The wheeling and dealing of amateur clubs and players within the structures of Safa Cape Town has the tongues wagging.
One club in particular that is severely affected even before a ball has been kicked in anger, is last year’s Third Division runners-up, Silver Spurs.
It is no secret that Spurs, who also happens to be the team with the longest service in the league, harboured intentions to go one better than last season and to finally win the league after more than three decades.
But, unfortunately, that may not be the case in the coming season. Many talented players of Spurs are being approached and poached by clubs in the Second Division.
No Bones with Jones has established that Spurs’ talented midfielder Rabian Beukes (pictured) will in all likelihood continue his football on a higher level with Santos in the ABC Motsepe League.
So too is Spurs’ Heideveld-neighbour Junction Rovers in pursuit of the live-wire attacking midfielder Marc Jonas.
Ikapa United also came knocking for the Spurs goalkeeper, Thaaqib Domingo. So too is Hanover Park FC in the hunt for their deadly striker Ameen Awaldien.
Awaldien is currently assisting Hazendal United at the Rygate LFA. This club is not only in the running for the league title at Rygate, but is also swimming with the big fish in the lucrative Coke Cup where it will face champions Diadora FC in the semi-final.
Some would argue that if clubs really care about their players’ well-being, they should not stand in the way to a better future, while others expect loyalty for all the sacrifices, patience and investments over the years.
Let’s face it, loyalty these days is just a hollow word, especially when there is financial gain for players.
Look, it is a very fine line and this should be a personal choice as not all the players’ situations are the same.
Similarly, there is a responsibility on players to be honest with themselves and to not forget the role that their clubs had played in their respective careers.
Be that as it may, it in a big sense causes friction and animosity amongst club owners, coaches and managers. It even affects the players to a large extent.
Perhaps, if dealings are done above board the situation would be much better, but the fact of the matter is loyalty, morals and ethics do not go hand-in-hand in the soccer fraternity.
Lines are blurred when winning at all costs becomes the most important driving force of clubs!
One Response
This is such a sad thing and much of a conundrum where it comes to standing in the way of a player towards a better opportunity and losing a player that you have invested in over the years. Another challenge that clubs face are the allowance of rogue executive members to break away from a club because pushing their personal egos and agendas and forming another club in close geographical proximity of the existing club. Yes SAFA has in place certain measures to prevent a club from taking a limited amount of players but clubs has quickly found a way to circumvent that process. Also if a player now wants to leave your club, whether you issue that clearance or not you have already lost that player. Safa and LFA s should really ask these affiliated clubs where they are based and where their recruitment base will be from. I feel new clubs should recruit players from scratch and develop them instead of poaching from existing clubs meaning they should start their clubs with new players, players that had no interest in football, idle youngsters on the brink of being recruited into gangs, idle players not active at their clubs. These should be the basis for new clubs to recruit. Enough said. Keep up the good work Mr Jones