Marumo Gallants president Abram Sello has confirmed that the club will not be changing its name ahead of the 2024/25 DStv Premiership season.
This is at the back of various calls and speculations that the club may consider possibly changing its name to Bloemfontein Celtic since it will be playing its home games in the Free State.
Gallants will be back in the top flight after acquiring the Premier Soccer League (PSL) status of the Moroka Swallows recently.
No change in the club’s name
Sello, who has now been elevated from club chairman to president, said that Gallants will not consider changing the football club’s name.
“We have registered with the PSL as Marumo Gallants, and the name will remain as it is,” Sello told the media during a press briefing at Hotel Sky in Sandton on Tuesday morning.
“The reason we decided to keep the name is because we want to build a legacy and carry on from the foundation we have built.
“The fact of the matter is that we did not want to go with the speculation that we were going to change our name to Bloemfontein Celtic or any other name.
“People also need to understand that Celtic is an entity that is still operating in the ABC Motsepe League. But all we are trying to do is reinvent ourselves as the Marumo Gallants in the top flight.”
Lifeline for Swallows players
Meanwhile, Gallants also confirmed that a total of 13 players who still had ongoing contracts with Swallows will remain with the club ahead of the season.
The players who have run out of contracts still have a lifeline and may be given contracts should they impress the returning coach, Dylan Kerr.
“In my first training, I had a total of 57 players; some contracted, others recently ran out of contracts, and others are trialists,” Kerr said.
“So, it is tough, but we have to get started [trimming the team down to a lower number] and hit the ground running for what is to come.”
Where is Botha now,he was speaking of 4M?