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July 31, 2006

By Dianne Hawker

After a day-long summit, roleplayers in the Western Province's 2010 Soccer World Cup bid have resolved to focus on building local soccer at grassroots level in the run-up to the event.

The Football Summit was organised by the departments of Cultural Affairs and Sport and Recreation, the City of Cape Town and the provincial government to discuss all the problems "that retard the development of soccer in the province".

About 220 delegates representing all six regions of the SA Football Association (Safa) attended.

They included CEOs of Cape Town-based PSL teams John Commitis of Ajax Cape Town and Goolam Allie of Santos and director of the 2010 Cape Town bid Teral Cullen. The event was also attended by Premier Ebrahim Rasool and mayor Helen Zille, and mayors and other representatives from district municipalities.

"The summit was focused on discussing the relationship between professional and amateur clubs, funding and sponsorship as well as the implications of 2010 for communities in the province," said Cultural Affairs, Sport and Recreation MEC Whitey Jacobs.

Regarding the 2010 Cup, the summit resolved that:


The Provincial Local Organising Committee be entrusted with the responsibility of developing a 2010 policy framework.


Any municipality must, as a prerequisite, ensure support for own local clubs and have standard facilities before being allowed to bid for hosting international teams in 2010.


A policy framework document be developed through a consultative process. A transformation programme for rural communities is to be finalised and implemented urgently.



Delegates at the summit will develop and implement a soccer development strategy for the Western Cape and an infrastructure is to be developed to help amateur football within the 2010 framework and beyond.

"This summit has really provided a platform for Safa to get its house in order and get ready to maximise on opportunities presented by 2010,"said Jacobs in a statement.

"The resolutions of the summit reinforce the need for a holistic approach for grassroots development on the ultimate success for a successful 2010.

"A new structure enhancing professional and amateur football relationship on a feeder system needs to be developed and professional clubs (will be) urged to look at local talent as opposed to importing foreign talent."

At a gala dinner, Rasool honoured soccer administrators Molefi Oliphant, Danny Jordaan and Irvin Khoza for their role in bringing the 2010 Soccer World Cup to South Africa.

The city also unveiled the the design for the 68 000-seater stadium that is to be built in Green Point.

The city has called for public comment on the rezoning of the proportions of the Green Point common to accommodate the stadium development.

The rezoning report will be available for inspection at the land use management counter on the 14th floor of the Civic Centre, at city libraries and on the city's website, http://www.capetown.gov.za, from tomorrow.
we could do with a few more Benni's coming through