With boardroom decisions needing to be made every end of season, the chairman of a PSL club has suggested a way the League can come to the rescue of disgruntled and frustrated club owners.
Once again this season, the PSL finds itself navigating a few cases, a situation that has unfortunately become commonplace in South Africa.
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It would seem clubs in general struggle to accept relegation due to the financial losses that accompany a drop to a lowe division.
"It's obviously because people are desperate for promotion and some don’t want to be relegated," admits Tshifiwa Thidiela, the Black Leopards club boss, in conversation with KickOff.com.
"Everyone invests a lot in football, and when you lose, you lose a significant amount. Conversely, if you win, you gain a lot. This dilemma creates issues for many people.
"From my perspective, to alleviate this, we need to start making soccer financially viable. There’s a common claim that people support teams, yet the stadiums are empty. How can teams make money under those circumstances?"
"In South Africa, you'll often hear fans say, ‘Hey, give me a shirt, I want to support you,’ when they should actually be supporting the team by purchasing the shirt. Many fans are given free tickets and transportation to the stadium.
"It becomes even more challenging at lower levels because in the ABC Motsepe League, it's all or nothing. And remember, if you miss promotion in the First Division, you've incurred a loss. All that money spent throughout the season is gone," he explains.
Thidiela says as second-tier clubs they are operating at a loss.
"In a season in the Motsepe Foundation Championship, you need an additional R5 million on top of the PSL grant to ensure that the team can function effectively.
"Consider how much money you lose every year when your team gets relegated. We need to restructure the league in a way that makes it profitable so that club owners can earn money. By doing so, you won’t complain if you get relegated or fail to be promoted.
"People have been discussing the recent success of the South Africa U20 squad, but I can tell you that the foundation of that success is the DDC (DStv Diski Challenge).
"In the DDC, since there’s no relegation, everyone plays more relaxed, allowing for proper execution," he adds.
Thidiela says this is in stark contrast to the First Division, where teams are solely focused on promotion, noting how stressful the situation can be..
"Thus, transforming football into a viable industry will undoubtedly reduce conflicts. Clearly, this must be done within the framework of established rules, and everyone needs to operate within those parameters."
