‘Legacy is priceless’: Richards Bay reject R70m PSL status offer from Cape Town City
Legacy over financial gain Richards Bay chairman Sfiso ‘Jomo’ Biyela says he has turned down an offer of more than R70 million for their PSL status. Photo: Gerhard Duraan/BackpagePix
Image: Gerhard Duraan/BackpagePix
Relegated Cape Town City are running out of options after Richards Bay reportedly turned down a R70 million offer from the Western Cape club for their Betway Premiership status.
City, who began the season with high hopes of challenging for the title, had a dismal campaign and finished second from bottom. That qualified them for the promotion/relegation play-off, where they went up against the second- and third-placed teams in the second tier.
After four games, the Citizens couldn’t get the job done, and Orbit College earned a spot in the Betway Premiership.
Talk quickly emerged that the Cape Town club would seek to buy another club’s status in order to remain in the top flight. Cape Town City chairman John Comitis then confirmed in an interview with Robert Marawa that they were indeed weighing up their options for remaining in the league.
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“Well, that’s always an option because the PSL has allowed an entry and a window of opportunity for clubs to do that,” Comitis said on Marawa’s show.
A number of clubs were mentioned as potential candidates to sell their status to Comitis – namely SuperSport United, TS Galaxy, Marumo Gallants, Richards Bay, and the newly promoted Orbit College.
However, SuperSport United have since sold their status to Gayton McKenzie’s son, who will be relocating the team to Bloemfontein, while Marumo Gallants and Orbit College have begun preparations for the new campaign.
And despite their mounting financial troubles, TS Galaxy are also said to be going ahead with their preparations for the upcoming season.
On Wednesday, Richards Bay FC turned down a lucrative offer worth more than R70 million for their status, according to chairman Sfiso ‘Jomo’ Biyela. That offer is reported to have come from Cape Town City.
“I’ve got someone I won’t mention by name who sent me a message on Tuesday, saying there’s a desperate club looking to buy into the top flight,” Biyela said, according to FARPost. “They stated that they put up R60 million. They told me if I sign, the money can kick in just the next day. And they also put R12 million or R15 million – it’ll be up to me if I take the status in the NFD.
“Think about it – it’s R72 million. I asked them if they knew what a legacy meant. I said to them, legacy is priceless – there’s no value you can table here. Try elsewhere.
“How can we play outside Richards Bay for five years, and just when people are excited that we’re coming back to town, we, out of the blue, sell the club? We all need money, but we cannot make money at the expense of people who have prayed for and supported us.”
IOL Sport