List of South African football club name changes

South African Football clubs regularly changed their names. Former Premier Soccer League (PSL) Chief Executive Trevor Phillips complained that regular name changes and license buy outs was turning the PSL into a "mumbo-jumbo" league.[1] Clubs in the top-tier were sometimes bought by businessman and renamed to have the same name as a club with previous history. In May 2008, this was partially resolved when governing body FIFA stepped in to prevent clubs purchasing licenses to play in a higher league.[2]

In 2002, the league organisers opted to purchase two clubs; Free State Stars (Qwa-Qwa) and Ria Stars (Polokwane) and dissolve them to reduce fixture congestion. Each club was purchased for R8million.[3] Free State Stars were originally known as Qwa Qwa Stars. Another club known as Free State Stars F.C. has been established since. The owner of the original Free State Stars purchased a club in the lower divisions Maholosiane and renamed it to Free State Stars.

The club Dynamos sold their PSL license to AmaZulu who were formerly known as Zulu Royals in 2006. A new team known as Dyanmos F.C. was established in the wake of the sale in a lower division.

Tembisa Classic sold their PSL license to Maritzburg United

Wits University renamed their Premier Soccer League team to Bidvest Wits in time for the 2006/07 season. Bidvest, a major services, distribution and trading company sponsored the club for several seasons before purchasing naming rights to the club.

Original Club Name New Club Name Date Changed Reason for change
Khakhu Fast XI Mapate Silver Stars 1998
Mapate Silver Stars HP Silver Stars 2000 Larry Brookstone, the owner of Highlands Park, bought the majority of shares. Despite the new ownership, the club continued to play at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.[4]
HP Silver Stars Silver Stars 200x Name was shortened, when the Highlands Park junior team stopped as a nursery team for the club.
Silver Stars Platinum Stars May 2007 Royal Bafokeng Nation (RBN) entered as the clubs sponsor in 2006 and relocated the team to play at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Phokeng. Club name also changed, when RBN bought 51% of the shares in May 2007.[4]
Cape Town Spurs & Seven Stars Ajax Cape Town 1999 Result of Merger after Ajax Amsterdam buy out
University of Port Elizabeth-FCK (UPE-FCK) & Port Elizabeth Technikon Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University-FCK (NMMU-FCK) 2004 Merger between universities.
Wits University Bidvest Wits 2006
Qwa-Qwa Stars Free State Stars 1999
Amazulu Zulu Royals 2003
Basotho Tigers North West Tigers 2004
PJ Stars M Tigers 2007
Hellenic Benoni Premier United 2005
Pietersburg Pillars City Pillars 2005
Uthukela Nathi Lions 2005
Tembisa Classic Maritzburg United 2005
Manning Rangers Fidentia Rangers 2006
Mabopane Young Masters FC AK 2006
Vasco da Gama FC Cape Town 2007
Benoni Premier United Thanda Royal Zulu 10 October 2007
City Pillars Mpumalanga Black Aces 2007
Fidentia Rangers Ikapa Sporting 2008
Bay United Polokwane City 2012 Club had moved from Port Elizabeth to Polokwane.
Mbekweni Cosmos Chippa United 2010 New owner's nickname was 'Chippa'.

References

  1. ↑ "Dynamos sale angers PSL boss". iol.co.za. 5 July 2006. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  2. ↑ "FIFA changes statutes to tighten nationality loopholes". reuters.com. 30 May 2008. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  3. ↑ "South Africa 2003/04". rsssf.com. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  4. 1 2 "Platinum Stars club history". Retrieved 9 December 2010.
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