Tramway under-14 girls has eye on the double
Hard work paid off for newly-crowned Cape Town Football Association (CTTFA) girls’ under-14 league champions, Tramway FC, as they have been unbeaten for the entire season and now has their eye on claiming the double.
Coach Harold “Potz” Johnson’s side, consisting mostly of 10- to 13-year-old players, secured their spot in the CTTFA knockout finals with a 3-0 win against Bellville City, at the PP Smith sports ground in Bloemhof Road, Bellville, at the weekend. They will now face Stephanians Ottery, who beat Wynberg St Johns 4-3, in the finals in Green Point, in two weeks.
The girls’ season got under way at the Strandfontein AFC’s “Tournament by the Sea” in March, with a remarkable come-from-behind victory, beating the hosts 2-1 in the final after trailing 1-0 at half time. “The girls turned it around and scored the winning goal in the final second with courage and emotion,” Johnson said.
In April, they competed in the Salt River Blackpool tournament and advanced undefeated to the finals before going down to a very talented Cape Town Roses side from Khayelitsha.
“The highlight of this season for me was witnessing the girls’ early-season zeal grow stronger as the season went on,” said Johnson.
“The main goal of the female set-up at the club is to ensure that the girls’ soccer are growing and are put on a path to ensure that we, as a club, help them reach their goals.
“Four of our under-14 team players have been promoted to our women's squad that compete in the Safa Cape Town’s Regional Development Women’s League (RDWL) simply on the basis of talent,” he said.
Although happy with their success, Johnson also pointed out that Tramway, like many community clubs, also face the challenge of a lack of resources. “We are a neighbourhood club that relies mostly on parent and member donations for funding because we lack major sponsors. The girls’ and women's set-up currently has four teams – the senior women’s team, our under-8, under-9 and under-14 sides. I often wonder how we are able to continue doing what we are doing because it truly is a miracle,” said Johnson.
“All of our coaches are volunteers who are devoted to helping these kids develop and to the game they coach,” he said.
• If you can assist, log on to https://tramwayfootballclub.co.za Al;ternatively, check out the club’s Facebook page or call Johnson on 071 852 0885.
