|  The
launch of the Premier Soccer League (PSL)
in 1996 was the first real sign that South
African soccer was getting it's act together.
From beginnings where clubs were run out
of the proverbial boot of a car, South African
soccer has grown to a force to be reckoned
with in the world.
The PSL is often referred to as Africa's
richest league, all this in the space of
seven years. It followed some significant
milestones in soccer in this country, that
for many years was divided on racial grounds.
But despite soccer being racially divided
both black, and their white counterparts
were already talking about turning professional,
albeit separately, in 1959.
It resulted in the white National Football
League (NFL) being formed, while Blacks
(Indians and coloureds included) formed
the South African Soccer League (SASL).
While the NFL had access to good facilities
and financial strength, the to call the
SASL even semiprofessional, would be going
a bit far. Teams travelled by road, on occasions
with full squads cramming into a car to
play matches.
But yet the SASL lay the foundation for
today’s PSL by producing great players that
were revered in their time. Players like
Carlton Moloi, Difference Mbanya, Scara
Sono, Cedric "Sugar Ray" Xulu,
Scara "Wanda" Moya, Kaizer Motaung,
Excellent Mthembu, Denzil Easthorpe, Percy
"Chippa" Moloi, Jimmy Bene, Eliakim
"Pro" Khumalo, Duncan "Pro"
Molope, Daraam Mohan and Links Padayachee
were the talk of the dusty township streets
in various eras of South African football.
Even then the SASL was a far cry, and a
giant step away from the betting matches
that were played in the townships.
In later years the government stepped in
preventing coloured and Indian players from
playing for clubs like Orlando Pirates,
who were forced to get rid of Bernard "Dancing
Shoes" Hartze and Rashied Khan, who
went to play their football in the South
African Soccer Federation.
In 1971 the recently formed Kaizer Chiefs
went on to win the first National Professional
Soccer League (NPSL) title, in the process
starting what is still a great rivalry with
fellow Soweto giants, Orlando Pirates.
The 70's were the glory days of South African
football, an era that saw the game move
to another level in the country.
1985 saw the National Soccer League (NSL)
being formed, as several clubs split from
the NPSL. For a while it proved to be a
dark few years as violence on and off the
field became prevelant.
However, the NSL became one of the biggest
forces in South African sport, pulling in
massive crowds, and turning soccer into
a goldmine. The split also saw clubs make
greater revenue from gate takings, and television
revenue.
With South Africa being readmitted to Fifa
in 1992, the NSL continued to grow, and
laid the foundation for the formation of
the PSL in 1996.
The last winners of the NSL title were
Cape Town Spurs, while the first winners
of the PSL title was an unfashionable Durban
club called Manning Rangers.
Their coach at that point, Gordon Igesund,
went on to win the PSL title on another
two occasions, becoming the first man to
win the league with three different clubs.
In 1996 an elite division of 18 Teams was
created, with the following teams:-
Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, Vaal Professionals,
Manning Rangers, Bloemfontein Celtics, Moroka
Swallows, Jomo Cosmos, Supersport United,
Amazulu, Cape Town Spurs, Wits University,
Sundowns, Qwa-Qwa Stars, Bush Bucks, Real
Rovers, Hellenic, Witbank Aces and Crystal
Brains.
There was also a first division that initially
comprised of 76 clubs that were divided
into four streams. These clubs were eventually
reduced to 40 clubs in 1997/98, divided
into two streams. They were 20 clubs in
the inland stream, and 20 clubs in the coastal
stream.
And the Second Division of 8 Provinces
i.e. Gauteng, North West, North Province,
Mpumalanga Lowveld, Mpumalanga Highveld,
Free State, Kwazulu Natal North, Kwazulu
Natal South, Eastern Cape, Eastern Cape
Trans and Western Cape.
All Second Division fixtures of the new
season started on the 26th May 1996.
All the second division clubs were transferred
to SAFA and the PSL was left with two divisions
made up of 18 Premier Division Clubs and
30 First Division clubs.
The First Division is divided into two
streams, the Inland and Coastal streams.
The Premier Division currently consists
of 16 Teams. |
