COUNTDOWN TO 2010

by Neil Hendrickse
(Cape Town, South Africa)

With the 2010 WC just round the corner, i thought it may be interesting to look back at the obvious link between the UK and SA, as far as football is concerned.
Covering the 1970 to 1973 seasons, i came up with this astonishing list of UK players who, during that period, played club football in SA, either as short-term guest players (normally playing 5 games or more) and those who stayed for longer stints, which i've split into two teams, playing in the then popular 4-2-4 formation, thus:
BOBBY MOORE XI - Gordon Banks (Hellenic); Jim Craig (Hellenic), Ron McKinnon (Durban United), Bobby Moore (Hellenic), John Hewie (Arcadia Shepherds); Paddy Crerand (Wits University), Johnny Giles (Durban United); Peter Lorimer (Cape Town City), Francis Lee (Cape Town City), Geoff Hurst (Cape Town City), Tony Coleman (Cape Town City & Durban City)
JOHNNY HAYNES XI - Gary Sprake (Durban City); Terry Gulliver (Cape Town City), Frank McLintock (Cape Town City), Brian Tocknell (Arcadia Shepherds), George Heslop (Cape Town City); George Eastham (Cape Town City & Hellenic), Johnny Haynes (Durban City); John 'Budgie' Byrne (Durban City), Roger Hunt (Hellenic), Ian St John (Cape Town City & Hellenic), Ian Towers (Cape Town City)
There were also numerous other, not-so-big-name players, who graced the South African shores, although i discovered a definite shortage of such big-name players in the full back positions. Hence, the inclusion of two SA-born players, Hewie and Tocknell, who both made names for themselves at Charlton Athletic, before returning to SA, when the pro league kicked off here in 1959.
Conversely, here's my all-time team of SA-born players who played top class football in England:
Bruce Grobbelaar (Liverpool); Eddie Stuart (Wolves), Lucas Radebe (Leeds United), Tocknell, Hewie; Craig Johnstone (Liverpool), Colin Viljoen (Ipswich Town), Gordon Hodgson (Liverpool) (c), Bill Perry (Blackpool); Eddie Firmani (Charlton) and Stuart Leary (Charlton).
ROLL ON 2010 !!!
Maybe England can have an African Dream and take the Cup back home - just don't have the squad remixing that old, short-lived hit, "Back Home", as was the case prior to the squads departure for Mexico 70, arguably a more likely lot than the heroes of 66 ever were! Look what happened. Yes, the heat was stifling, yes, there was the 'Moore Incident', yes, Banks pulled off one of the all-time most memorable saves.....BUT, the Germans got sweet revenge for 66, sending the boys Back Home after the quarter-finals.
So, no songs, and you just never know.....