PSL club wants to move venues

By Tshifhiwa Luvhengo

Kaizer Chiefs are likely to know where they will play their first domestic game against Benoni Premier United before the end of the week.

The PSL have scheduled the match for the Germiston Stadium next week, but former Premier league CEO Trevor Phillips, who was still part of the league committee last week, said that United have asked the league to change their venues to King's Park and Harry Gwala Stadiums as they are relocating to KwaZulu-Natal.

United are reported to have been sold to Swede Johan Eriksson, son of former England manager and now Manchester City boss Sven Goran Eriksson, for R50-million.

When Phillips was asked about the Benoni situation, he said: "What I know is that they have asked to relocate. As far as the club being sold I have no idea, they didn't say anything about that. All the request asks is if they can use King's Park stadium as their home venue and the Harry Gwala Stadium as their alternative."

If Benoni Premier United have been sold, they will become the third PSL club to be sold since the start of the league in 1996.

Thembisa Classic changed their name to Pietermaritzburg United, while Dynamos became AmaZulu last season.

Last season was United's first in the Premier League after their promotion in the 2005/6 season through the Mvela Golden League play-offs.

Phillips said that Kjetil Siem, who is the league's new CEO, has a challenge for the season - overseeing that clubs use their R1-million monthly grants from the league wisely.

"Some people will put the money into their own pockets, forgetting that it is for the development of football," said Phillips.

The new monthly grants are designed to up the standard of soccer, infrastructure and development in the country in time for the 2010 World Cup.