Northerns to mark its half century

The Benoni Northerns Sports Club (BNSC) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Founded in 1972 when St Patrick’s Cricket Club joined forces with Benoni Hockey Club, the BNSC has continued to be the epitome of sporting excellence.

Situated at the centre of the community, the club is indeed the heartbeat of Benoni.

In a chat with the City Times, club chairperson Emma da Silva confirmed that they have planned several celebrations to mark this momentous milestone.

“We are planning a few celebrations throughout the year. The 50th is on September 22 with a formal event being planned on September 24.

“Then a general 50th birthday bash for the greater membership base on October 1.”

Boasting several sub-sections that include the Northerns Athletics and Baseball clubs, the BNSC has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception. The Benoni community finds its beat and joy from the entertainment provided by the club.

From the legendary Frith van der Merwe smashing the Comrades Marathon down run in 1989 in the club’s colours to Rowen Fernandez standing tall between the poles for Bafana Bafana. They all found their footing on the lawns of the BNAC.

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From former presidents like Ted Jarvis to the incumbent Craig Wittstock, the club has faced many challenges. But true to its mantra of being the ‘heartbeat of Benoni’, Benonians have played a crucial role in guiding the club to its half-century.

The club wasn’t spared by the harsh two years of Covid-19. Da Silva said the pandemic forced them to take harsh decisions for the club to survive.

“We were significantly impacted by Covid. We had to take some drastic actions in terms of retrenching a few staff members. However, we did manage to maintain our core group of employees who are the life and blood of the club.

“With both sports and alcohol being severely impacted by Covid, the club was closed for an extensive time.

“We did lose several members purely because sports was not being played. A number of the members did not renew their membership during 2020/21. However, we have seen this change for 2022.”

The club has contributed greatly to the community in the past 50 years. Da Silva has promised that they will continue to play their part in the next 50.

“Benoni Northerns is a safe place to come to. We offer a wide range of sports for all ages. We host events that allow the community to be involved and we ensure that we support the interest of sport within the greater East Rand area.”

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