Cafda FC owner Ashley October has vowed to fight Safa Western Cape “from all angles” following the refusal to allow him to purchase the status of Batalions FC from the Cape Winelands.
An aggrieved October admitted that he is saddened by the turn of events and confirmed to No Bones with Jones that he has already set the ball rolling to seek legal intervention: “The way forward is obviously that Batalions and ourselves (Cafda) have approached our attorneys and we are taking the matter to Safa National, so the matter is by Safa National to make a decision.
”Do you know what is sad for us, it is really sad that Safa Western Cape and Safa Cape Town are against the development of football. That is the grief we are sitting with. Making comments to say that statuses become a money-making thing not knowing there is no money in football, in fact, we need to take out of our own pockets as we don’t have support in football financially.
“Our only focus and objective are to give footballers and youngsters in our communities a chance at football and not allowing them to run with guns in their hands – it is sad for us to see that Safa is actually really pushing this thing away and not wanting to give communities and people that are really interested in football an opportunity in this,” October further added.
October is crying foul after the Western Cape chairman Tankiso Modipa confirmed to No Bones with Jones that Safa’s Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) has voted against the sale of the two ABC Motsepe statuses, Batalions FC and Ukhanya United.
This decision was taken at a recent virtual PEC meeting to confirm the selling of the two statuses.
“After the full explanation and sharing of the required information to members of the provincial executive committee, unfortunately, the meeting voted against the sale,” the PEC stated in a press release sent to our website.
“This decision is based on rule 4.3.1 of the uniform rules which states: No team shall be allowed to sell its franchise and relocate its home base unless such a transaction is sanctioned by the SAFA National Executive Committee on the recommendation of the SAFA Competitions Committee, whose permission shall not be unreasonably withheld.
“It must be noted that a club’s entitlement to participate in a league championship shall depend principally on sporting merit. The sale of a franchise which is to the detriment of a league championship and results in changing headquarters, changing the name and/or stakeholders, and furthermore is to the detriment of the integrity of sports competition, must be prohibited.
“A decision to decline the sanctioning of the sale can be appealed against to the SAFA Appeal Board,” the statement read.
The PEC’s verdict follows applications from both Batalions and Ukhanya United to sell off the Second Division statuses to Cafda FC and the Eagle Performance Academy (EPA) respectively.
October is of the opinion that the refusal and resistance to obtaining a (Second Division) status from the mother bodies only happens in the Western Cape.
“It happens every year that franchises get sold and bought without hassles and here I am referring to KZN, Jo’burg and all the other provinces where there are no issues and it is sad to say that this matter has been with Safa (WC) for the last three months already.
“They were aware of transactions, and they even requested an offer to purchase and were looking for proof of payments which both parties sent them.
“Now, to our understanding, if you request such information then it tells us you are in support. But to come back now in the last meeting to tell us no, unfortunately the sales are not going through, is unacceptable. The sad reality is and I am not afraid to say it in previous franchise purchases was saying: ‘My bru give Safa something because the people want money here in the Western Cape’ – and I am not afraid to say it.
“All the other people that I know very well that have bought franchises in the past are telling me: ‘My bru gie net vir Safa in die WC iets man in die hand dan gan die ding deur (give Safa in WC something man and this thing will go through). Why do we have to deal on a basis like that?
The same fate has fallen before the Eagles Performance Academy (EPA) which was hopeful to compete in the ABC Motsepe League this season with the acquisition of Ukhanya United.
EPA’s co-owner and football director Damian Hegg’s response to No Bones with Jones is: “I’m focussed on the academy and producing the next (Manuel) Akanji’s. Not focussing on talking about anything else.”
With the season kicking off next week (15 October) with the Nedbank Cup Round of 16, one can only wonder if the planning, preparation and trials conducted by Cafda’s coach Theo Hempe and his counterpart from EPA, Sameeh McLaurie, will all be in vain.
The irony regarding Safa WC’s decision to oppose the sale is that the draw was conducted last month already at the Caledon Hotel and Spa and as luck would have it, Batalions were drawn at home against Ukhanya, or will it be Cafda against Ukhanya – who knows?
