JOHANNESBURG - Royal AM appears to have all but secured Bloemfontein Celtic’s top-flight status after Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila took to their social media platforms on Saturday to confirm that they’ve acquired their status in the GladAfrica Championship.
“We are delighted to confirm to announce that Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila Football Club has of 13 August 2021 acquired the status of Royal AM Football Club in the GladAfrica Championship League,” the official statement from TTM read on Saturday.
On Friday, reports emerged that Royal AM were keen on buying the status of financially-threatened Celtic. This comes after their pursuit to gain automatic promotion from the second-tier through the court of law route proved futile.
In a letter that was seen by IOLSport, which is circulating on social media, the PSL convened for a meeting on Friday where they guaranteed the sale of Celtic to Royal AM - subject to the two parties agreeing to terms, and making modifications with the league.
While the league is yet to issue an official statement on the matter, they’ve called for a press briefing on Tuesday morning where among other matters they’ll discuss the “sale of clubs”. In attendance will be the chairman Irvin Khoza, the acting CEO and legal counsel.
For some time now Celtic’s financial problems have been well documented, despite their players holding their own on the pitch. But those woes worsened a few months ago when former goalkeeper Patrick Tignyemb took the club to Fifa for outstanding monies.
Nazo!!! pic.twitter.com/4tAE1MTPuS
— robertmarawa (@robertmarawa) August 14, 2021
Celtic were found guilty, sanctioned to a year-long transfer ban and ordered to pay Tignyemb. On Friday night, it was reported that the PSL had paid Tignyemb the amount of R3 Million which would be deducted from Celtic's grants in August and September.
But it appears that Royal AM has come to Celtic aid by completely taking them out of business, while that also marked their sensational return of TTM to the PSL. TTM sold their top-flight status to Marumo Gallants in January barely a year after purchasing the status of Bidvest Wits.
IOL Sport