What promised to be a potential match made in heaven turned out to be quite a disappointment for all involved. But that, sometimes, is the way things pan out in The Beautiful Game of soccer.
Needless to say, for some people this might have come as a surprise, but for others not. The fact of the matter is that the romance between Ana Barrote-Rightford’s (owner) Nova Nacional FC and Junction Rovers is no more.
This follows after the Nova boss confirmed that she parted ways with Junction after the first game of the season already – and that after just one season.
“Unfortunately, things didn’t work out and we parted ways,” Barrote-Rightford (pictured) confirmed to No Bones with Jones. “But we are still on good terms, it is just that it didn’t work out,” she added.
The venture between Junction and Nova was always going to require lots of sacrifices as it came with many challenges, not to mention the compromises, expectations and demands from both parties.
For example, Junction’s players had to travel between Parklands, where Nova is based and Heideveld, to feature for Nova’s LFA side who was at one stage on course for possible promotion to the Third Division.
So, travelling incurred, coupled with other issues such as who plays and who sits out, started to take its toll on both entities.
Our website was also informed that Barrote-Rightford wanted to have a bigger representation and opportunities for her (Nova) players in Junction’s Second Division side, despite many of them not ready yet and up to the standard.
Perhaps this is understandable, as all club owners only want the best for their players. But it was probably the trials for Motsepe players Nova held in October under their banner in Parklands that was the final straw and forced both parties to accept the inevitable.
Meanwhile, coach Chrissando de Weber’s Junction, who has been slow out of the blocks this season and currently in the 16th position, is flirting with danger with only one win from six matches. Bear in mind that with the extension of the league to 24 teams split in two streams of 12 teams each, two teams per stream will now be relegated should they not make the cut.
Perhaps De Weber will agree that the break could not have come at a better time for ‘JR69’ to regroup and to turn the tide in the new year. Fingers crossed!
