Financially struggling Richmond United Ladies up for sale

Speaking to SABC Sport this past weekend, Richmond’s Chairman Amichard Amsterdam says he can’t take the financial struggle of competing in this league anymore. Richmond are not the first team to complain about the lack of resources and Amsterdam says the R114 000 monthly grant from SAFA is not enough to sustain them. He says they are even willing to relocate to another province.

"I considered it [selling the club], it's just that no one approached me yet. Like now, we are really struggling and I can see from my players also they are frustrated. Our monthly expenses at the clubhouse are taking half of our grant. Our grant is R114 000 of which R50 000 goes into the club house," he said.

"Although SAFA said to us, they are not giving us that grant to run our teams, the grant is to honour games. But with no sponsor you have to use the money from the grant, you don't have a choice. I will consider relocating at least if a provincial government puts something in the table for us and say they will assist us, then I will consider relocating because it seems like in our province, they are not serious about women's football."

SABC Sport also understands that the Free State government is interested in helping the team relocate to Bloemfontein and possibly assist them with their needs.

Traveling is also taking its toll on this Northern Cape-based side, almost every second week they have to travel more than 16 hours to 22 hours just to honour a football fixture. Amsterdam says the team is also sustaining a lot of injuries through this punishing traveling schedule.

"Yes, we started well but then we are going down in a deep because we are really struggling especially financially and no one is assisting us. It's promises, promises but they never get to materialise. So, if you could see, we are also struggling with injuries because of the travelling. We are travelling I think the furthest of all the teams. Today is our seventh consecutive match away from home. So, we travelled since we were here when we played TS Galaxy up to now. There was no home match after TS Galaxy."