THE Premier Soccer League (PSL) is threatening to give the Mthatha Stadium a red card and has ordered the KSD Municipality to bring it up to standard or else it will ban PSL soccer matches there.
The decision was taken after PSL senior officials including general manager Derek Blanckensee attended the Nedbank Cup last 16 match between Maritzburg United and Tembu Royals in Mthatha last Friday.
United thumped Royals 3-1 to boot them out of the lucrative Nedbank Cup. The match attract ed scores of spectators and the stadium’s frailties of the stadium were ruthlessly exposed when one gate could not take the influx of people.
This prompted the PSL to issue an ultimatum to the municipality to fix glaring defects as a matter of urgency.
KSD director of community services Luvuyo Maka admitted that the municipality was aware of the issues raised by the PSL including the order to make more exit and entrance points available.
But he, however, pleaded ignorant to the PSL ultimatum insisting that, when municipal officials met on Sunday to discuss the issue of the stadium, the PSL did not never give them a deadline.
Among the issues raised by the PSL was the absence of the venue operation centre (VOC) inside the stadium, which is viewed a serious matter as all events are required by law to have the centre.
However But Maka said the VOC was available at the United-Royals match but the container used was not up to standard.
“We’ have since fixed the VOC and other demands such as the security fence around the sta dium,” he promised.
Maka also admitted that the issue of one gate for exit and entrance purposes had already been attended to.
“We are on course to attend to almost all the demands raised by the PSL and some of them have been fixed already,” Maka added.
However, the PSL is steadfast that First Division outfit Black burn Rovers may not be allowed to play matches at the stadium until another inspection has given the facility the thumbs up.
PSL’s Luxolo September said as much as the structure commend ed the passionate soccer fans from Mthatha for coming in their numbers in the United-Royals Nedbank clash, the facility should meet the standard.
“We understand that the people in that region are hungry for football and we do not want to rob them of that opportunity,” he said. “However the PSL has a standard to uphold and the safety of the stakeholders to consider, hence we have raised all these issues.”
Rovers who relocated to Mthatha after briefly seeking refuge in Port Elizabeth following their departure from Buffalo City Stadium, are scheduled to host FC Cape Town next Friday.
But if the demands of the PSL are not met, Rovers could find themselves forfeiting the home ground advantage.
Eastern Cape MEC for Sport, Arts and Recreation Xolisa Tom said her department was commit ted to assisting the KSD municipality with the management of the stadium.
She argued that the stadium was still a Phase 2 facility, meaning there were some areas needing improvement. “We have ad vised the municipality to use the stadium management company which manages Nelson Mandela Stadium in Port Elizabeth,” she said.
She Tom added that the department was busy raising R500-00 million needed to continue with the next phase of the stadium.
“We are talking to the national lottery and the national department of sport to help us raise this money because it is imperative that we provide a proper facility so that our people can enjoy watching foot ball,” she said.
Stadium ban ultimatum
The decision was taken after PSL senior officials including general manager Derek Blanckensee attended the Nedbank Cup last 16 match between Maritzburg United and Tembu Royals in Mthatha last Friday.
United thumped Royals 3-1 to boot them out of the lucrative Nedbank Cup. The match attract ed scores of spectators and the stadium’s frailties of the stadium were ruthlessly exposed when one gate could not take the influx of people.
This prompted the PSL to issue an ultimatum to the municipality to fix glaring defects as a matter of urgency.
KSD director of community services Luvuyo Maka admitted that the municipality was aware of the issues raised by the PSL including the order to make more exit and entrance points available.
But he, however, pleaded ignorant to the PSL ultimatum insisting that, when municipal officials met on Sunday to discuss the issue of the stadium, the PSL did not never give them a deadline.
Among the issues raised by the PSL was the absence of the venue operation centre (VOC) inside the stadium, which is viewed a serious matter as all events are required by law to have the centre.
However But Maka said the VOC was available at the United-Royals match but the container used was not up to standard.
“We’ have since fixed the VOC and other demands such as the security fence around the sta dium,” he promised.
Maka also admitted that the issue of one gate for exit and entrance purposes had already been attended to.
“We are on course to attend to almost all the demands raised by the PSL and some of them have been fixed already,” Maka added.
However, the PSL is steadfast that First Division outfit Black burn Rovers may not be allowed to play matches at the stadium until another inspection has given the facility the thumbs up.
PSL’s Luxolo September said as much as the structure commend ed the passionate soccer fans from Mthatha for coming in their numbers in the United-Royals Nedbank clash, the facility should meet the standard.
“We understand that the people in that region are hungry for football and we do not want to rob them of that opportunity,” he said. “However the PSL has a standard to uphold and the safety of the stakeholders to consider, hence we have raised all these issues.”
Rovers who relocated to Mthatha after briefly seeking refuge in Port Elizabeth following their departure from Buffalo City Stadium, are scheduled to host FC Cape Town next Friday.
But if the demands of the PSL are not met, Rovers could find themselves forfeiting the home ground advantage.
Eastern Cape MEC for Sport, Arts and Recreation Xolisa Tom said her department was commit ted to assisting the KSD municipality with the management of the stadium.
She argued that the stadium was still a Phase 2 facility, meaning there were some areas needing improvement. “We have ad vised the municipality to use the stadium management company which manages Nelson Mandela Stadium in Port Elizabeth,” she said.
She Tom added that the department was busy raising R500-00 million needed to continue with the next phase of the stadium.
“We are talking to the national lottery and the national department of sport to help us raise this money because it is imperative that we provide a proper facility so that our people can enjoy watching foot ball,” she said.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos