“They Aren’t Serious About Football”: Bay Chair Fumes As PSL Bans Sandy Umhlathuze Pitch

Richards Bay has suffered a massive blow after the Premier Soccer League (PSL) suspended the use of the Umhlathuze Sports Complex for four weeks due to poor pitch conditions.

However, according to a source within the Natal Rich Boys camp, the closure could extend far beyond the initial four-week period.

Sportswire has been reliably informed that the local municipality neglected the pitch throughout the off-season, only attempting maintenance efforts on the eve of the new campaign. The consequences were clear on Sunday evening, as Richards Bay slumped to a 2-1 defeat against Polokwane City on a visibly sandy, deteriorated surface.

The stadium closure will impact more than just the Natal Rich Boys. Newly promoted outfit Milford FC also share the venue. Milford will still be permitted to host Siwelele at the ground on 12 August, after which the stadium will officially close its doors for pitch rehabilitation.

Richards Bay chairman Sifiso “Jomo” Biyela was left stunned by the municipal management of the facility.

“I don’t even know what to do,” Biyela told Sportswire.

“The PSL has given us four weeks to fix the problem, but whether it can actually be fixed within four weeks is another matter entirely. These people simply aren’t serious about football. But let’s see what happens,” added Biyela.

In South Africa, local municipalities own the vast majority of sporting facilities, forcing professional clubs to rely on leasing agreements. As a result, both Richards Bay and Milford will now have to relocate their upcoming home fixtures to Durban—roughly a two-hour drive away.

Neither club is a stranger to playing in Durban. This marks the second time the Umhlathuze Sports Complex has been shut down by top-flight administrators. Back in August 2021, following a Motsepe Foundation Championship fixture against Free State Stars, PSL Chief Operations Officer Ronnie Schloss led an inspection that saw the venue barred for two years due to severe safety hazards.

At the time, refurbishment was stalled by internal municipal disagreements over maintenance responsibilities. The venue was plagued by water leaks in player change rooms, broken ceiling panels in refereeing quarters, non-functional toilets, unserviced fire extinguishers, and live power cables running through standing water beneath the main stand.

Forced to relocate 170 km south to Durban’s King Zwelithini Stadium, Richards Bay defied the odds to win the Motsepe Foundation Championship title and earn top-flight promotion for the 2022/23 season. They eventually returned to Umhlathuze early last season, turning the venue into a fortress by dropping just a single match—a defeat to Orbit College.

Now, both Richards Bay and Milford face another testing period on the road as they await municipal intervention.