PSL executive committee recommends expulsion of Royal AM

Troubled Royal AM face expulsion from the Premier Soccer League (PSL) with the league's board of governors expected to ratify a recommendation made by the executive committee next week Thursday.

A circular sent to member clubs on Wednesday — which Sowetan has seen — states the PSL's executive has recommended the expulsion of the KwaZulu-Natal based club, who were put under curatorship last year over the tax affairs of owner Shawn “MaMkhize” Mkhize.

Mkhize is reported to owe the SA Revenue Service R40m.

“The executive committee has resolved to recommend the cancellation of the membership of Royal to the board of governors (BoG) of the league in accordance with article 10.16 and/or 10.14 and or 14.6 of the NSL constitution,” reads the circular dated April 2.

The circular was addressed to “all chairpersons and CEOs of all member clubs of the National Soccer League [NSL]”. The PSL is the trading name of the NSL.

The circular alleged Royal has failed to fulfil obligations to the league and accused the club of “misrepresenting material information” when applying for renewal of membership to the league in July last year.

The league's executive committee also accuses the club of “transferring shares contrary to the provisions of article 14.6 of the NSL constitution”.

A BOG meeting has been called for next Thursday at Sandton Convention Centre, with one of the agenda items being “to consider the recommendation of the executive committee that Royal's membership be cancelled”.

Expelling the club seems a mere formality, which would bring to an end the long-running saga that began last year when Royal could not fulfil fixtures in the DStv Diski Challenge under-23 and reserve league.

The embattled club suffered a transfer ban from Fifa two years ago and this week lost several players who departed, citing breach of contract.

Royal, put under curatorship in November, have not played a competitive match in the Betway Premiership since late December.

A bid to sell the club, after being put on auction by the Sars curator to recoup some of the R40m said to be owed by Mkhize, failed last week. A company that had won the auction failed to make the required payment, leading to the curator cancelling the bid.

Royal's pending expulsion means the league will finish with 15 teams, and AM's results will be expunged from this season's record.

They had played just 11 matches in a season where they failed to pay salaries for several months.

— Additional reporting by Nkareng Matshe

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