Premier Soccer League 1996-97
Encyclopedia
The 1996-97 Premier Soccer League, known as the 1996-97 Castle Premiership for sponsorship purposes, was the very first season of the newly established top-flight professional football
league in South Africa. The league was an 18-team competition established in 1996 by Irvin Khoza
, Kaizer Motaung
, Raymond Hack and Jomo Sono
in conjunction with the South African Football Association
and it would run parallel to the European football calendar.
shocked all and sundry by comfortably finishing top of the log to win the first PSL title ahead of several more fancied opponents. The Mighty Maulers dominated to such an extent that they finished eight points clear of second placed Kaizer Chiefs and a further two ahead of Orlando Pirates. The Soweto duo were left well and truly trailing in the Durban club’s dust.
Admittedly the Amakhosi had a more potent attack and a better defensive record than Rangers, and they lost fewer games, but their propensity to draw matches that they should have won cost them the trophy. It handed Gordon Igesund
the first of four PSL titles that he would win the competition and got South Africa’s brand new top flight league off to a noteworthy start.
Umtata Bush Bucks and Hellenic
completed the top five, with Mamelodi Sundowns in sixth, Jomo Cosmos
in seventh and Cape Town Spurs rounding off the top eight.
Popular clubs Bloemfontein Celtic and Moroka Swallows came in 10th and 11th respectively, not quite the start to the PSL era that their fans were hoping for, while KwaZulu-Natal giants AmaZulu could only finish 14th on the 18-team log.
The first two teams to suffer the ignominy of relegation to the second tier from the PSL were Witbank Aces
– who won just four games all season and finished with a measly 19 points – and Michau Warriors
. Real Rovers and Vaal Professionals
(36 points each) were desperately lucky to finish just a single point ahead of Warriors and avoid the dreaded chop.
The only blot on the inagural PSL season, although through no fault of its own, would be the abandoned game between Bloemfontein Celtic and Kaizer Chiefs on Sunday 16 February, 1997. The game in Bloemfontein was called off in the 40th minute with the home side trailing Chiefs 2-0 due to crowd trouble. Kaizer Chiefs were given the result along with 3 log points due to the trouble with the crowd being instigated by the Celtic fans. This was a rather surprising turn of events as the Celtic fans, while having a reputation for being extremely vocal and passionate, are not known to be unruly.
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
1 Due to the PSL following a different football calendar to the rest of Africa, which runs over a single calendar year and not the international May-September calendar followed by the PSL, Manning Rangers would only be eligible to enter the 1998 edition of the CAF Champions League.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
league in South Africa. The league was an 18-team competition established in 1996 by Irvin Khoza
Irvin Khoza
Irvin Khoza is a South African soccer administrator. Nicknamed "Iron Duke / Squveve", he is the Chairman of Orlando Pirates Football Club, Chairman of the South African Premier Soccer League and by virtue of this, Vice-President of the South African Football Association...
, Kaizer Motaung
Kaizer Motaung
Kaizer Motaung is a former South African soccer player and founder of the Kaizer Chiefs Football Club, of which he is still chairman and managing director...
, Raymond Hack and Jomo Sono
Jomo Sono
Ephraim Matsilela Sono is a South African soccer club owner and coach and was also a star soccer player....
in conjunction with the South African Football Association
South African Football Association
The South African Football Association or SAFA is the governing body of football in South Africa.-History:The South African Football Association was founded on 8 December, 1991, the culmination of a long unity process that was to rid the sport in South Africa of all its past racial division.Four...
and it would run parallel to the European football calendar.
Season summary
Manning RangersManning Rangers
Manning Rangers is a defunct South African football club formerly based in Durban and probably best remembered as the champions of the inaugural season of the Premier Soccer League...
shocked all and sundry by comfortably finishing top of the log to win the first PSL title ahead of several more fancied opponents. The Mighty Maulers dominated to such an extent that they finished eight points clear of second placed Kaizer Chiefs and a further two ahead of Orlando Pirates. The Soweto duo were left well and truly trailing in the Durban club’s dust.
Admittedly the Amakhosi had a more potent attack and a better defensive record than Rangers, and they lost fewer games, but their propensity to draw matches that they should have won cost them the trophy. It handed Gordon Igesund
Gordon Igesund
Gordon Igesund is a former South African football player and coach who became manager of Premier Soccer League club Moroka Swallows in 2010.-Playing career:...
the first of four PSL titles that he would win the competition and got South Africa’s brand new top flight league off to a noteworthy start.
Umtata Bush Bucks and Hellenic
Hellenic FC
Hellenic FC was a South African association football club based in Cape Town. They were nicknamed The Greek Gods.Established in 1958 by Greek South Africans, Hellenic campaigned in the lower amateur leagues of Cape Town...
completed the top five, with Mamelodi Sundowns in sixth, Jomo Cosmos
Jomo Cosmos
Jomo Cosmos is a South African football club based in Johannesburg that plays in the Premier Soccer League. The club is owned and coached by South African soccer legend Jomo "Black Prince" Sono....
in seventh and Cape Town Spurs rounding off the top eight.
Popular clubs Bloemfontein Celtic and Moroka Swallows came in 10th and 11th respectively, not quite the start to the PSL era that their fans were hoping for, while KwaZulu-Natal giants AmaZulu could only finish 14th on the 18-team log.
The first two teams to suffer the ignominy of relegation to the second tier from the PSL were Witbank Aces
Mpumalanga Black Aces F.C.
Mpumalanga Black Aces are a South African football club based in Witbank, Mpumalanga that plays in the National First Division.-Honours:*Bob Save Super Bowl winners: 1993*BP Top Eight Cup winners: 1980...
– who won just four games all season and finished with a measly 19 points – and Michau Warriors
Michau Warriors
Michau Warriors were a South African football club who played in the Premier Soccer League.They were relegated in the competition's inaugural season finishing in 17th place....
. Real Rovers and Vaal Professionals
Vaal Professionals
Vaal Professionals were a South African football club based in Vereeniging which was a founder member of the Premier Soccer League in 1996...
(36 points each) were desperately lucky to finish just a single point ahead of Warriors and avoid the dreaded chop.
The only blot on the inagural PSL season, although through no fault of its own, would be the abandoned game between Bloemfontein Celtic and Kaizer Chiefs on Sunday 16 February, 1997. The game in Bloemfontein was called off in the 40th minute with the home side trailing Chiefs 2-0 due to crowd trouble. Kaizer Chiefs were given the result along with 3 log points due to the trouble with the crowd being instigated by the Celtic fans. This was a rather surprising turn of events as the Celtic fans, while having a reputation for being extremely vocal and passionate, are not known to be unruly.
Final league table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manning Rangers Manning Rangers Manning Rangers is a defunct South African football club formerly based in Durban and probably best remembered as the champions of the inaugural season of the Premier Soccer League... |
34 | 23 | 5 | 6 | 53 | 28 | 74 | 1998 CAF Champions League Group Stage1 |
| 2 | Kaizer Chiefs | 34 | 18 | 12 | 4 | 56 | 23 | 66 | |
| 3 | Orlando Pirates | 34 | 18 | 10 | 6 | 43 | 27 | 64 | |
| 4 | Umtata Bush Bucks | 34 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 45 | 29 | 57 | |
| 5 | Hellenic Hellenic FC Hellenic FC was a South African association football club based in Cape Town. They were nicknamed The Greek Gods.Established in 1958 by Greek South Africans, Hellenic campaigned in the lower amateur leagues of Cape Town... |
34 | 16 | 7 | 11 | 46 | 31 | 56 | |
| 6 | Mamelodi Sundowns | 34 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 35 | 30 | 50 | |
| 7 | Jomo Cosmos Jomo Cosmos Jomo Cosmos is a South African football club based in Johannesburg that plays in the Premier Soccer League. The club is owned and coached by South African soccer legend Jomo "Black Prince" Sono.... |
34 | 11 | 16 | 7 | 32 | 27 | 49 | |
| 8 | Cape Town Spurs | 34 | 14 | 6 | 14 | 40 | 45 | ||
| 48 | |||||||||
| 9 | SuperSport United | 34 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 40 | 35 | 46 | |
| 10 | Bloemfontein Celtic | 34 | 13 | 5 | 16 | 38 | 39 | ||
| 44 | |||||||||
| 11 | Moroka Swallows | 34 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 33 | 35 | ||
| 43 | |||||||||
| 12 | Wits University | 34 | 11 | 8 | 15 | 27 | 31 | ||
| 41 | |||||||||
| 13 | Qwa Qwa Stars | 34 | 10 | 8 | 16 | 39 | 49 | ||
| 38 | |||||||||
| 14 | AmaZulu | 34 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 34 | 46 | ||
| 37 | |||||||||
| 15 | Vaal Professionals Vaal Professionals Vaal Professionals were a South African football club based in Vereeniging which was a founder member of the Premier Soccer League in 1996... |
34 | 10 | 6 | 18 | 38 | 49 | ||
| 36 | |||||||||
| 16 | Real Rovers | 34 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 35 | 46 | ||
| 36 | |||||||||
| 17 | Michau Warriors Michau Warriors Michau Warriors were a South African football club who played in the Premier Soccer League.They were relegated in the competition's inaugural season finishing in 17th place.... |
34 | 10 | 5 | 19 | 32 | 50 | ||
| 35 | Relegated to the National First Division National First Division The National First Division is the second-highest league of South African club football after the Premier Soccer League . Both the NFD and PSL are organised by the National Soccer League.-For seasons in 2007-11:... |
||||||||
| 18 | Witbank Aces Mpumalanga Black Aces F.C. Mpumalanga Black Aces are a South African football club based in Witbank, Mpumalanga that plays in the National First Division.-Honours:*Bob Save Super Bowl winners: 1993*BP Top Eight Cup winners: 1980... |
34 | 4 | 7 | 23 | 26 | 72 | ||
| 19 |
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
1 Due to the PSL following a different football calendar to the rest of Africa, which runs over a single calendar year and not the international May-September calendar followed by the PSL, Manning Rangers would only be eligible to enter the 1998 edition of the CAF Champions League.