The new chief executive is an ordained minister with strong struggle credentials and a passion for the game Merryman Kunene For an organisation founded on the principle of maximising the value of top soccer in South Africa, the Premier Soccer League (PSL) will be pleased with its progress judging by the kind of sponsorship value they have acquired and ultimately the all-important monthly grants paid to teams. All of that would have been a pipe dream during the days of the autocratic George Thabe (who ran the National Professional Soccer League with an iron fist), or the maverick Abdul Bhamjee of the National Soccer League. However, there have been some flaws in this all-conquering machine. Recently its biggest problem has been trying to find a leader with the right balance of integrity and innovative flair. Briton Trevor Phillips, the PSL’s first CEO, went close, but his mandate was to establish the organisation with a view to finding a local to take it forward. For many months – with the Joe Ndhlela saga intervening – the search has been in vain. The Ndhlela era was characterised by internal squabbles that reinforced negative perceptions about South African football and its leadership. For the most part Ndhlela was powerless to make any meaningful contribution to the PSL because he was maligned by the board of governors and is still embroiled in a legal dispute with his previous employer, Transnet. Against this background, the PSL has turned to Dr Robin Petersen, an ordained minister in the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa, who takes office on October 1. Considering the unsavoury publicity previous soccer bosses have attracted, it seems appropriate that a priest should be the next CEO – for the sole purpose of restoring calm. “I am of the opinion that I was head-hunted for this job,” Petersen says. “Even then I was surprised when I got it.” Peterson will not just bring his Bible to the PSL, though, God knows, he will need it. He paid his dues with several periods of detention and a spell in the infamous Pollsmoor prison for his political affiliations. He was one of the founder members of the United Democratic Front, the bedrock of the internal political struggle during the Eighties. Petersen is not worried by concerns raised about his being white in a black-dominated sport. He considers himself to have long crossed the racial divide. While his political and academic credentials are impeccable, it is his football knowledge and management skills that will be vital. “I have worked with the South African Football Association [Safa] previously as a consultant in organisational and human resource development and recently I was employed by Danny Jordaan to run the Bid office,” he says. Although it did not deliver the World Cup, the 2006 Bid was a well-run campaign. “In retrospect, I could say some things could have been done differently. Maybe we should have been more attentive to Asia.” At the PSL, Petersen is confronted by issues which need urgent attention – like poor administration, lack of sponsorship for smaller teams, dwindling crowds and recognition of the Players’ Union. The PSL has had a chronic fixture problem in its four-year history – and just six weeks into the 2000/2001 campaign we are already facing congestion. “The board have recognised they need to work together. We need to manage perceptions better and change them to benefit the game,” he says. Perceptions are one issue, but it is the board that at times has been responsible for sowing discontent and has curtailed the independence and accountability of the PSL. “I raised that issue in the interview. Solutions cannot come from me. I have to listen to club owners, sponsors and other stakeholders.”
Poor crowd attendances must be one area of concern for all soccer administrators. There have been many proposals – including reducing the number of PSL teams from 18 to 16 or even 14 – but none has been implemented. Not only would a smaller league cure ills like fixture congestion, but it would also make the PSL more competitive. The South African league suffers from a surfeit of non-competitive matches and too many meaningless off-season tournaments.
It may not be up to the new PSL chief to change all that at once yet it ought to be known or made clear to the powers that be that the value of the soccer product has depreciated, evidenced by poor crowds. Another thorny issue facing the PSL is the recognition of the Players’ Union, an organisation that has been in operation for some time. Team owners are very wary, but South African football has to recognise that players’ rights are an integral part of the game. “Good labour relations are important in any industry and I would want to look at the issue carefully,” says Petersen.
If the PSL is looking at restoring calm and integrity, they have the right man for the job. It is his lack of management experience at corporate level which might work against him in his pursuit to make premier league soccer a world-class product.