No more Clever Boys football after this season

Bidvest Wits Football Club, the 2016/2017 Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions, has been sold.

The club’s chairman, Alan Fainman confirmed the sale of the club’s PSL status to National First Division club Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila, subject to PSL executive approval.

He said this would bring a 15-year long partnership the club had with sponsors Bidvest. Since the beginning of the month, speculation of the club’s sale started to surface leaving fans of the Clever Boys confused and worried about what would happen with their team going forward.

Fainman added, “The sale of the club will not affect the players’ contracts in any way. With regards to the sale of the club and the manner in which it was announced to the public, I would like to reiterate that at the time of the announcement, the deal had not yet been signed.”

Wits University was also inundated with inquiries about the sale of the club on social media. The university issued a statement stating: ‘Wits University had nothing to do with the sale of Bidvest Wits Football Club. Wits sold its shares in the football club to Bidvest, our partner of close to 15 years.’

It added that the proceeds from the sale would be invested in the Wits Student Endowment Fund. Bidvest Wits was crowned PSL champions for the first time in the 2016/2017 season.

The club was formed in 1921 by the Wits Student Representative Council and competed in various tournaments and leagues before eventually winning promotion to the National Football League in 1975. They have won the Nedbank Cup twice and the MTN 8 three times, and their most recent cup victory was in 2017 when they lifted the Telkom Knockout title for a third time.

Bidvest Wits still have nine PSL games remaining this season as well as the Nedbank Cup semi-final and possible final.

Fainman thanked the team’s staff, supporters and all the players for what they’ve achieved over many exciting years