Royal AM slapped with MASSIVE fine for on-field money incident. Everything broken down!

Royal AM have been slapped with a hefty fine following the “money” incident that implicated the club top brass and players.

READ | WATCH | ROYAL AM OWNER AND CHAIRMAN REWARD PLAYERS WITH WINNING BONUSES ON THE FIELD!

Royal AM owner Shauwn Mkhize together with son and Chairman Andile Mpisane walked on to the field carrying large sums of money in brown envelopes. 

When the incident occurred

This incident occurred after a DStv Premiership encounter in which Royal AM narrowly beat Maritzburg United 2-1 thanks to a stoppage time goal which earned the team the bragging rights in a new KwaZulu-Natal derby. 

READ | WATCH | VIDEO EMERGES SHOWING HOW ROYAL AM PLAYERS FELT ABOUT “THAT” INCIDENT

Following on from the euphoria of that match, Mkhize and Mpisane were seen rewarding Royal AM players with sums of money, in what seemed like the players were being rewarded for their match winning efforts with winning bonuses. 

READ | ROYAL AM CEO SINKY MNISI EXPLAINS WHAT THAT MONEY WAS FOR

The video of that particular incident live on national television went viral and became the talk of the town for the week. A follow up video then emerged from the player’s perspective, which then seemed to show the players appearing to be rather embarrassed by the whole ordeal. 

Club CEO denied money was for the players

During the course of the next week, Royal AM CEO Sinky Mnisi would go on to live national radio denying that the money was for the players’ personal use, claiming it was for charity. He went on further to ask if anybody had seen the players receive that money in cash at all. 

Royal AM receive hefty fine

It would then later emerge that Royal AM had been charged by the league on various counts of misdemeanours from that day. It was not yet known what the charges amounted to but that has since been revealed. According to TimesLIVE the total amount for the fines is a whooping R1,650,000. However, Mkhize can breathe a sigh of relief as R1,325,000 of that was suspended, as part of a plea agreement they entered into in front of a Premier Soccer League disciplinary committee (DC) hearing.

All the charges and fines broken down

Here is a breakdown of the charges and fines Royal AM received: 

• pleaded guilty to attempting to pay football players in cash in front of the media, thereby bringing the league into disrepute – R500,000, with R250,000 suspended;

• pleaded guilty to failing to provide adequate security at the match (relating to having 10 more in their attendance party than the 60 allowed as per the PSL’s Covid-19 regulations) – R100,000, with R75,000 suspended;

* pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that their Covid-19 officer complied with his duties – R10,000;

* pleaded guilty to not having their players follow the walk-on procedures, in that they left the changerooms four minutes late (even though the match kicked off on time) – R10,000;

* pleaded guilty to only having 10 match balls as opposed to 11 – R5,000.

The charge and fine for the second respondent, Royal AM Covid-19 officer Sthembiso Hlongwane, was:

• admitted to not making sure all club officials and attendees wore face masks at all times – R10,000 (Hlongwane had a suspended sentence from previous club Real Kings last year for a similar offence, and also has to pay that further R180,000 previously suspended fine).

Third respondent, Mkhize’s, charges were:

*admitted she contravened rule 55.3.8 in that she was seen to be attempting to give rewards to players after the match – R500,000, all suspended;

* not wearing a mask in a public space at all times – R7,500.

Mpisane’s charges were:

* pleaded guilty to attempting to reward players after the match – R500,000, all suspended;

• Not wearing a mask – R7,500.

Royal AM also had to pay all costs for the two DC sittings.

The NSL Handbook’s Rule 55.3.8. relates to “the giving, offering, promising or acceptance, whether directly or indirectly, of any inducement, reward or bribe, to anybody in relation to a