Dozens of football fans have braved the rainy weather and marched to the East London city hall to demand that some matches of Chippa United be played in the Buffalo City Metro. This is after the Buffalo City Metro resolved not to extend its partnership with the Premier Soccer League side, saying that the proposed amount of R1.3 million per game was unsustainable.
Football fans say they were taken aback by the move and have demanded the re-instatement of the Memorandum of Understanding.
Soccer fans in and around East London have put their club affiliations aside to demand that Buffalo City Metro officials bring back high profile football games to the people of the City.
They say these games do not just entertain football lovers, but also serve as an inspiration to upcoming football players who look up to the current professional players.
“South Africa is complaining that stadiums are empty, people are not coming to watch football, where Chippa is playing any team its full house,” says one of the fans.
Executive Mayor Xola Phakathi says although the Premier Soccer League games had economic spin-offs for the metro, the amount of R1.3 million per game is unaffordable.
“Well in so far as the spin offs on the football matches was tremendous because ordinary people were benefiting from such, but it was the view of the council that the proposed increment was not sustainable so the council resolved that we should terminate the channel and we did as such now. We are visited by lovers of football that will be subjected to internal processes of handling petitions. Perhaps we would find space to engage with Chippa United so that we can find an amicable solution in the matter.”
Soccer fans are planning to engage various stakeholders across the metro to ensure that some matches are played in the East London.
