The experienced football administrator has revealed the club will continue with amateur players
Former Bidvest Wits chairman Raymond Hack has vowed to keep the club alive after its Premier Soccer League (PSL) status was sold.
The Clever Boys sold their top-flight league status to National First Division (NFD) side Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM), pending PSL approval.
However, Hack, who is a former South African Football Association (Safa) chief executive officer, has made it known the legacy of the club is set to continue for many more years to come.
“Wits University is not dead as yet. They sold the Premier League status,” Hack told IOL.
“But we will still continue with our amateurs and all our juniors and if we have to build up to the Premier Soccer League, we will do that. You can’t destroy Wits University. Fortunately, we have a good relationship with the university,” Hack said.
The club was previously known as Wits University, before changing the name to reflect their new shareholders, Bidvest and they have always been linked to the Milpark tertiary institution as they were formed there in 1921.
“We have the facilities and the players. Kaizer Motaung’s son [Kaizer Junior] came through Wits. Jomo Sono’s son [Bamuza] came through Wits,” he said.
“We’ve got the biggest nursery in the entire country. We’ve spoken to the university and they are in agreement that we will continue with our amateurs. We won’t let it die because the sponsor sold the franchise.”
The club is expected to relocate to Limpopo and it will be renamed, Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila once the PSL approves the deal, but Hack is determined to ensure that Wits continues to exist.
“If something comes up, we will look into it but we are not a type of club that goes out to buy success,” he added.
“We’ve been existing for 99 years, even when we got relegated we came up the following season. You don’t buy success, you earn it on the field of play.
“Maybe it is better to build yourself up from the beginning. But, in any case, it will never be my decision but people at the University. I’ve associated with Wits for 50 years.”
Wits have been quiet about the transaction, but on Tuesday night the club released a statement confirming that they have, indeed, sold their status to TTM.
Hack is not happy with how Wits’ sale was handled and he feels that the same should have been made public.
“This was done secretively. I had to ask why. If it is not about money, what is it about?” he asked.
“But it is not my club. When we had it, we did it because of the love we have for the game. I don’t like the manner in which it was done. I can’t say anything.
“I feel for the coach who will have to motivate the players going forward with the last 11 games. They don’t know what their future is. It is not right.”
Be the first to comment