Weed kills football excitement as Newlands blazes

Weed kills football excitement as Newlands blazes

Its time for the Ajax Cape Town management to face the music like other Premier Soccer League (PSL) teams - the excuse that they are struggling to control the weed problem in their PSL games is just ridiculous.

In football when speaks about “weed” most people will probably think of the Jamaican Football Team as Jamaica is known for the wild plant as it’s legal in that country. But you never hear that people were smoking weed at a soccer game in Jamaica. However, here in South Africa it seems as if Ajax Cape Town supporters are the masters of smoking weed without thinking that weed is not legalised eMzansi.

The BIG question is: who should be blamed? Ajax management has failed dismally to protect the visiting supporters and some of their loyal supporters… and yet expect the stadium to be jam-packed. Instead of the home supporters leading by example they are doing wrong. Is this why so many people in Cape Town don’t support Ajax and as a substitute they follow the English Premier League, Italian Seria A or Spanish La-Liga teams in their homes or bars where they won’t breathe the toxic fumes?

When one who smokes weed is arrested and put into jail in this country - surely Ajax should be responsible for seeing that this doesn’t happen as it’s bad for their team’s reputation. How does the system in this country work really? So it means one can smoke weed at a stadium and won’t get arrested, but yet if you smoke at home or street you do. Tell me what’s wrong here, maybe I might understand?

Sunday’s game between Ajax Cape Town and Bloemfontein Celtic was once again evidence that the Ajax management take things lightly. The stadium on the visiting side (away) was packed with +-300 kids (ages 6 to 17) occupying all the low stands – and yes all inhaling the weed that was smoked by the Ajax supporters.

This was not just three people smoking… it was groups and groups smoking like it was Bob Marley’s show. The stadium was covered with weed and some of the people thought it was funny. I didn’t see anything amusing, especially seeing grow men smoking weed and stealing this GREAT moment for the first time visitors (kids) to the stadium.

It was a very HOT and windy day… and this was making some people mad who don’t smoke the herb! I personally also called for the security to go to the Ajax supporters after about six people around me also complained to security. What was hilarious which wasn’t at all was the ADT security guards who were supposed to be in control of these kinds of things, and told us it’s not their job to go to the weed smokers, and if we are complaining we should go to the police officers outside.

Then the punch came when I was told, “It’s normal here for people to smoke weed and there’s nothing we can do.” That’s what one security guard said who left me and my friends stunned. It was like being in that video of Brown Bash and Mzekezeke: “puff-and-pass”. The weed was being smoked around the Celtic supporters’ section like it was Christmas, but that didn’t stop the powerful Celtic supporters from singing at that stage.

However, this was now getting to everyone and security was called time and time again to go to the smokers, but they refused yet again. Things started to heat up as supporters were getting frustrated about the smoke and for about five to seven minutes the Celtic supporters stopped singing and words were exchanged with the Ajax supporters as the smoke was too much to bear. Focus shifted from the football and turned to supporters urging one another, and luckily no physical action was taken.

Questions; where was the security? Where were the police officers? Where was Ajax management? It was like Newlands Stadium was burning as you could see the smoke in the air… all over and yet nothing was done.

The weed dominated the excitement of the football while security told supporters it’s not their problem. “SAPS should be dealing with those guys who are smoking weed,” said one security guard who was standing next to us looking at what was happening.

My problem is that they (Ajax management) also known where the weed is smoked and yet don’t deploy police officers in those sections. If the criminals’ sections are identified I believe it’s Ajax’s responsibility to send police officers to those who are breaking the law. This has been an on and off fight with the management defending themselves as innocent. For me it seems like they’re promoting “weed” and telling everybody it’s ok to smoke at soccer games as long as you wear the Red and White.

Image if the PSL could tell Ajax that they are struggling to pay them their 1 million monthly fee while other teams are getting their fees. What would the chairmen feel and say? Its time for Ajax Cape Town to be FINED heavily by the PSL for this weed saga!

I really don’t want to say this, but will Ajax wake up when someone is deceased and take this matter seriously?

by Proffesor Khumalo