.

Royal AM “superfan” Mama Joy Chauke was among the first people to break the news that Royal AM is no more and she posted her pictures with Mkhize clad in Royal AM.

“It’s over yes, thanks Ma for giving me an opportunity to be a Royal AM Superfan. You treated me with dignity, with like one of your family members. I enjoyed and thanks to other Royal AM supporters for showing me love. Royal AM was my family. No home,” wrote Chauke on X (formerly Twitter).

MamaJoy left Pirates, where she made her name and gained popularity in football circles as a supposedly die-hard fan.

Many were surprised when she left an institution like Pirates for Royal AM, who showed early signs of trying to run before they finished crawling.

Royal AM dragged the league through the mud this season as they last kicked a ball on December 29, when they lost to TS Galaxy at Harry Gwala Stadium.

As things stand right now, Royal AM played only 11 games in the league this season.

Their expulsion stands to disrupt the league even further, as the points that other teams had gained from them are reportedly going to be expunged.

The club was also suspended from the Nedbank Cup.

Last month, Royal AM were put under auction with a R15 million price tag, but Durban businessman Roy Moodley, who was reported to have won the bidding process, allegedly failed to make payments to SARS within the stipulated timeframe.

The PSL have yet to confirm the board decision to expel Royal AM, although there are a number of media reports stating that the club will now no longer be part of the league.

Other unconfirmed reports are that Mkhize and her son Andile have bought the fourth-biggest club in Eswatini, Moneni Pirates.