Premier Soccer League (PSL) general manager Derek Blanckensee says they would like to have certain components of club licensing regulations fully in place by the start of the 2016-2017 Absa Premiership season.
Blanckensee believes they are making headway with regards to club licensing, but admits some clubs might find it difficult to comply with infrastructure regulations as local teams do not own stadiums.
“Our clubs do not own stadiums. So where there are issues with the stadiums, it’s difficult for the club to comply.
“Now they have to go to the city council, which involves funding and the city council do not always have funding.
“Of course it’s not much of a challenge for those clubs that are using the World Cup stadiums,” Blanckensee added at the CAF club licensing workshop in Johannesburg yesterday.
“There’s a big section on infrastructure, what the stadium must have, the dressing room, media facilities. It covers the whole aspect of football.”
He added: “CAF will stipulate when it’s completely compulsory for the clubs to comply with the regulations, but we would like to have it as soon as possible.
“Maybe for next season we would like to have the different components of club licensing fully in place.
“We have a document called the compliance manual which has been in place for a long time, even before I joined the league.
“It is similar to club licensing in that it lays down standards for the clubs and it specifies what the league expects from them.”
The licensing regulations state that clubs should also have proper development structures.
“Some clubs do not have youth development structures, so they may have to introduce them. Each club must either have two youth teams or a junior club must be affiliated to the (PSL) club. It compels clubs to be involved in development directly.”
Blanckensee added: “In administration you must have a general manager who is full time employed. You must have a financial manager, but he does not have to be full time.
“One of the important things that Fifa is trying to deal with around the world is where people have multiple ownership of different clubs.
“So our clubs have to make a legal declaration that they do not have a say in other clubs. For most of the conditions that are in club licensing, our clubs have complied for quite some time.”
National First Division clubs are also affected.
“If you do not comply, you can get a warning that certain things must be complied within a year or so on. What we learnt last week in the seminar with Fifa and CAF is that they are working on a book of sanctions,” said Blanckensee.
Safa CEO Dennis Mumble believes club licensing would help Safa with their Vision 2022.
“In order to reach our objective of being in the top three of Africa and top 20 in the world we need to improve how we play our football and how we manage our football, from the grass roots all the way to the top level,” Mumble said.
Club licensing under the spotlight for new season
Blanckensee believes they are making headway with regards to club licensing, but admits some clubs might find it difficult to comply with infrastructure regulations as local teams do not own stadiums.
“Our clubs do not own stadiums. So where there are issues with the stadiums, it’s difficult for the club to comply.
“Now they have to go to the city council, which involves funding and the city council do not always have funding.
“Of course it’s not much of a challenge for those clubs that are using the World Cup stadiums,” Blanckensee added at the CAF club licensing workshop in Johannesburg yesterday.
“There’s a big section on infrastructure, what the stadium must have, the dressing room, media facilities. It covers the whole aspect of football.”
He added: “CAF will stipulate when it’s completely compulsory for the clubs to comply with the regulations, but we would like to have it as soon as possible.
“Maybe for next season we would like to have the different components of club licensing fully in place.
“We have a document called the compliance manual which has been in place for a long time, even before I joined the league.
“It is similar to club licensing in that it lays down standards for the clubs and it specifies what the league expects from them.”
The licensing regulations state that clubs should also have proper development structures.
“Some clubs do not have youth development structures, so they may have to introduce them. Each club must either have two youth teams or a junior club must be affiliated to the (PSL) club. It compels clubs to be involved in development directly.”
Blanckensee added: “In administration you must have a general manager who is full time employed. You must have a financial manager, but he does not have to be full time.
“One of the important things that Fifa is trying to deal with around the world is where people have multiple ownership of different clubs.
“So our clubs have to make a legal declaration that they do not have a say in other clubs. For most of the conditions that are in club licensing, our clubs have complied for quite some time.”
National First Division clubs are also affected.
“If you do not comply, you can get a warning that certain things must be complied within a year or so on. What we learnt last week in the seminar with Fifa and CAF is that they are working on a book of sanctions,” said Blanckensee.
Safa CEO Dennis Mumble believes club licensing would help Safa with their Vision 2022.
“In order to reach our objective of being in the top three of Africa and top 20 in the world we need to improve how we play our football and how we manage our football, from the grass roots all the way to the top level,” Mumble said.
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