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The Nelson Mandela Bay Council was told this morning that the deal to bring Maritzburg United to Port Elizabeth is off.
Briefing Council on the 2012/13 Budget, Acting Chief Financial Officer Selwyn Tate said he could confirm that "the deal is officially off".
No reasons were provided for the decision but AlgoaFM sport understands that a reported 20-million rand cost in bringing a PSL team to Port Elizabeth was considered way too exorbatent by Metro officials.
The deal that was being negotiated would have seen Maritzburg United relocate to Port Elizabeth and be renamed.
The Premier Soccer League deadline for teams to name their home venue for next season has already lapsed.
This deadline was the 29th of May.
With regard to the hosting of the Afcon tournament for which Port Elizabeth has been named as one of the four host cities, Tate said that the final financial arrangements were still awaited to clarify how much national and provincial government would contribute and “what are the implications for the municipality”.
Speaking later, Budget and Treasury Portfolio Councillor Balu Naran said a comprehensive report would be provided on the Maritzburg deal said he felt “very disgruntled” that he had not been kept informed given the financial implications of the deal.
“I would like to see a full report coming from the relevant officials on the matter.”
(Source: Metro Minute - to subscribe mail metminutes@iafrica.com)
