Soccer Seminar: Remembering our Pioneers in Soccer

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) will be hosting a Soccer Seminar entitled “Remembering our Pioneers in Soccer” at Athlone Stadium at 18:30 on Thursday, 30 January 2014.

The evening will be dedicated to acknowledging those pioneers who made a substantial contribution to the development and growth of soccer.

Soccer was first played in South Africa by British soldiers in the late 19th century. From the earliest days of the sport in South Africa until the end of apartheid in 1994, organised football was racially segregated. The all-white Football Association of South Africa (FASA) was formed in 1892, while the South African Indian Football Association (SAIFA), the South African Bantu Football Association (SABFA) and the South African Coloured Football Association (SACFA) were founded in 1903, 1933 and 1936 respectively.

There were three football structures in the Western Cape prior to the unification of the sport: the Western Province Football Association, the Western Province Football Board and the Western Cape Soccer Association.

Because of apartheid, many outstanding players, officials and administrators were denied a fair opportunity to rise to the top. Notwithstanding the unfair racial discrimination they faced, many previously unsung heroes continued to fight for their rights and for the love of the game.

The evening will celebrate these unsung heroes and remember the skills, talents and history that are the foundation of a unified football movement in South Africa.

Event details:

Date: 30 January 2014
Time: 18:30 – 20:30
Venue: Athlone Stadium

Event Programme