OUR RICH HISTORY – EPIC CUP FINAL BETWEEN MANNING RANGERS AND BLUEBELLS AT CURRIE'S FOUNTAIN IN EARLY NOVEMBER 1977

RECALLING NON-RACIAL FOOTBALL UNDER THE SOUTH AFRICAN SOCCER FEDERATION

      

 INTEGRATED TEAMS MEET IN FINAL

                               

MANNING RANGERS AND BLUE BELLS UNITED  MEET IN EPIC COCA-COLA CUP FINAL AT DURBAN'S CURRIE'S FOUNTAIN EARLY IN NOVEMBER 1977

 

 

Early in November 1977, two of the top teams in the South African Soccer Federation Professional League fielded fully integrated sides in a Fed Pro League cup final at Durban’s Currie’s Fountain for the first time in South African soccer history.

The two teams were Manning Rangers of Durban and Blue Bells United of Johannesburg who met in the Coca Cola Shield Final on November 6. This encounter ended in a goal-less draw. There were some incidents involving spectators during the match.

Manning Rangers won the re-play 1-0 after extra time before more than 20 000 spectators.

I was working for the Daily News at this time and went the extra mile to write a preview about the integrated nature of the teams and the developments during the cup final and the re-play.

My colleagues in the sports department not only published photos of the integrated teams but also carried a full and detailed account of the final under my by-line.

The story read:

 

INTEGRATED IN THE TRUE SENSE OF THE WORD

 

By Marimuthu Subramoney

Two fully integrated football teams will, for the first time in South African soccer history, meet in a major cup final when Durban’s Manning Rangers play Johannesburg’s Blue Bells United in the Coca Cola Shield Final at Currie’s Fountain tomorrow (Nov 6 1977).

Both teams are integrated in the true sense of the word in that they have African, Coloured, white and Indian players.

This long, overdue feature has come about in the last year or so although the South African Soccer Federation has been propagating non-racialism in the sport for more than 25 years.

A welcome aspect of the new phenomenon is the flow of white players into the folds of the Federation, a body that has been accused in the past of dragging politics into sport when it insisted on integration at all levels.

 

                     BLUE BELLS UNITED        

 

Blue Bells, who will be playing in their second cup final tomorrow, have five whites, five Africans, two Coloured players and two Indians.

One of their white players is coach Roy Jones, a former player from the English club, Swindon. Jones, 35, who played for Rangers before moving to Bells early this season, keeps goal for his new club.

The other white players are Robin Palm, a defender from Rangers; Keith Matus, a defender from Wits F C; Barry Calvert, a forward formerly with Highlands Park and Rangers; and Ronald Ellis, a defender formerly with Lusitano.

 

                      MANNING RANGERS

Manning Rangers, who has had a long history of playing friendly matches against white teams at a time when they were forbidden to do, have three white players of note.

They are goal-keeper, Douggi Coetzee; mid-field man Chicken Price; and centre-half Dave Forsyth. Price, a Springbok, and Forsyth, are on loan to Rangers from Durban United.

For the game itself, both teams are confident that they will emerge victors at the end of this premier soccer event of the Federation Professional League. A record crowd of 25 000 to 30 000 fans are expected to turn out for this clash of the giants.

For Blue Bells it may be second time lucky. In their first cup final appearance in 1975, the Johannesburg side lost to Cape Town Spurs in a replay after the first encounter ended in a draw. To egg them on will be 5 000 hometown supporters who will arrive in the holiday city by buses, cars, trains and even by air.

 

                          MAHOMED

Mr Pussycat Mahomed, the livewire Bells manager, says his team’s chances of lifting the cup are “very, very good”.

“The boys are fit and their spirits are high. We want to be the second Johannesburg team to win a major cup this season.”

Swaraj of Johannesburg won the Mainstay League cup and a R10 000 cash prize.

 

                      DEENA NAIDOO

For Manning Rangers, it is a major achievement as this is the first time since their entry into professional football in 1969 that they have reached a final.

Skipper Deena Naidoo says they have enough talent and potential to make it a grand year.

“We have put in a lot of hard work throughout the year and I am confident that we will pull it off . There is no reason why we should not win, especially after beating our rivals, Berea, in the semi-final.”

In addition to having all the ingredients for an epic clash, this encounter is destined to set the pace for team spirit and good human race relations. One thing is for sure – if there is to be any disturbance it will not be on the basis of race as has been prevalent in the ill-famed multi-national Mainstay league cup matches.

Teams:

Manning Rangers: Douggie Cotzee, Michael Moodley, Michael Samuels, Pravesh Mothiram, Dave Forsyth, Chicken Price, Sadeck Ebrahim, Mickey Pillay, Hendrik Hardley, Sugar Singh, Victor Govindsamy, Super Naidoo, Deena Naidoo, Abdul Haq, Chico Lazarus and Paulen Murugan.

 

BLUE BELLS UNITED: Roy Jones, Robin Palm, Keith Matus, Jerry Sadike, Baldwin Molepe, Suliam Bhamjee, Barry Calvert, Jacob Motaung, Ronald Ellis, Thabo Makupu, Abubaker Williams, Christopher Fortuin, Prega Thandrind and Sampson Ntuli.

Ends – Marimuthu Subramoney, Daily News Reporter  November 5 1977

 

 

STABBING AND DAMAGE AS 25 000 CRAM INTO SOCCER FINAL

 

This epic soccer final, which ended in a draw, was characterised by tensions between rival supporters on the stands.

I wrote a story about this and it was published the next day on November 7 1977 under the headline: “Stabbing and damage as 25 000 cram into soccer final”.

