Our Rich History days in fighting for non-racial soccer also had its moments of setbacks on the field.
I reported this development when the Federation
Professional League cup final between Berea of Durban and Cape Town Spurs on
May 6 1976 ended prematurely. The match was called off after 10 minutes of
extra time when fighting broke out between players, between spectators and thugs invading the field.
I wrote three articles on this cup final – a preview on
May 5 1976 about 18 000 fans expected to flock to Currie’s Fountain; the battle-scarred
final and about Cape Town Spurs expected to be fined for walking off the field.
The article on May 6 1976 was published under the
headline: “18 000 expected at Currie’s cup final”. The article read:
18 000
EXPECTED AT CURRIE’S CUP FINAL
More than 18 000 soccer fans are expected to
attend the cup-final replay between Durban’s Berea and Cape Town Spurs of the
South African Soccer Federation Professional League at Currie’s Fountain tonight.
Mr S K Chetty, secretary of the SASF Professional
League, has appealed to spectators to go to the ground early in order to avoid
a last-minute rush.
Mr Chetty said special security arrangements had been
made for the protection of cars parked outside the ground.
He said arrangements had also been made for buses to
transport spectators to Wentworth, Merebank, Chatsworth, Overport and Sydenham
after the match. Ends – Daily News Reporter May 6 1976
FIGHTS, STABBING IN SOCCER UPROAR
While the FPL had made arrangements for security to
protect cars outside the ground, it seems it failed to take steps to prevent
spectators from smashing one another on the stands and educating players
against the use of violence on the field.
I wrote this article and it was published under the
headline: “Fights, stabbing in soccer uproar” on May 7 1976.
The story read:
A spectator was stabbed seriously, a player had his
leg broken and fighting among players marred the Federation Professional League
Cup Final between Durban’s Berea and Cape Town Spurs at Currie’s Fountain last
night.
The battle-scarred match was called off in the tenth
minute of the first half of extra-time at a stage when the Durban team was
leading 3-2.
The spectator was stabbed by a knife-wielding man who
plunged a blade several times into the spectator’s body and then threw the
knife into the crowd.
A man was arrested by the police.
NAZIEM MAYAT
Naziem Mayat, who played at left back for Berea,
broke his leg after he collided with Boubie Solomons, the Spurs inside right.
Mayat, a student doctor doing his internship at King
Edward V111 Hospital, was taken to the Shifa hospital by ambulance.
Fighting among players erupted in the tenth minute of
extra time when Berea’s diminutive Dudu Moonsamy was tripped from behind by Spurs’
rugged forward, George van Niekerk.
SCAMPY BISESWAR
Scampy Biseswar, the Berea centre forward who
substituted for Mayat, retaliated and then other players punched and kicked
each other.
It was an ugly incident and officials and police had
to run onto the field to chase away spectators who also joined the melee.
After this, Spurs walked off the field and refused to
play.
COACH IVAN SAUNDERS
Berea coach, Mr Ivan Saunders, said after the match
that he was disappointed at the tactics of the visiting team.
“These boys can’t take a beating. As far as I am
concerned the referee blew for full time and awarded the match to us.
“We will not consider playing this final again,” he
said.
PUZZY JANSEN
The Spurs’ manager-coach, Mr Puzzy Jansen, said: “Berea
can take the Cup. We are not interested anymore.”
The SASF Professional League will hold an inquiry
into the incident today. Ends – Daily News Reporter May 7 1976
WALK-OFF
TEAM COULD FACE R1000 FINE
Then four days later on May 10 1976 I followed-up the
unnecessary incidents during the Fed Pro League cup final with a story about Cape
Town Spurs facing a hefty fine for walking off the field during the extra-time
of the match.
The story, published under the headline: “Walk-off
team could face R1 000 fine”, read:
Cape Town Spurs, the Western Province professional
soccer team that walked off during the extra-time of Friday night’s turbulent
cup final against Durban’s Berea, could be fined R1 000 by the South
African Soccer Federation Professional League.
Mr S K Chetty, secretary of the league, told The
Daily News today that the Cape team could be liable for the fine if found
guilty by the misconduct and inquiry board.
“An inquiry will be held as soon as we receive
reports of the match from the referee and the 0ALteams,” he said.
The stormy cup final was called off in the 10th
minute of extra-time by referee Lingia Moonsamy when fighting caused spectators
to rush onto the field.
Earlier, a spectator was stabbed and Berea’s
left-back, Naziem Mayat, had to be rushed to Shifa Hospital with a broken leg. Ends
– Daily News Reporter May 10 1976
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete