As far as South African football is concerned, with all that is happening and has happened, there is nothing as depressing as the constant selling of statuses, which has ultimately led to a rich heritage of many clubs being washed away because of financial struggles and not football.
Ever wondered why the Premier Soccer League is suffering from the pandemic of extremely low supporter turnout at stadiums at the vast majority of the games?
That could largely be due to the chopping and changing of ownerships in most of the clubs, with the new owners also not doing any justice to the sport as they relocate the clubs and change the identity of the clubs.
With the bids for the sale of MaMkhize’s Royal AM officially shut on Friday, Sunday World takes readers and football fans down memory lane of some of the clubs that saw their heritage vanish into thin air.
Bloemfontein Celtic:
There is arguably no other SA football fan base that is still enduring a recurring pain than those of Bloemfontein Celtic.
Siwelele sa Masele, Phunya Selesele, Masokolara, as Celtic fans are affectionately known, are still fighting to revive, and hoping that their beloved Celtic can come back.
The sale of the club has left a significant void in the Free State’s football scene.
“I always get goosebumps when I talk about the Celtic and Bloem. That is where my football career started,” said former Celtic captain Fabian McCarthy last year.
“So, I hope one day they can come back and just make up for what happened and transpired over the years.”
The club was founded in 1969, and it changed owners a few times until it was bought and renamed Royal AM in 2021.
Moroka Swallows:
Another story of a club that is unpleasant to hear is that of the fallen Soweto giants Moroka Swallows.
The Dube Birds have gone through the pits of being relegated to the lowest ranks of SA diski to being sold. They were at some stage referred to in the same breath as your Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.
Even the PSL chairman Irvin Khoza expressed his deepest pain of having to see a club of Swallows’ calibre and rich history go extinct.
“There are just so many unique things that we continue to do because of Moroka Swallows. But that history disappeared just like that—painful, very painful.” Khoza said recently.
Bidvest Wits:
The year 2020 was another poignant moment for every SA football fan when one of the oldest clubs was sold to a Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) that also no longer exists.
The “Clever Boys” had their roots at Wits University and unearthed big talents such as Sifiso Myeni, Bradley Carnell, Xola Mlambo, Manqoba Ngwenya, Phakamani Mahlambi, amongst others in the PSL era.
The saddest part about the sale of the club was that it was sold in the year it turned 100 years old.
Ajax Cape Town:
Arguably one of the greatest developers of talent, just like Jomo Cosmos and Wits, Ajax Cape Town, has morphed into Cape Town Spurs, at least reviving an old name in football.
When mentioning Ajax, some of the names that come to mind include the likes of Thulani Serero, George Maluleke, Lebohang Manyama, Keagan Dolly, Hans Vonk, Nhlanhla Shabalala, Thembinkosi Fanteni and the late Cecil Lolo.
After their 21-year-long association with Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam ended, the club reverted to the name Spurs, but they are fighting relegation in the National First Division.
Other clubs that have gone belly up include Mpumalanga Black Aces, Platinum Stars, Highlands Park, Benoni Premier United, Thanda Royal Zulu, and Santos.
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Siyasanga Monoalibe
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