Bern Expresses Heartfelt Gratitude To George Dearnaley
AmaZulu attacking midfielder Liam Bern has expressed heartfelt gratitude to his mentor, George Dearnaley, for helping him realise his dream of playing for Usuthu.
Bern’s relief was evident after he was finally cleared to play for AmaZulu, following Cape Town Spurs’ decision to withdraw their appeal to SAFA, which was revealed by Sportswire.
The midfielder joined AmaZulu from Spurs during the off-season, but his debut was delayed when Spurs legally challenged the move, insisting a transfer fee must be paid.
They argued Bern was still under contract and therefore not a free agent, despite the club’s relegation from the Motsepe Foundation Championship to the ABC Motsepe Regional League.
However, NSL regulations classify the ABC Motsepe League as an amateur competition, allowing players from relegated teams to be deemed free agents.
AmaZulu initially won the case at the PSL Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC), which ruled in Bern’s favour. Spurs maintained that they were entitled to a transfer fee and appealed to SAFA’s Appeals Board—but have now withdrawn the appeal, freeing Bern to play.
“He’s been absolutely amazing,” Bern said of Dearnaley.
Dearnaley, who has a long-standing history with Usuthu, previously recommended the signing of Thapelo Xoki ahead of the 2014/15 season. Xoki went on to captain AmaZulu before securing a big move to Orlando Pirates in the 2022/23 campaign.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t be here without him. He has done so much for me—he has been such a great agent,” Bern added. “I don’t have enough thank yous for him because he has been such a great person.”
Dearnaley was also on the scoresheet when AmaZulu defeated Kaizer Chiefs 3-1 in the 1992 Coca-Cola Cup under the late Clive Barker—the club’s last major trophy triumph.
“He was very happy that I was able to join AmaZulu,” Bern continued. “I’m so overwhelmed, very, very happy to be an AmaZulu player. I’ve been following this club for a long time, and they’ve done some great things.
“I’m just so excited to be here.”
Bern is expected to feature for Usuthu when they host Siwelele in the Betway Premiership at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday at 15:30.
