Something like… “Keep of the Grass, Butana Komphela plans to smoke it” is happening at Loftus….
The Bulls and Cheetahs could be forced to play their remaining home matches in the Vodacom Super 14 competition elsewhere than at Loftus Versfeld and Vodacom Park – and that could be a financial headache for the Bulls in particular who have to host three crowd-pulling matches against the Lions, Sharks and log-leaders Crusaders over the next three weekends.
The Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Limited CEO Barend van Graan, has to appear before the parliamentary portfolio committee on sport on Tuesday, together with the Free State Rugby Union’s president Harold Verster and the president of the SA Rugby Union (Saru), Oregan Hoskins.
Their appearance before the committee stems from the concerns of the chairman of the parliamentary portfolio committee on sport, Butana Komphela, who has personally inspected the playing pitches at Loftus and Vodacom Park where World Cup soccer matches are to be played and is unhappy about the condition of the surfaces.
Van Graan declined to comment at this stage. However, over and above the loss of income from the three matches that might have to move if Komphela gets his way in denying them the use of Loftus, there is the matter of their thousands of season ticket holders and suite owners who have to be considered. This could lead to a huge refund demanded from the Bulls – and even to possible legal action.
The Bulls’ home field has been described as “Fortress Loftus” where they have now won 15 consecutive matches – and losing this ally will be a major blow in their quest to successfully defend their title.
As it is, the Bulls have already made contingency plans should they qualify for a home semifinal and final. Those games will be played at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto.
The situation with the Free State Rugby Union, whose Cheetahs franchise will also be affected in three home matches, is less serious. They will not stand to lose nearly as much as the Bulls.
The Cheetahs are second to last on the log; they do not draw the numbers the Bulls do; they have less season ticket holders affected; and they don’t stand to lose tens of millions from home play-offs.
Whether Komphela will be able to enforce his wish is still debatable, as the World Cup local organising committee has an agreement with Saru that the scheduled Super 14 games could go ahead and that the unions had will hand over the stadiums in good condition by May 20.
Hoskins confirmed they have to appear before the parliamentary portfolio committee on sport. “I have asked the Bulls and Cheetahs to get expert opinions on their respective pitches, so we can present it in Parliament,” was all Hoskins was prepared to say.
Surely, if rugby can be played on that pitch at Loftus, then the Sissyboy-soccer-poofball round-ball games can be played there too, in fact a pitch takes much less punishment in soccer than with rugby.
Don’t bend down Barend van Graan, stand strong… let the freegin soccer fraternity concern themselves more with soccer matches, the state of Bafana Bafana’s readiness and aspects like the low occupancy rates (1%) in Durban Hotels during the Soccer World Cup, the State of our roads during the Soccer World Cup, the chaos at our Airports.
gbs @ 29
do you still have suzie’s number? 😉
gbs
best fifa world cup moments
30@ Asbak – I’m glad my surname is not Puskas….. hiehiehie…. stik ek nou soos ek lag!
gbs @ 33
lol
Flok, rugbybloggers… I apologise profusely that Fender and Asbakkie ambushed this thread for Poofball purposes….
I know, I know…. it deserves a ban… but hey, I feel too sorry for them….
gbs @ 35
😯
hey, YOU started it!! 😆
ok, i promise i will not post anymore threads after the next 2
1. maybe the most famous “goal” of all … yes, you’ve guessed … maradona’s “hand of god” goal
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=DbbsytHDp2o&feature=related
2. but, 2 be fair to maybe one of the best players ever, this is what the little genius could do
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=jk-kXwjASEE&feature=related
36@ Asbak – Hehehehe…. Me?
Neverrrrrrrrrr…. hehehehe
So, the PWC (Poofball World Cup) works like this…. 32 Teams start in 8 Pools of 4, they play 3 games each in their pools and only 2 in each pool goes through to round 2… all in all 16 teams.
Then it becomes knock-out poofball…. 16 becomes 8, 8 becomes 4, 4 becomes 2… who play in the final.
On the serious side, do you see Bafanny get the No 1 or No 2 spot in our Group…. I don’t! France should top the Pool, and Mexico should be 2nd….
gbs @ 39
i remember a rugby team not so long ago going into a wc with all the odds stacked against them
…
no, i’m not even dreaming at this stage of a repeat performance by bafana …. but i’m quite sure that they’ll reach that final 16 at least
anyway
come wc time, i’ll be shouting
BAFANA
en fokkie res!!
yeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!
41@ Asbak – You’re an example to all South Africans! Clap-Clap-Clap
Do you own a Vuvuzela, because I have this feeling I will want to stick a Vuvuzela up someone’s riempie by the time the World Cup finishes…..
Fark, those things are irritating!
gbs @ 42
nei, ek hettie enie
maar miskien koep ek vi my een
daai nawiek as djy afkom nuweland toe!!
net van spitefulgeit!! 😆
43@ Asbak – Moenie, ek waarsku jou mooi… ek wil toggie hê jy moet moooooooosa ongemaklik en kersregop loep huistoe nie…. hehehehe
gbs @ 44
lmao 😆
ok, ouens
eks uit
cheers vir eers!!
46@ Asbak – Cheers
Bulls can play at the Tank for the Sharks game 😀 😀 😀 problem solved…….hehehehehe.
48@ Puma – I’m sure you would like that!
puma @ 48
thanks puma
gbs, see? thats (#48) the spirit!! 😀
40 – Ash, If Bafana reach the last 16 it would feel like we won the cup. Actually if Bafana do I would be proud of our team. I will support them 100% until they go out. Then my support goes to Holland cause I lived there. Once they are out then if Brazil are in will support them.
Going to the Brazil/Portugal pool game. Going to be a cracker. Have my Bafana shirt too.
Remember the whole of SA supported us during the world cup 1995 and 2007. Our turn to support our soccer team.
If they have those vuvuzela things. Then I am taking ear plugs……hehehe. Not that I hate them cause they hurt the ears. Gives of a high pitched noise… Phew!!! ears at my age cant take that noise. Just hope 90 000 of those vuvuzela’s put France off their game against Bafana…..hehehe
49 – gbs, YES I WOULD…..hehehehe. Nice vibe at the Tank too. Then would go down for that game.
Probably think the game will be moved to Orlando.
puma @ 51
well said!!
and now i’m really out of here!!
cheers guys
its been fun!!
53 – Ash, Cheers mate.
Okay now I am able to blog, no-one at home!! Been a hectic, hectic busy day for me today.
Back later when some have logged on.
Its amazing how you have to practically sell you soul to host a soccer world cup..
56@ Winnie – That’s freegin true…and my soul ain’t for sale.. hehehe
Lets hope that the games are played at Loftus or the Bulls might struggle.:)
58@ Winnie – We’ll know sometime tomorrow…
If I was the Bulls management, I would opt for royal Bafokeng Stadium in the unfortunate event that Loftus becomes unavailable.
Hell no, I would just say… you get the Stadium at 20 May, finished and klaar!
Webmaster — why you keep changing my name?
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