The story read:

One soccer fan was stabbed, toilet and other facilities were damaged and cars were damaged during the Federation Coca Cola cup final match between Durban’s Manning Rangers and P.G. Blue Bells of Johannesburg before more than 25 000 people at Currie’s Fountain in Durban yesterday.

Police arrested two men in connection with the stabbing.

The knife victim, who was stabbed in the back, was treated by first-aid men before being taken to hospital by ambulance.

The toilet facilities were damaged when some spectators, vying for vantage points, crammed the toilets at both ends of the ground to watch the match.

Some cars were damaged after spectators, locked out of the ground after the gates were shut an hour before the start, climbed roof tops to scale the high walls.

 

                       R LUTCHMAN

Mr R Lutchman, chairman of the Durban Sports Grounds Association, said about 2 000 to 3 000 people had to be allowed in free after the fans threatened to force their way in.

He said Currie’s Fountain was not big enough and fully equipped to cater for cup final matches.

He said although the Durban City Council had granted the association a loan to improve the facilities, the association still had plans to enlarge the stadium and instal extra facilities.

“We must admit that we will have to review the position when it comes to cup final matches. Currie’s Fountain is not big enough for cup final matches.

“Even New Kingsmead for that matter would not be adequate if there was to be a match between Kaizer Chiefs and Berea. The city council has to seriously consider building a bigger stadium to cater for big matches in view of the fact that professional soccer has such a big following in Durban,” he said. Ends – Daily News Reporter November 7 1977

 

 

FEDERATION CUP FINAL RE-PLAY TO BE AT CURRIE’S FOUNTAIN

 

The Fed Pro League officials were concerned at the restrictive conditions at Currie’s Fountain and there were reports that some even discussed the idea of shifting the cup final replay to New Kingsmead.

 

                           S K CHETTY

I spoke to the secretary, Mr S K Chetty, about this and he was clear that they would take the necessary precautions during the re-play at Currie’s Fountain.

I wrote the story and it was published under the headline: “Federation cup final re-play will be at Currie’s Fountain” on November 8 1977.

The story read:

The Federation Coca Cola cup final re-play between Manning Rangers of Durban and Blue Bells United of Johannesburg will be at Currie’s Fountain and not New Kingsmead on Sunday.

Mr S K Chetty, secretary of the Federation Professional League, said today that although Currie’s Fountains was not big enough and not fully equipped to cater for the cup final, the league had not considered New Kingsmead as an alternative venue.

“There is no truth in reports that we were planning to switch the match to New Kingsmead.”

He said the league would take extra precautions at the re-play to see that there were no incidents. Ends – Daily News Reporter Nov 8 1977

 

  SELL – OUT CROWD EXPECTED AT CUP RE-PLAY

 

Three days later I wrote another story about Fed Pro League officials preparing to cater for another record turn out of spectators for the Coca Cola cup final re-play on November 13 (1977).

The story I wrote was published under the headline: “Sell-out crowd expected at cup replay” on November 11 1977.

The story read:

Another capacity crowd of more than 25 000 fans is expected to cram Currie’s Fountain on Sunday for the Federation Coca-Cola Cup final replay between Manning Rangers of Durban and P.G. Blue Bells United of Johannesburg.

The match, which was played before a record crowd last Sunday, ended in a goal-less draw.

Mr S K Chetty, secretary of the Federation Professional League, said today that adequate precautions would be taken to see that spectators did not go onto the field.

He said the Durban Sports Grounds Association had built a new picket fence to keep spectators off the pitch.

He said extra officials would be posted inside and outside the ground to ensure that everything went off smoothly.

“We will shut the gates as soon as the ground is full,” he said.

 

                         R K NAIDOO

Mr R K Naidoo, president of the Federation Professional League, said he wanted to thank the spectators who attended last week’s match for their excellent behaviour.

Except for one stabbing, the spectators showed a great deal of restraint even though there was inadequate seating.  Ends – Daily News Reporter Nov 11 1977

                                    

 

CUP FINAL REPLAY GOES OFF WITHOUT A HITCH

 

The Federation Professional League (FPL) had taken all the necessary measures to ensure that the cup final replay between Manning Rangers and Blue Bells would end without a hitch.

The final was once again packed to capacity with more than 20 000 fans cheering their teams.

I wrote a story about this and it was published on Monday, November 14 (1977) under the headline: “Cup final replay goes off without a hitch”.

The story read:

The presence of a strong contingent of police and football officials saw to it that the Federation Coca Cola cup final replay between Manning Rangers and Blue Bells before 20 000 fans at Currie’s Fountain yesterday was incident free.

Local side Rangers won 1-0 via a penalty after extra time.

Black and white members of the police and soccer officials were posted throughout the ground. They had little to do as the fans, made up mainly of Rangers supporters, behaved well.

The more than 5 000 Blue Bells supporters who travelled from Johannesburg for the match last week were conspicuous by their absence.

The match went off without a hitch, unlike last week when thousands of fans scaled the fences and high walls after the gates were closed.

Police and officials yesterday kept a tight control and made sure that no one sat inside the picket fence.

At the end of the match, Rangers’ supporters carried white goalkeeper, Douggie Coetzee, shoulder high off the field. Coetzee, who joined Rangers early this season, was the star of the match.

 

                      ABC TELEVISION

 

An ABC television crew from America, which filmed the match, paid particular emphasis to the integrated nature of the teams and the crowd response to both black and white players.

The film will be shown in New York.

Mr Hennie Viljoen, Coca Cola’s export development director, complimented the Federation Professional League for organising the final in such an exemplary manner during his presentation speech.

“We are glad that the Federation is taking the lead in establishing true integrated soccer,” he said.

“The excellent behaviour of the spectators today  was due to the integrated nature of the teams. Once you have integration in soccer you will not experience any race friction whatsoever.” Ends – Daily News Reporter November 14 1977