BOYCOTT OF RACIAL FOOTBALL AT NEW KINGSMEAD AND OTHER STADIUMS

 

(Norman Middleton, president of SASF)

       

 

While the South African Soccer Federation (SASF) was conducting a relentless campaign against racialism in football and sports in general, a number of organisations and leaders also joined the struggles in the 1970s and 1980s to eradicate racialism in sport.

This activism came about as a result of thousands of people of colour supporting white professional football at the old New Kingsmead stadium and other white stadiums. These people appeared to have a adopted a “normal” attitude in an abnormal environment to establish supporters clubs and support teams such as Durban City, Durban United and Addington.

Sometime in May 1973 a youth organisation from Merebank in Durban, Sentinel, announced that it was embarking on a campaign to call on people not to support white racial football at New Kingsmead and other stadiums.

I wrote this story and it was published under the headline: “Black soccer boycott planned” on May 21 1973.

The story read:

A boycott by non-whites of soccer matches at New Kingsmead, Durban, is one of the first targets of a campaign being launched by a Merebank youth organisation.

The organisation, Sentinel, will begin its programme with a mass meeting at Merebank’s Natraj Cinema on June 3.

A spokesman said today that its object was to eradicate racialism in sport.

“The campaign is not only against white sports but also against non-whites participating in racial sports.”

The speakers at the meeting will be Mr Morgan Naidoo, president of the South African Amateur Swimming Federation; Mr Bobby Naicker, president of the Merebank Sports Grounds Association; Mr Norman Middleton, president of the South African Soccer Federation; Mrs Ela Ramgobin, wife of the banned former leader of the Natal Indian Congress, Mr Mewa Ramgobin; and Mr Tim Dunne, president of the University of Natal Students’s Representative Council in Pietermaritzburg. Ends – Daily News Reporter May 21 1973.

 

          APPLYING FOR DIRECT AFFILIATION

                SOCCER BODY’S FIFA MOVE

 

On June 1 1973 I spoke to Mr Norman Middleton, president of the South African Soccer Federation (SASF) about moves by the Federation to apply for direct affiliation to FIFA because of the refusal of the white Football Association of SA (FASA) to join hands in the fight against racialism in sport and society in general.

Mr Middleton confirmed this move and I wrote a story that was published on June 1 1973 under the headline: “Soccer body’s FIFA move” and a sub-headline: “Applying for direct affiliation”.

The story read:

The non-racial South African Soccer Federation(SASF) is to apply for direct affiliation to the world football body, FIFA, next year in Munich, West Germany.

The president of the federation, Mr Norman Middleton, said today that his body would take the necessary steps at its special council meeting in Port Elizabeth on July 8.

It was applying for direct membership of the world body because every move for dialogue with the white Football Association of SA had ended in deadlock.

“When we last met in March 1973, FASA did not want to discuss anything with us until we had affiliated to them.

“They said they would do everything to assist us. But we were not interested. All we want to do is to play football as it should be played according to the roles of the world body,” he said.

The federation had always made the first move to solve South Africa’s football problems.

“But FASA on every occasion came up with some technicalities. At one of our meetings last year arranged by the Johannesburg City Council I urged that one body be formed to control South African soccer, but Mr Dave Marais and his committee backed out of the suggestion.

“It is because of the frustrations we have encountered with FASA, and our footballers’ urge to reach the top, that we are going to seek direct membership.”

Mr Middleton said that the Federation had sought affiliation to FIFA in Paris last year but was told its application was too late. Ends – Daily News Reporter June 1 1973

 

          

 

           CALL TO BOYCOTT RACIAL SPORT

 

One June 3 1973 I covered the meeting in Merebank where top anti-apartheid sports and political leaders and hundreds of activists took a formal decision to boycott racial football and racial sport.

The meeting was called by the Merebank youth organisation, Sentinel, as part of its campaigns to discourage people of colour from supporting the white National Football League (NFL) and its teams at New Kingsmead and other stadiums in the country.

I wrote the article and it was published on June 4 1973 under the headline: “Call to boycott racial sport”.

The story read:

A campaign to boycott racial sport, especially National Football League matches at New Kingsmead and other grounds, was launched at Merebank in Durban yesterday.

At a mass meeting called by a Merebank youth organisation, Sentinel, at the Natraj Cinema, it was unanimously resolved to boycott all racial sport.

The meeting, which was addressed by five speakers, also resolved to spotlight the disparity in sponsorship by international companies between white and non-white sport.

                          

Mrs Ela Ramgobin (Ela Gandhi), wife of the banned former Natal Indian Congress leader Mr Mewa Ramgobin, said that sport was no longer a free enterprise unaffected by race, colour creed.

“It is rather a highly restricted and politically designed field. To us, who love our country and want to see it high up in the international scene, such interference and drawbacks are annoying.”

She attacked the thousands of Indians who “flock like sheep to New Kingsmead and other white grounds”.

“That we are the backbone of the NFL in Natal is a sore point and a serious indictment on us,” she said.

“The time has now come for us to take stock and actively work towards the achievement of our non-racial aspirations.

“Tireless efforts and unflinching faith in our beliefs, and values which are universally recognised but are denied in South Africa, must one day bring success.”

Mrs Ramgobin appealed to the Government to leave sportsmen alone “to solve their own problems”.

Mr Tim Dunne, president of the SRC of the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, said non-whites must stay away from white NFL matches.

“If non-whites boycott those matches then I am sure the National Football League will be seriously affected,” he said.

                                  (Morgan Naidoo)

Mr Morgan Naidoo, president of the South African Amateur Swimming Federation, said non-whites were only allowed to see NFL matches “because of our money”.

“Keep them away and see if they don’t feel the pinch. The NFL is surviving in Natal because of our support.”

Giving a comprehensive outline of sponsorship for white and non-white soccer, Mr Naidoo said white soccer received much more than non-white soccer.

“We give them our support but get nothing in return. Therefore, I appeal to you people to pass the message round that non-whites should refrain from attending white NFL matches.

“The sooner we do this the better it will be for our children.”

                        

Mr Norman Middleton, president of the South African Soccer Federation, said that if sport was left to sportsmen, South Africa would soon be accepted into the international scene.

“Because our sport is continuously influenced by politicians we are shunned and ostracised by the rest of the world.” Ends – Daily News Reporter June 4 1973