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IN PERSPECTIVE THE PSL’S DEFINING DECADE
INTO THE 21ST CENTURY THE PSL NUMBERS GAME
BY DYLAN BETTENCOURT
The 10-year span saw four different winners with SuperSport United being the dominate figure over three-year periods which saw the team from Pretoria claim consecutive Premier Soccer League (PSL) trophies.
There is no doubt the might of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) strengthened over the decade from 2000 to 2010: the figures prove that with the number of points needed to either win the title or simply stay in the league, dropped consistently season by season as competition got tougher and tougher.
The 1999/2000 season had records broken: Mamelodi Sundows clinched their third consecutive title, which at the time had not been done before. They managed to pick up 75 points throughout the season, 11 points ahead of their closest rivals in second place. AmaZulu and Mother City F.C both found themselves in the relegation spots as to who would ultimately be sent to the National First Division (NFD).
However, the Durban outfit amassed an impressive 36 points and managed to keep their place in the top tier after winning the play-off battle. Mother City only managing ten points and two wins in the entire season, faced the drop with no chance of remaining in the league.
The Soweto Giants made up second and third place while Thembisa Classic – now known more commonly as Maritzburg United –making up the top half of the table with 44 points.
The following season (2001/02) saw a new winner in Santos who managed to clinch the league with 64 points, finishing ahead of SuperSport United. AmaZulu – after saving themselves the season before – could not repeat that effort and were relegated along with Thembisa Classic.
In a surprising turn of events, favourites Kaizer Chiefs finished in 9th place, just securing a top half finish with Jomo Cosmos impressing with a 4th place finish. Orlando Pirates claimed the title of best in the league by a 6-point margin in the 2002/03 campaign, finishing with 61 points ahead of SuperSport United’s 55 points. The two teams had an identical record, with the Buccaneers managing only two more wins which gave them the crown.
In an unprecedented turn of events, Qwa Qwa Stars and Ria Stars F.C were bought out during the duration of the league, which led to both teams finishing 15th and 16th being relegated, these teams were unfortunately Umtata Bush Bucks and the African Wanderers with 31 and 18 points respectively.
Mamelodi Sundowns found themselves wandering in a lowly 10th place after a less than impressive league season. Jomo Cosmos (Ezenkosi) with 40 points managed to finish in the top half of the table for a second consecutive season.
The 2003/04 season would be the first ever season in the history of the league to contain only 16 teams in its entirety. The AmaKhosi walking away as victors in this historic season with 63 points. Black Leopards had an impressive run, leaving them in 8th place.
The battle to stay in the league went down to the final day as Dynamos barely secured their spot in the league, as they finished two points of Hellenic and Zulu Royals (renamed from AmaZulu) who both finished on 22 equal points, in what was an exciting finish to the season. The 2004-05 season saw the two Soweto giants battling it out for the title, with Kaizer Chiefs edging Orlando Pirates by two points. 62 points was all it took for the AmaKhosi to claim bragging rights over their bitter rivals and claim their second championship win in two years, losing only two games in the process.
Manning Rangers and Wits University were relegated to the NFD with 29 and 27 points respectively, Rangers missing out on a stay in the topflight by a mere two-points. There were little surprises with the top half of the table, Bloemfontein Celtic taking eighth place with 36 points. Three points ahead of Golden Arrows in ninth.
The 2005-06 season showcased the rise of a newcomer, Pretoria’s very own Mamelodi Sundowns who upset the two major outfits in South African football. It took 57 points for the Brazilians to claim the title of the best team in the league, three points over Orlando Pirates in
second place. Santos finished in 8th place, only eight points above the relegation zone to finish in the top half of the table.
The relegation battle was immense with two points separating the bottom four teams, Bush Bucks and Free State Stars falling victim to the drop into the NFD. The Bucks (30 points) being relegated due to an inferior goal difference really emphasises the intense fight that was to stay in the PSL.
The 2006-07 season is the real outlier compared the other five seasons. Sundowns blew the league away with 61 points – claiming their second title in two years by way of a 10-point margin. Amazulu were sent to the NFD on goal difference, 28 points was simply not enough to keep them where they wanted to be. Maritzburg United ended a really difficult season with a lowly 21 points, winning only four matches throughout the season.
Silver Stars did an incredible job to finish behind the dominant Mamelodi Sundowns, while Bloemfontein Celtic finished off the top half the table. Kaizer Chiefs and their fans would have been disappointed to finish on the wrong side of the table, finishing 9th. The 2007-08 season sprung up a lot of unforeseen surprises. It was SuperSport United with 54 points who were crowned champions after 30 games. Previous season winners Sundowns finished fourth with Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates ending off a disappointing season in sixth and eight respectively; a season to forget for the Soweto giants.
Black Leopards with 29 points and Jomo Comos, who finished in the top half of the table in the season before, rounded off the bottom of the table with Cosmos only able to win two games all season, ending on 22 points.
The following season (2008-09) saw an amazing finish with SuperSport United retaining their title on goal difference over the Buccaneers with both outfits finishing on 55 points. 6 More goals were all it took for the boys from Pretoria to retain the title of PSL champions. Thanda Royal Zulu and Bay United were unable to keep their spot in the top tier with The Lions succumbing to the drop via goal difference, bettered by Bloemfontein Celtic who finished in 14th position.
Amazulu were unlikely top half finishers with the Durban outfit ending in 8th position. Golden Arrows outdid their expectations, finishing in 5th place, only three points behind the AmaKhosi who finished 3rd.
Gavin Hunt led his SuperSport United team (57 points) to a third consecutive title in the PSL in the 2009/10 season, doing a superb job by defeating The Brazilians by one point. The relegation battle was not as intense as previous seasons with Mpumalanga Black Aces and the Ezenkosi failing to stay alive in the league with 26 and 24 points, respectively. A five-point margin separated Black Aces from safety and Cosmos trailing them by two points.
The battle for a spot in the top half of the table was rounded out by Moroka Swallows with the two teams above them in Ajax Cape Town and Bloemfontein Celtic, finishing on the same points (42) in a hotly contested battle for places at the top.
On average between these 10 seasons, it took 60 points to be crowned as the winner of the topflight in South African football. 29 is the average amount of points needed to keep your place in the PSL’s first division and 40 points on average to cement your place in the top half of the table.
The real winners of these 10 seasons were Gavin Hunt and SuperSport United who came away with three consecutive title wins with some edge of the seat finishes. Jomo Cosmos along with AmaZulu were both relegated on two separate occasions during the 10-year period.
The competitiveness was showcased in how close each battle on the log ended on with several seasons deciding winners and losers on goal difference. As the years progressed, we saw new winners, surprise relegations and real cutthroat entertainment all-round. Ù
