No Chiefs, Hellenic at Newlands
No Chiefs, Hellenic at Newlands

Posted in News on Sep 21, 2001.

The chance for Cape soccer enthusiasts to witness top-class games at the Fedsure Newlands grounds received another setback on Friday when WP Rugby Football Union refused to allow the Coca-Cola Cup match between Hellenic and "Amakhosi" Kaizer Chiefs, scheduled for Newlands, to take place at the stadium.



The game was supposed to take place on Sunday October 7 to coincide with the game between Orlando Pirates and Ajax Cape Town to be played at Newlands on the same day.



WP Rugby (Pty) Ltd chief executive Rob Wagner said the union refused to allow the match because it does not have a contract with Hellenic as it has with Ajax. Newland was also zoned for rugby only. The union has however applied to the Cape Unicity for rezoning after the Bafana Bafana debacle in May this year.



South African Football Association (Safa) committee member Vincent Baadjies condemned WP's decision.



"The Unicity's inability to finalise the rezoning for Newlands in three months is more proof of empty promises. It shows that Newlands is available to Ajax and no other team - not even to Bafana Bafana," he said.



Sports Minister Ngconde Balfour spokesperson Graham Abrahams said the two matches might have attracted the biggest soccer crowd yet to Newlands. He added that the stadium had never really been tested by a soccer match, and that the double attraction would have been the ideal test.

Share this article: