Our football standards are going down

Thuso Palai | Monday February 17, 2014 07:11

Well, he was entitled to his opinion, and the fact of the matter is that we watch and interpret football differently. As much as we can sugar coat, the game did not live to expectation and it led to some people questioning the quality and standards of our football. This game stroked a debate that went on and on about the standard of our football, and comparisons with yesteryears came up. 

I threw in my two cents worth into the debate. Having watched and religiously followed local football from a tender age in the late 80s, I felt I could form an opinion. Personally, I started watching local football in the late 80’s when I stayed with my uncle who at the time played for Township Rollers. I attended almost all Township Rollers training sessions and games. Obviously, it then naturally followed that I would support Township Rollers. As to whether I still support it, is another issue for another day. 

In those days, football was exciting and attracted hordes of fans to the stadiums. There was passion and the supporters really lived, breathed and were part of the action. As for the quality of the football, for me it was much better. Individually and collectively, if I were to compare the two eras, I would prefer that era. 

Getting back to the heated exchange I had with a few of my friends on the matter, there was no consensus as different dynamics were brought into the argument. Most of them very very valid. Most of those in the debate were of the view that the football standards have gone down over the years. Justifiably on unjustifiably so. The consensus was that even though the infrastructure and the finances have improved over the years, the quality of players and the football in general have gone down.   

Yes, the facilities have improved just a bit, and there is a lot more money in our football but the standards, compared to yesteryears has gone down a bit. That was the consensus and I tended to agree. As I watched the game between the two ‘top’ teams, with the biggest budgets and supposedly the best players, I wondered and asked myself so many questions. The players could not string together a series of five or six passes and most of the players struggled to even kill and control the round thing. At times it looked like a Sunday soccer kick about. 

One might wonder why I’m picking on this particular game, but if we are to make a judgement of our football I guess we wouldn’t be far off the mark if we are to base that judgement on the teams that have won the most honours and dominate local football. This issue is about Township Rollers and Centre Chiefs, but about our football. 

One colleague brought is another issue of ‘more money, more problems’. He said as more money has come into our football in recent times, this has resulted in football administrators losing focus and looking at enriching themselves rather than develop football, causing problems. One cannot only blame the clubs though. 

The Football Association seems not to be doing much. It is rather disturbing that up to now, after so many years we do not have fully fledged, well defined development structures. Yes, we have semblance of youth development, but it is rather haphazard, and not as comprehensive as it should be. We don’t even have a Youth League. In other countries, all top tier teams are ‘forced’ to have youth teams, and there are fully functional Youth Leagues. Not here. 

I had a chat with one current football player and he was not blunt or shy to air his opinion on the issue; saying that the only improvement over the years has been on the financial side, while the standard of play, the players, the players’ welfare and administration has gone down. He attributes it to the fact that most of the current football administrators are ‘mercenaries’ and see football as a ‘get rich quick’ scheme, while they do not have the interest of football itself at heart.  Fair point he makes. 

Well, we all watch and interpret football differently. Others will feel the way I feel, while others will beg to differ, and say the standard has improved. With football; we can never agree and that is the beauty of football; emotions, passion and opinion.