SAFPU issue update on Royal AM saga

The South African Football Players Union [SAFPU] have issued an update on their members at Royal AM following reports that more chaos could be brewing at the club.

According to reports, players are yet to resume training due to issues of non-payment.

The Sowetan newspaper further reported that despite players pitching at the training on Tuesday, they found the gates locked as security complained they were owed money. This has raised uncertainty on whether the club will honour their Betway Premiership fixture against Orlando Pirates on 23 January.

This publication also reached out to the officials of the club for more clarity, but these efforts were unsuccessful.

SAFPU CONFIRM IN AN UPDATE THAT THEIR MEMBERS HAVE BEEN PAID BY BETWAY PREMIERSHIP SIDE

But SAFPU, who have been involved in the issue on behalf of the players, have confirmed that players have since been paid following an intervention.

“We can confirm as a union that players have been paid by Royal AM. Ourselves as SAFPU made our own submission in terms of players that must get paid,” SAFPU acting president Tebogo Monyai told FARPost.

PLAYERS UNION OPTIMISTIC THAT ROYAL AM PLAYERS WILL BE READY FOR THE ORLANDO PIRATES FIXTURE

“In terms of the curatorship of SARS, we made our submission as a union pleading that the PSL is continuing to pay the grant into the very same club account which also pays the players. We are glad that, for now, one step has been taken for players to be able to have their salaries paid.

“We are looking forward to getting to the club side and getting a way forward now because that is within the club itself. To tell us what the way forward is with regard to the club itself. Obviously, it’s out of our control because it’s the issue between the club, the league and SARS,” he said.

“But what we would like to see as a union is for Royal AM to come back and our members to take on the field and honour the fixtures in the league. We are more worried about the job security of the players. Players need to be employed.”

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