Royal AM explain why they went to Chatsworth Stadium but did not play, vow not to entertain Richards Bay

Royal AM CEO Sinky Mnisi says they turned up at Chatsworth Stadium on Tuesday but did not enter the pitch after a Gauteng High Court judge confirmed just before kick-off that they are the National First Division champions.

The KwaZulu-Natal outfit was scheduled to play Chippa United in their opening Premier Soccer League promotion/relegation play-offs game but left the stadium 15 minutes before the match was set to start.

Royal AM are locked in a legal wrangle against Judge Roland Sutherland’s ruling that Sekhukhune United are the 2020/21 National First Division champions.    

They contest that the play-offs should be stopped as per the June 14 ruling by Judge Nyathi AJ of the Gauteng High Court, which ruled that matches should be called off. 

But on June 18, Judge Sutherland insisted that the KwaZulu-Natal side should proceed to participate in the play-offs as Judge Nyathi’s order no longer applies.  

Royal AM, however, insist that they are sticking to Judge Nyathi’s ruling after he confirmed to them again that they are the NFD champions, while they were at Chatsworth just before meeting Chippa on Tuesday.

“Our legal advisors told us to be there [at the stadium] as the team and wait for the legal judgement from Judge Nyathi AJ‚ and that judgement actually confirmed that we are top of the log as Royal AM‚” said Mnisi as per Sowetan Live. 

“We waited for the legal team to advise us and the legal team indicated to us that we don’t have to play the match because we are top of the log.  We just went there and waited for the judgement and Nyathi AJ confirmed that we are still top of the log.

"So there was no reason for us to play.” 

Royal AM are now scheduled to play Richards Bay in their second play-offs match on Thursday. 

It is another home fixture for them as the game is pencilled in for Chatsworth but Mnisi vowed not to entertain Richards Bay. 

“We are not going to play in any event tomorrow [on Thursday]. I don’t know how everyone understands this matter at this moment but the team that finished the log on top is Royal AM,” Mnisi continued.

“It is simple. We are not going to be participants in the playoffs simply because we are top of the GladAfrica Championship.

"I can confirm that we will not play the so-called playoff match against Richards Bay tomorrow [Thursday]. We won the Championship fair and square on the field of play.” 

The veteran football administrator said they also had not heard from the PSL by lunchtime on Wednesday on the matter.