Varsity Football is a little bit different from the Premier Soccer League and the National First Division. The students relate very closely to the players and they expect more from their friends.
These are the very same people they attend classes, study groups, parties and enjoy lunches with.
But one thing that the students who attend the games to cheer their team must understand is that this is a developmental tournament.
Some teams don’t have the resources that others have. Some teams rely on individual brilliance while others are good as a collective.
At the end of the day these players want to be supported and encouraged regardless of the outcome on the pitch. Irrespective of the scoreline when the referee blows his final whistle, they should be hailed as heroes by their institutions. They have to be given a standing ovation for representing their respective universities.
They are not professional players but their fellow university students don’t see it that way. These players are still developing and they are allowed to make mistakes.
Some of them get overwhelmed by the thought of being on TV and that makes them nervous. Even some professional PSL players still have problems over-coming stage fright in televised matches or big matches in front of demanding crowds. There are a lot of mistakes that these players can make during matches and this is the only way to learn.
There are certain things which the supporters must accept like a big defeat, a controversial refereeing decision, a contentious red-card or dubious goal. Even own goals committed by their favourite players or crucial missed penalties should be accepted just as much as they accept and celebrate when they score at the other end of the pitch. Playing in televised matches or in front of packed stands means that players will be scrutinised, criticised and sometimes booed off the field.
The University of Free State supporters completely embarrassed themselves on Monday night. They are sore losers and they don’t belong anywhere near a stadium. No one likes defeat but there are better ways of handling it. After their team conceded a third goal in a 4-0 drubbing to UP-Tuks, their supporters threw vuvuzelas and other objects into the pitch.
I want to condemn what UFS supporters did in the strongest possible terms. It was not a good sight to watch as they threw objects onto the pitch and voiced their anger towards their team. Throwing vuvuzelas and hurling all sorts of insults at the players is not the way to go. They have to learn to take the good with the bad.
I am giving the supporters a red card for their bad behaviour.
All teams are bound to get a hiding in this competition, no team is invincible. Every dog has its day and you win some and lose some. The very same players will one day play at the highest level and this should make them strong.
Tuks were thumped 4-1 by TUT on the opening day, but their fans were calm and accepted the drubbing.
Unfortunately the players have to prepare themselves to face all this things. But we must do away with football hooliganism. A small bunch of rotten potatoes are eager to spoil the whole bag.
But I would hate to see a repeat of what happened between UFS and Tuks in the remaining matches of the tournament. I wish that their type would stay as far away from the stadium as possible. The fans must learn to take the good with the bad. After all you can’t win them all.
Football is about winning and losing. This tournament is supposed to be about friendship and entertainment and not the opposite.
By Charles Baloyi
