In women’s football, the name Nathan Peskin (pictured) is synonymous with success, as well as honesty and integrity!
This 49-year-old Stellenbosch FC Ladies head coach has finally lifted the lid on his “most difficult season” during his illustrious coaching career in women’s football, which spans nearly two decades.
Peskin’s lack of solidarity for the 14 Sasol League clubs from Safa Cape Town, who were embroiled in a court battle with Safa WC, has been questioned following the stance he took with his Stellenbosch Ladies outfit.
Truth be told, Peskin’s challenges arose from the custodians of football, where administrative ‘blunders’ were the order of the day and also embarrassing Peskin and his Stellenbosch Ladies side in the process.
This comes after they were declared the Western Cape Sasol League winners and the province’s representative at the playoffs in December. Things went from bad to worse when a court order prevented Peskin and his troops from participating in the playoffs.
However, many felt Stellenbosch’s adversity was rather self-inflicted to a certain extent after they had not won the league fair and square and were allegedly ‘promised’ a guaranteed place in the National Playoffs by Safa Western Cape’s chairman Tankiso Modipa.
Needless to say, this never materialised as the chickens came home to roost, leaving Modipa with egg on his face and Peskin and his troops out in the cold after being declared as ineligible and excluded from the playoffs – much to the frustration and irritation of Peskin, who had eyes set only on possible promotion to the Hollywood Bets Super League.
Peskin, a decorated coach of women’s football, thinks there was method in his madness regarding his subdued “stances and principles” after the Sasol League Ladies’ teams were robbed of a whole season of football.
Peskin had much to say, emphasizing the fact that he is aware how “difficult the administrative side of football can be” as he was a former administrator himself at Kuilsriver Football Club for a couple of years.
According to Peskin, he particularly sympathised with his colleagues with whom he had built up friendships and relationships over time as a coach.
Peskin has given a sober assessment of his silence since embarking on the journey with the Cape Winelands-based club.
“I’ve seen the guys like the Bayada Skitis and the Madikanes, your Winstons… we’ve been together for15 years on the field, battling. You felt quite sad in a way when it came to what happened, then there was nothing on the line anymore. So, then, it was better for me to hold my silence,” Peskin revealed to No Bones with Jones.
“Not that I can’t say this as these guys are standing for the right reasons. But not to comment now on everything that gets thrown out there because it is what it is. We’ve excluded ourselves at one point and not officially saying ‘no guys, let’s stand on this side of the door, but by implication of playing.’
Peskin, a former UWC coach, further explained: “So, it was a tough one, perhaps the toughest of my career. We played a pre-season tournament and we were so excited and things were looking good. The next thing you know, we’re sitting at opposite sides. It’s really, really tough because as a coach, I know the work they put in.
“All of a sudden you are on opposite sides and I chose just to…. whatever happens, I understand what they are saying. I’m not gonna give anything back. At this point, I’m not opposed to what they are doing, and I’m also not going to be a hypocrite and say I’m not opposed and yet I play in that same league.
“So, listen, it was tough, really, really tough because there was so much noise going on. But you still want to do well and get your thing across and say, listen guys, let’s just try and get promotion, yet at the back of your mind, feeling like you’re a bit of a traitor, you know. You can’t get away from it – you have to find a way to kind of live with it.
“What I teach myself as a person… I always said they were in their right and what they are doing is not wrong as they are not bringing the game into disrepute – nothing. They are standing for what they believe in, which is 100 percent correct! That was my message to my players and I think I told it to everyone.
“But unfortunately for me I’m in a position where I’m at a brand new club. When this whole thing became really… and a fact that they are not playing. Certain clubs have been granted the opportunity to play and decided not to play; that’s when you realized, ‘damn, this is a serious thing!’
“But as I stated, it was a difficult season. Probably one of the most difficult because you didn’t have that open competition where you know the battle is on the field and not social media and anywhere else,” Peskin concluded.
