Firstly, imagine the league without Thanda, Bay United or Maritzburg united, well, so what, nothing shakes you, nothing shakes the sponsors, nothing shakes the broadcasters, imagine the league without Wits or Supersport, still I am not shaken, now imagine the league without Pirates, Chiefs, or Sundowns. It feels like getting back to your house and finding that your bed, TV set and fridge are all gone.
Try to imagine the Telkom charity Cup without these teams, not attractive, is it? No sponsor wants to even imagine that, no newspaper editor or publisher wants to bear such a thought, no sportswear store can even stomach that thought. Do you think Supersport would pay over a billion rands for a league without these teams? Never!
Imagine the soccer gossip columns in Soccer publications without any news from these teams. I don’t believe it is a coincidence that one of the best selling soccer magazine dropped its price by more than 10% for an issue that had no players from these teams on the cover.
These are the big teams because they have the largest following in the country where ever they go, not just in their home towns. The highest ever viewership figures on SABC were recorded when Sundowns took on Chiefs in the final of the MTN 8, before that it was the Pirates – Chiefs game in Durban. Still on that subject, which other teams in the PSL can fill a stadium in Durban, or PE, or Cape Town even though they are from Gauteng?
They are big because their headlines sell newspapers; they are big because they sell the highest number of units in replica jerseys and other material. Remember folks, that this did not just happen, it is through the successes they have achieved on the field and off the field as well. It is through their pioneering spirit that the PSL is here today.
Pirates are the only South African team to be given the status of Superbrands, an international recognition of leading brands, Chiefs is the most successful team in the domestic league and I cant even remember how many times Sundowns have been champions in the last decade.
These teams are the mainstays of the league, they are the product, I bet you everyone at the Telkom Marketing office is now hoping Pirates makes it to the final because otherwise the Cup is dead and that is a fact. We have seen many teams in the PSL come and go, how many times did Umtata Bush Bucks beat Chiefs in Mthatha? Where are they now?
Are they big wherever they are? Does anyone remember Giant Blackpool or Durban Bush Bucks? How many times did they wallop Pirates and Chiefs? Where are they now? Manning Rangers won the inaugural PSL, where are they now? African Wanderers could beat Chiefs with their eyes closed, where are they now? I can go on and on, bottom line Pirates, Chiefs and Sundowns are still here.
Just like Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea in England, The Milan Giants and Juventus in Italy, Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, Zamalek and Al-ahly in Egypt, these three teams are the backbone of our league, yes they will lose, they will sometimes dish out the worst football ever but they remain the main ingredients of the PSL cake, do not be fooled into thinking these teams are suddenly of lower value.
Supersport is a very good team , they are champions for goodness sake, Wits University is a good team too, both teams are wealthy but they are not big. Put them in a game together, 500 people pitch up, a number of them pitch up with complimentary tickets nogal, the TV ratings are not great and the result will be covered in one sentence in all newspapers.
If Pirates, Chiefs and Sundowns were to do a Terror Lekota on the PSL, the PSL would collapse just like the NPSL did in 1985. It is not wrong at all to admire the growing strength of small teams, lets appreciate that, encourage them, laugh at all our friends who support Sundowns but not fool ourselves into thinking that Bay United is now a big team.
MR KNOW IT ALL
