SA Federation Legends launch national committee

THE SA Federation Legends committee launched a national committee on Saturday at the Curries Fountain boardroom in Durban. This came after many months of preparation involving five regions (Southern KwaZulu-Natal, Western Province, Gauteng, Northern KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape) where professional soccer was played under the administration of the South African Soccer Federation Professional League (SASFPL).

The body is comprised of former players, officials and supporters of the SASFPL, which played a major role in the history of South African soccer during apartheid.

The aims of the committee are to bring together the former members of the SASFPL to ensure its legacy is not lost, that members’ well-being is cared for, and to contribute to coaching and development.

The committee elected the following office bearers:

◆ Ashwin Trikamjee (chairperson).

◆ The chairpersons of each regions as deputy chairs: Steve Williams (Western Province), Siraj Abbas (Gauteng), Jasper Vurden (Southern KZN), Bravo Jacobs (Eastern Cape) and Mervyn Whiteman (Northern KZN).

◆ Haroon Mahomed (Western Province, secretary), Ronnie Moodley (Southern KZN, assistant secretary), Yunus Karolia (Gauteng, treasurer), Krish Naidoo (Eastern Cape, assistant treasurer), Derek Eastwood (Gauteng, records clerk), Morgan Pillay (Northern KZN, media officer), Boebie Solomons (Western Province, technical director), and Ronald James (northern KZN, social responsibility officer). Gerald Ferror is the additional member.

All the newly-elected office bearers have played or served in clubs and committees of the SA Soccer Federation or the SA Federation Legends.

The SA Federation Legends has operated at regional levels since 2006, and has succeeded in reconnecting all 45 clubs and almost all the players, officials, referees and supporters who played in the league from 1961 to 1992.

Many club, regional and national reunions and recognition events have been held over the years, and many have been supported at a welfare level as needed with illness and with funerals.

Each region has also conducted coaching and development programmes.

The future plans are to get formal recognition with SAFA for the SA Federation Legends to be recognised for their contributions and sacrifices to soccer, to be more involved in coaching and development, and to strengthen the wellness support programmes that can be made available.

The South African Soccer Federation was formed in 1951 as the first soccer association to bring together the different racially-classified-excluded associations of the time, and continued that tradition until 1992 when it gave up its status in the interest of national unity.

Unfortunately, since then its structures have experienced decline at both professional and amateur levels, and the aim is to regain the levels, by working within the new conditions in the country and in the technological world.

Trikamajee recalled experiences of running the professional league, often with no sponsorship and the loss of records of the SASFPL in the post-1994 period, and the importance of having the history of contribution and sacrifice properly recorded and publicised.

In his acceptance speech, he said: “The launch of the National SA Fed Soccer Legends is yet another poignant moment in the annals of non-racial sport in South Africa.

“The launch will ensure that the history of non-racial football will not be erased from the records. The tasks that will be undertaken are preserving the legacy, social responsibility towards all its members, and continued contribution to the development of non-racial coaching and administration.

“Support will be sourced for all the planned activities.”

Solomons shared copies of his coaching manual with each region, and indicated that coaching courses would be run to upgrade all coaches.

“A coach’s development programme is planned in each region,” he said.

The committee will release further details on its plans and programmes after its executive meeting.

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