Award winner warns of troubling trends in local soccer

Hanover Park FC chairman, Rieduwaan Anthony, was among the recipients at Safa Cape Town’s annual awards presentation, at the Mayoral Banquet Hall, at Cape Town Civic Centre, at the weekend.

Anthony, after more than five decades of service to football, as a player, coach, administrator, glorified transport driver, carting kids up and down, sponsor and supporter, shows no sign of slowing down.

In fact, the 63-year-old says his journey in sport “is only just beginning” as he enters his years as a pensioner, he has several projects lined up, including getting netball in Hanover Park onto a solid footing and promoting girls' sport, as community upliftment remains at the heart of everything he does.

Anthony, the long-serving figure behind the success of Hanover Park United, remains deeply committed to the “beautiful game” and to the community that shaped him. His recognition by Safa Cape Town with the President’s Award ranks among his proudest achievements in a distinguished football career.

But he speaks with sadness and frustration about the current state of affairs in the ABC Motsepe League. As the owner of Hanover Park FC in the Second Division, Anthony says he is “aggrieved” by how the league is being handled, particularly the recent upheaval that saw clubs, like Santos FC, having to turn to the Western Cape High Court to seek justice, to overturn their expulsion from the league.

 “This is not doing our sport any good. For those of us who come from the old school of administration, it is extremely disappointing. Some people simply don’t belong in football,” he said, somewhat bluntly.

He regards the present instability in the ABC Motsepe League as one of the lowest moments of his sporting life, second only to the time Safa Western Province was placed under administration because of internal conflict.

Anthony’s own development in football was shaped by the example of respected administrators such as Norman Arendse, Ralph Japhta, Matt Seegers, Cecil Holmes, Red Damon, Norman Baatjies, and Vincent Baatjies, leaders whose integrity, he says, laid the foundation for future generations.

“Vincent Baatjies was an exceptional administrator, small in stature but big in principles. I salute leaders like him. They stood firm against the injustices of apartheid sport and ensured community football survived despite immense pressure,” Anthony added.

Anthony co-founded Premier United, a club that became a powerhouse in community football and produced several top players. Under its leadership, Premier dominated the Super League and Coke Cup before earning promotion to the (NFD), a milestone still remembered as one of local football’s great success stories.

In 2005, the legacy expanded with the founding of Hanover Park FC. The club has since collected numerous honours, including the Rum Cup and three Coke Cup titles. That same year, Hanover Park joined the Cape Town Tygerberg LFA (CTTLFA), a move Anthony describes as “crucial for growing the game in the area.”

Yet he recalls another sad day for the sport when  Hanover Park won the ABC Motsepe Western Cape title last season by beating Zizwe United on penalties in Stellenbosch, only to face a replay dispute that soured the moment after a High Court ruling. They eventually lost the replay, but Anthony took it on the shin and moved on.

Anthony’s steady hand has been central to Hanover Park’s rise and served chairman of the Athlone District LFA and also contributed significantly within the CTTLFA, serving on the disciplinary and constitutional committees, the youth structure, and as vice president under Andrew Bothman and senior vice president under Donovan Nielsen.

His  unwavering dedication to the sport has over the years had him digging deep into his own financial resources to helped to not only shaped many players, administrators but entire communities.