PSL appeals interdict to postpone play-offs

The Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) executive committee have decided to appeal a Gauteng High Court ruling that granted an interdict for Royal AM to stop the relegation/promotion playoffs.

The playoffs were supposed to start on Tuesday afternoon, but Royal AM threw a spanner in the works when they applied for an urgent interdict, and it was granted late on Monday evening.

Now the PSL is also going to court to try and get the games to continue. The issue started when an independent arbitrator overruled a PSL DC’s decision on a case between Polokwane City and Sekhukhune United.

The PSL’s DC had found City guilty and docked them three points. But they did not award them to Sekhukhune who had laid the charge. Sekhukhune took the matter to ta South African Football Association arbitrator, and he made the award.

The Johhanesburg High Court ruled in favour of Sekhukhune on Saturday, saying the award should stay and the PSL duly awarded the points and declared Sekhukhune as GladAfrica Championship winners and gained automatic promotion to the DStv Premiership.

But Royal AM appealed the ruling, saying they are the just winners of the division. They interdicted the start of the playoffs on grounds that there are still pending cases.

“The Executive Committee of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) today resolved to urgently seek leave to appeal against the order handed down by the Honourable Mr Acting Judge Nyathi of the Gauteng High Court on the evening of Monday 14 June 2021.

“Acting Judge Nyathi interdicted the end of season promotion/relegation play-offs that were due to commence at 15h00 on 15 June 2021.

“The PSL has been compelled to seek urgent relief as the last day of the official season is the 30th of June 2021. Many player contracts terminate on that date and any further delay in completing the play-offs places the start of the 2021/22 season at risk,” read the statement from the PSL.