Weekly SA Mirror

IN MEMORY OF THE FADED PRECIOUS JEWEL OF FREE STATE FOOTBALL

IT is common knowledge that the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic has destroyed large facets of world’s economies, precipitating an unprecedent corporate bloodbath and massive job losses.

On the recreation side, the world’s most popular and biggest sport – football – has not been immune to the ripple effects of the lockdowns enforced by countries to achieve herd immunity. In the past 19 months since the onset of the pandemic, football leagues and clubs have lost revenues amounting to billions as a result of the lockdowns, which left stadiums empty.

Here at home, the lockdowns undoubtedly similarly had a detrimental effect on the South Africa’s equally most popular sport, and sadly claimed the scalp of the already cash-strapped Bloemfontein Celtic, whose embattled owner Max Tshabalala was handed a lifeline by a KwaZulu -Natal businesswoman, who came knocking to buy the struggling club.

Although this move is a coup for the new owner, Shauwn Mkize, it has brought despair and agony to the boisterous Phunya Sele Sele fans, whose life revolved around the tradition-steeped Free State club. It has been most difficult and painful moment for them to watch helplessly as the jewel that kept the pulse of Bloemfontein was yanked out of their winds, unexpectedly.

Spare a thought for Tshabalala, who must the most popular figure in the town, and who now has to face the irate and frustrated fans, who might even be branding him a traitor by now.

Yet, after years of struggling to keep the club afloat, Tshabalala understandably had little firepower left him by the lockdowns came down like a ton of bricks. He finally succumbed to the heavy burden of financially sustaining the famous soccer outfit. He had no choice. With reduced revenue and playing before empty stadiums and sponsors also turning their backs on the club due to the struggling South African economy, the worst became inevitable.

What about other clubs? The question is, can they survive the meltdown? We don’t how the smaller clubs with tiny budgets will hold out, time come. The worst could still be on the cards.

As for the future, it is public conjecture how things will pan out since local football appears to be a strong footing for now – thanks to the big sponsors who are still committed to the game – while the weaker clubs juggle with the meagre sponsorships to keep equal measure when competing with the bigger clubs like Sundowns, Pirates and Chiefs.

Worse, some stadiums risk turning into white elephants as the world desperately holds out against a rampant pandemic and its elusive mutations that continue to wreak an unending trail of death upon the besieged humanity. We pray and hope for the best.

OF NEEDLES AND DISCOUNTS

As global economies reset and usher a new world order, the undeniable reality setting upon the frazzled humanity is that the world will be a whole different place by the end of this decade.

Already leisure travel is slowly adjusting to the reality of vaccination passports which are set to become a standard in the coming years. Factor in the spectre of vaccination resistance that is creating divisions and fierce public discourse in countries across, the situation becomes even more uncertain and complex.

As if that is not enough, then comes the new phenomenon of vaccine incentives offered by retail and insurance companies to encourage all and sundry to go for the jab. Adding to the conundrum, as reported elsewhere in our publication, is a cautionary note to these companies given by a consumer law expert, that such pro-jab discounts might invite discrimination lawsuits from the unvaccinated, protesting against being unfairly disadvantaged.

What will be the final outcome from this evolving tricky situation, time will tell.

WeeklySA_Admin