Witbank killing football to death

Well-intentioned as corruption and bribery can be, the stupid initiators and ignorant participants share a criminal mind to defeat the ends of justice to promote short term selfish systems that cannot perpetuate naturally. In the game of football, the majority of stakeholders are in it for money. That is good.

The reason why that becomes elusive, is the clandestine and unscrupulous evasion the norms. Team bosses and club administrators connive to undo those who live by the book. They pay their way up. The good part here is that there is money for nothing in respect to the bribed and the briber does not lose much as they are usually wealthy. The bad side is the impact on the community and the players.

After exchanging hands, like all money, that cash runs a few homes running, paying school fees, buying food and affords club and league administrators some vices of this world. The under-par clubs rise to the next league at the expense of the best.

The best players in the league curse the day they were born, and rue the very talent they have. National team performances deteriorate and the national association engage witch doctors while they breed and harbour the problems.

The undeserving teams face relegation as they got promoted through the back door. The bribery and corruption acts recycle themselves at the expense of the community who rely on good football for entertainment and as a measure of self-worth. People talk about football with great pride, and their communities embrace teams and players as their own.

People value and treasure good memories the game brings. Those involved in scandalous activities carry the guilt of their masterminding acts on their shoulders with pride instead of shame.

Promotion and elevation outside merit damages more than the players, community and the game itself. There may be tertiary beneficiaries at a large scale in terms of the business and psychological matters.

However, selfish club owners need to realise that the cash paid in bribes can be used to acquire the best material for their needs. The biggest mistake made in such cases, is trying to get up quicker. The perceived benefits include the sale of players, prominent publicity at a higher league and improved direct financial rewards.

In a vacuum, that would be true. In reality, eliminating competition to be best is worst. True value and worth can be achieved by outclassing the best. More satisfaction comes from playing fair and engaging the top masters of the game and prevailing under all conditions.

Mohammed Ali would never be the greatest boxer by punching air. Unfortunately, the football chancers bribe their way up, eliminate opposition by hook and crook on their way up the ladder. The best way to rise above the rest and stay with the best, would be to equip the teams to build solid and true structures and then engage all the adversaries and prevail.

That built system sustains over the years and keeps the industry revolving perpetually for the top clubs to harvest the talent from the bottom. If the rich clubs destroy the development, the well to tap into will dry. The quality suffers and consequently the very bribing club.

The club owners lose, the community loses and the game loses. As we write, the Witbank community that once had Black Aces, People’s Bank Spurs among others, only prides itself with Witbank Spurs in the National First Division and probably a single ABC Motsepe Second Division, if the ongoing transactions are successful.

Now, the travelling costs will lead to that team closing shop too. The rest of the teams playing in the SAB League may not find joy in winning the play-offs to join an expensive Second Division. While the teams stepped on each other’s toes to go up, they will suffocate under the system they created.

At first sight, it seems good to pull teams down, but playing and competing alone is the worst thing ever, unless you are one of the local clever clubs that serve their own interest at the expense of the whole community.