Grass and turf welcome back leather and studs

An empty football pitch banned from hosting the beautiful game is a sad and depressing sight. Football finally returned to the grass and turf of Panorama Football Club on Saturday 14 November.

Panorama hosted Transition Football Academy in an all-day, multiple age group football fiesta. While not played for any log points or league position, the competition on the field was filled with high-tempo action as the players released their pent-up 2020 frustrations. “Everyone has been starved of game time. Today was just about everyone getting a run-out,” said Transition Football’s Johannesburg Director, Claudio Lorenzani.

From the diminutive Under 6s to the more robust Under 13s, each game was a feisty, end-to-end battle. The juniors graced the 5-a-side pitches with their raucous parents surrounding the netted, walled-off courts. Those pinball-like scrimmages gave way to more cultured affairs on the thick foliage of the wide open grass fields. Coaches and players let tactical rigidity slide allowing for several high-scoring results.

“It’s just great to see them back on the field. Today really was just about getting them out there playing and stretching,” said Panorama committee member, Richard Walker. Panorama will be a hive of activity until 20 December, and Transition Football will also be looking to make the coming weeks count. “We will be looking to play as much as possible. It is all about game time,” enthused Claudio.

Transition Football Academy is a high-performance focused training programme that aims to drill into players the required mental and physical qualities needed to make it in the world of professional football. Through their affiliation with German-based recruitment firm, Vivo 7 Sports, they already have several players now based in Europe. Claudio is philosophical about the circumstances, saying, “Life will go on. It has been a tough year but when everyone is strong, we overcome.”