The iconic Danie Craven Stadium welcomed its PSL inaugural match-up in the DStv Premiership yesterday, with home side Stellenbosch FC taking on Swallows FC in what as an historic day for the town of Stellenbosch and the club.
Head Coach Steve Barker says: “It’s massive, it’s massive for us a club, it’s massive for our communities and more importantly it’s massive for the town of Stellenbosch. We know how important it is for us to make this place a fortress and in-so-doing make our people proud.”
It wasn’t the fairy-tale start the club would have hoped for after a disappointing 1-1 result against the Dube Birds on their return to South Africa’s top-flight.
Barker says: “Yeah no, look, I was a little bit disappointed overall with our performance on the day, I felt we just weren’t sharp enough and far away from our normal best. We walk away with a point after the first fixture, so we’ll take the point but, with that being said, a lot of improvement needs to be shown.”
Barker not pleased with his team’s performance but delighted for the momentous occasion. “By the end of the match we had a 17,18 and 19-year-old on the park creating and influencing the game. It speaks volumes to what we’re trying to do at this club and what we hope to build in this town. Now that we have a home stadium that we can call home, it only pushes us closer to our goals, it’s massive for all of us and a real proud day for the club, “says Barker.
Stellenbosch Academy of Sport (SAS), the owners of Stellenbosch FC (SFC), and Stellenbosch University, have embarked on a strategic partnership to uplift football in the Winelands. The partnership not only sees the PSL Club utilise the University’s excellent facilities as training base and match venue, but also details plans to uplift the quality of football at the University and create a holistic pathway for talented football players, support staff and administrators.
SAS and Club CEO Rob Benadie says: “Our Club’s strategic plan was fast-tracked with our elevation last year to the PSL. Fortunately, we are based in a Town with a rich sport heritage and have the University and other key stakeholders partnering with us to assist our continued growth. It is incredible to see how excited the Town is about the SFC brand and the prospect of building a home fortress at the iconic Danie Craven Stadium. We hope to add to the incredible history that Maties Rugby has created and continues to create at this venue. The Club sincerely thanks Messrs Rupert and Durand from Remgro and Prof Stan du Plessis and his Executives at the University in making this dream a reality.”
Chief Operating Officer of the University, Professor Stan Du Plessis says: “It is incredibly exciting to welcome our partners, Stellenbosch FC, to the Danie Craven Stadium. Let’s bring the same home ground advantage to Stellenbosch FC at Danie Craven as we have done for decades with Maties rugby. I hope that these home games will inspire especially young supporters to play at the highest level, along an aspirational path where Maties Football and Stellenbosch FC will both play a crucial role.”