The curtain has fallen on the Premier Soccer League (PSL), but for the four teams in the promotion-ÂÂrelegation play-offs, the season has just intensified.
Manning Rangers, who averted automatic relegation from the premiership, this weekend enter the first round of their quest to retain a place in the top flight against aspirants from the Mvela Golden League teams (Hellenic, Classic and Durban Stars).
The Durban side host Hellenic at Chatsworth on Sunday in the first of a two-legged fixture. The winner will qualify for the final play-off round against whoever emerges triumphant in the Durban Stars-Classic tussle.
Classic will have home-ground advantage in the first leg on Saturday. The return fixtures are scheduled for the weekend of June 11/12.
Hellenic CEO Oupa Mnguni said ahead of the clash: ”It is a miracle that my team finds itself in the playoffs. We want to give Manning Rangers a tough time.”
An equally upbeat Rangers representative in Gauteng, Neil Seethal, said: ”We will do our best to ensure we stay in the premiership. Our players and coach have worked extremely hard to get us here after we were ruled out as automatic relegation candidates.”
The Mvela Golden League champions Free State Stars secured automatic inclusion in the PSL at the expense of relegated Wits University. Stars’s promotion bodes well for Free State soccer and next season’s derby with local rivals Bloemfontein Celtic is likely to attract a huge crowd.
The Mvela Golden League, currently comprising 18 teams, will be trimmed to 16 when the new season kicks off. It is part of the grand plan to make the league more manageable and competitive. The man who steered the league through its inaugural season is its general manager Andrew Dipela, the former PSL public relations officer who left soccer for a stint as Bela Bela municipal manager.
Who lured you back to football?
Trevor Phillips, the Premier Soccer League CEO, persuaded me to return to soccer. He expressed trust in my management abilities. Other PSL executive members also encouraged me to make a comeback.
The lower leagues have traditionally struggled to secure sponsorship. Has it changed?
Not yet. The PSL is currently paying all the money to support the first division. The league provides monthly grants of R30 000, an increase from the previous year’s when teams received between R6 000 and R7 000 depending on which stream, inland or coastal, you were playing in. The league also pays accommodation and transport costs. This is not enough but we are in talks with potential sponsors. At present, our main sponsor is Mvelaphanda, Diadora is the technical sponsor of all the teams.
Has operation dribble had an impact on the Mvela Golden League?
Yes it has helped a lot as many referees and officials now know that bribery will not be tolerated. It has also brought confidence to the teams that results will not be fixed. An example is the referee who blew the whistle on the Classic CEO who was caught red-handed and subsequently given a life ban from soccer. His team was fined. This indicates to me that there are referees who are honest and vigilant. Those who are involved in bribing referees are enemies of the beautiful game. We will support any referee or club official who brings to our attention any bribery happening in the first division.
Where do first division teams play their games and what do they charge?
Most of these teams play in the township soccer stadiums and this has resulted in the local municipalities upgrading these stadiums. They now meet standards of play in the PSL. There is a substantial crowd, which ranges from 2 000 to 5 000 depending on the importance of the game and there were sharp increases when the teams participated in the Absa cup. We provided the Absa cup with eight teams in the last 16. The clubs cannot set the entrance fee at more than R20 a game. Most clubs charge between R5 to R10 and sometimes entrance is even free.
There is a tendency that promoted teams do not make it in the top flight. Do you think this will change?
The promoted teams are going to stay up this time round. We have ensured that all Mvela teams are run professionally and not from car boots. We have ensured that all these first division teams have offices with furniture. The reduction in the number of teams in the league has seen the quality of soccer improve. There was stiff competition in this division. The only difference there should be between the Mvela league and the PSL is the monthly grants.
What are your long-term objectives for the Mvela Golden League?
I want to see teams participating in this league having their own sponsors, expanding their brands and being able to buy more quality players and being a professional feeder and preparatory league. I want to see the Mvela league teams get an increase in their monthly grants. I also want to get the people to go to watch the Mvela league teams in greater numbers and improve the infrastructure at stadiums.