Expelled! The PSL's board of governors has voted to expel embattled KZN club Royal AM from the league. Photo: Gerhard Duraan/,BackpagePix
Image: Gerhard Duraan/,BackpagePix
Royal AM's tenure as a PSL club is over.
On Thursday, the PSL's board of governors voted overwhelmingly to expel the embattled KwaZulu-Natal club at a meeting in Sandton.
The vote was taken after the PSL's executive had recommended that the club be expelled after the South African Revenue Service failed to find a new buyer.
Royal AM were earlier this year placed under auction to recoup some of the R40 million that owner Shauwn Mkhize owed to SARS. After an extensive bidding process, Durban businessman Roy Moodley appeared to have won the race to purchase the club, but after he could not cough up the funds, the sale collapsed, and the league decided to kick the club out.
This brings an end to a saga that has lasted for months. Last year, the club found themselves in a difficult situation when they were informed by world football governing body FIFA that they could not sign any players due to unpaid wages owed to Serbian striker Samir Nurkovic and Brazilian defender Ricardo Nascimento.
As a result of being unable to sign new players, the club resorted to fielding chairman Andile Mpisane, who is owner Mkhize's son.
As a result of Thwihli Thwahla's expulsion, the league has decided that all points gained from matches against the club will be deducted, meaning Mamelodi Sundowns's gap at the top of the table has been cut to nine points.
Crucially, there will also be no automatic relegation this season. The team that's second from bottom will go into the customary relegation/promotion playoff with the second and third teams from the second tier.
IOL Sport
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