Save our club

A FACEBOOK site titled 'Save Berea Rovers Durban', has been established in an attempt to create awareness about the sad plight of the 130-year-old club, and to encourage the community to support the fight to save their club.

The club was in the news last week when it was announced that eThekwini council had decided to give the Berea Rovers Sports Club its marching orders from the premises which it has occupied for 38 years, in favour of Liverpool Soccer Club's international academy.

According to reports, EXCO gave city manager, S’bu Sithole, permission to sign a 30-year lease agreement with Hoy Park Management, a partner of the British Premier League club to develop the 14.334ha King’s Park northern precinct which Rovers occupies. Once developed, the site will host a hotel where talented local children between the ages of five and 14 will reside while they are schooled and trained to play soccer.

On the Facebook site, chairperson, Dave Stevens, said the Berea Rovers committee had been aware of the plans for some time and had on many occasions tried unsuccessfully to contact the city council to renew the lease. The city manager has instructed Berea Rovers to vacate the premises as a matter of urgency so that the Liverpool lease agreement can be signed. Liverppol Soccer Club is eager to start work on the grounds and lay a football pitch so that coaching camps can commence by December 2014.

Stevens mentioned in his statement on the site that the club had contacted eThekwini DA caucus leader Zwakele Mncwango and his deputies concerning this issue. However, Mncwango was threatened with charges for allegedly breaching the city’s code of conduct for ‘colluding’ with representatives of Berea Rovers Club.

Stevens said this had prompted the club to contact its acting advocate and attorneys who have subsequently informed Rovers that the club has a strong case against council for not following correct lawful procedures in terms of extended/termination of lease or eviction.

In his speech in council, ward councillor, Martin Meyer, said the DA supported the establishment of a soccer academy as it was good for the city, the residents, and for sports development however what was not good was leaving clubs in the lurch because of the city’s refusal to renew leases with the clubs.

“It is not good for sports development when the city does not engage with the clubs to see how all different sporting codes can work together for the betterment of all. And the sports club currently there has already done this. This club has hockey, cricket, squash and rugby all using the same grounds. And by doing what the city has failed to do, namely, speaking with the club, it became clear that the club is more than happy to come to an agreement where a soccer academy and the correct sports club can share and support each other,” he said.

He said the soccer academy was in danger, because of the city manager's failure to follow correct procedures.

“Since 2006, under the then city manager Dr Sutcliffe, Berea Rovers Club and many other clubs all over the city, have seen their leases expire, and the city just not answering calls for renewal, meaning that all these clubs are now on day to day leases. Real Estate has informed us that the city manager himself instructed that all leases must go through him, and since then, no leases are being signed. Berea Rovers have tried to engage with the city, but to no avail,” said Meyer.

Stevens mentioned that he had received numerous phone calls and messages from club members expressing their concerns and asking how the club would survive long term and what the plan of action was going forward. He said the city council would be receiving a legal document from the club's defence objecting to their actions and should the council’s reply not be favorable, their defence team was prepared to take the matter to the High Court. In the meantime, the club will operate as per normal.

The closure of the club will affect cricket, squash, permanent staff, around 500 members, SA Marine Engineering, mountain club, club development, Clifton School, Kings Park rugby parking and many others.

A ‘Save Berea Rovers’ group petition has currently 1432 members and is growing on Facebook. Interested persons are urged to support wherever they can.

Visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SaveRovers/