The Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) thriving R180-million industry is set to grow. This was the confident predicition from chairperson Irvin Khoza at Saturday’s annual general meeting of South African soccer’s professional wing.
”Several of the league’s major sponsorship deals are due for renewal,” explained Khoza, ”and we are confident of negotiating substantially larger amounts.”
What turned out to be one of the league’s least controversial and combustible annual gatherings — the steady flow of cold cash might have had something to do with the convivial mood as the clubs received monthly grants and prize money totalling in excess of R100-million during the year in question — completed an analysis of the year’s business in little more than two hours.
Issues such as inflammatory crowd behaviour, controversial refereeing, lop-sided attendances and embarrassing outbursts by top officials that regularly brought the league into disrepute but invariably went unpunished were conveniently brushed under the carpet at the plush Sandton hotel.
But after the substantial pay-outs to the clubs, with the PSL teams receiving a basic R350 000 a month, the league’s balance sheet was still able to reflect a healthy R6-million profit.
”Our objective is to plough as much revenue as possible back to the clubs,” said PSL financial manager Ronnie Schloss, ”because the success of the league is dependant on the vibrant state of the clubs.
”And from a financial point of view,” he added, ”the PSL has certainly turned the corner from the gloomy days of a couple of years ago.” — Sapa