Oriented Birds FC chairman Lawrence Booysen has certainly raised eyebrows with his latest claim on winning the ABC Motsepe League in their debut season.
Birds recently became the first club in more than a decade to win promotion – as outright winners to the Second Division – in the Plettenberg Bay area and will undoubtedly carry the expectations of the Bitou Local Municipality.
Despite the lack of funding and sponsorship for the Motsepe debutants, Booysen is confident and ambitious about their prospects for the upcoming season.
“Are we up for it, yes, of course we are up for it,” Booysen told No Bones with Jones with great excitement and enthusiasm.
“We are here to fight and even win the league. I can tell you with authority that we are not here to just make up the numbers. No! We are here to stay or to move up (National First Division) and not go back,” Booysen further added.
The Motsepe newbie, who won the playoff final when they beat Junction Rovers, will surely be put to the test after being drawn in Stream B with big guns such a a former champion Zizwe United, Hout Bay United Football Community, Antalyaspor Cape Town FC (Clarewood JPM), Grassy Park United, City Kings FC, Maties FC, Batalions FC and Cape Town Spurs.
Besides the caliber of opposition, the back-and-forth traveling will surely test their ability to compete – on and off the field. As the luck of the draw would have, Birds was the second name out of the hat during the Nedbank Cup draw for the playoff match against the defending league champion, Young Bafana.
This game is scheduled for 7 October in Strand. Booysen and his troops can be assured that coaches in their Stream will be in attendance to check out what they are all about – this could also be a perfect platform for Birds to make a statement – or not!
