Stober says Seaside Spurs’ offer was a ‘no-brainer’

Seaside Spurs new head coach Gerald Stober (pictured) admitted that he had turned down quite a few offers to take over the reins at the newly promoted Third Division club because it was a ‘no-brainer’.

Spurs’ owner Earl Cloete raised eyebrows when he recently unveiled the former Bafana Bafana striker as the man to take them to newer heights.

The 54-year-old Stober – who enjoyed a stellar career as a striker with clubs like Hellenic, Santos and Orlando Pirates – previously worked within the amateur ranks of Cape Town with a former Bafana Bafana-teammate in George Dearnaley at The Magic.

According to Stober the project Cloete presented to him was in line with his vision and it was too appealing to turn down.

“It was a no-brainer, you know,” said Stober. “I started playing as a 9-year-old in the under-14 division in Ocean View. So, it will be good to give back to the community where it all began for me. I’ve seen some faces that I knew from back then and some I did not recognise but they remembered me. Even some family members came to show their support at the training session and to say ‘hello’,” Stober added.

Stober will also be under no serious pressure to attain immediate success but should rather put Spurs’ Vision 2030′ into motion.

“As I’ve explained to Earl we have to be realistic about what our achievements should be and fortunate for us he explained his whole long-term vision and that is going into 2030. 

“I’ll see how long I can be around. I need to say that I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the quality of players that they have assembled already. We can only set some sort of expectation once the full squad is assembled and registered.

“Then only we can say this team is good enough to go till here. So, the expectation is not to win the league but maybe Earl wants that quick success,” Stober jokingly pointed out. 

“We need to create something that is sustainable. And also, to play a brand of football that is attractive that fans would want to come watch and enjoy.

“So, while there will be pressure, I think both Earl and I are realistic about what we could achieve and what is possible. But yeah, I’ve seen some really good quality from the few sessions I’ve been watching. So, we are off to a better start than I thought we would’ve been.

“Therefore, I need to add that I’m grateful for the work done before me, preparing the guys and getting them ready – I can’t take credit for it and I won’t take credit for any successes going forward. It’s going to be down to the players and the management of the team.

“I’m going to do what I can to get the best out of them and we’ll see from there. My motto is when things are good and going great, the players must take credit and when not, I will take the flack,” Stober added.

Stober will be assisted by Shane Petersen while former pros and veterans such as Franklin Cale and Diego Brown are still weaving their magic and adding value on the playing field.

The duo has been instrumental in the young club’s success thus far and will also play a role in guiding the youngsters in the squad.