Safa agrees to expand pitch at No 1 Square Ground
ALEXANDRA – Safa has agreed with ANLFA to expand the narrow pitch at the refurbished No 1 Square Ground in 18 months' time.
The South African Football Association (Safa) has succumbed to the demands of the community of Alexandra and agreed to expand the narrow pitch created during the refurbishment of the No 1 Square Ground.
Secretary-general of the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association (ANLFA), Mafika Morajane said the association had a meeting with Safa officials to discuss concerns raised by the community over the pitch. A dispute had erupted between the community led by the football association and football mother body, Safa, over the size of the pitch on the refurbished field.
The community came down hard on Alex football as the custodians of the construction work and wanted to know why there had been a detour from the originally planned size of the pitch agreed upon between the stakeholders, Safa, the ANLFA and funders, Totalsports.
According to Morajane, the Safa delegation led by Safa Development Agency chief executive officer, Dr Robin Petersen said it understood the concerns of the community and offered to expand the pitch in 18 months’ time.
Morajane said, “Work on the refurbishment of the field was nearing completion and the constructors are now erecting a new wall and before the end of October the stadium, popularly known as Ground One, will be officially handed over to the community for use.”
Once it has been handed over, Morajane said the phase two development of the ground, which includes among other things, the building of administration blocks and change rooms for players, would then commence.
Safa Development Projects senior project manager, Kgosi Zimba said the cost of the development of the stadium was R8 million and a further R5.4 million was to be disbursed over four years to be utilised in the development and training of coaches, referees and for admin costs.
A total of 200 children are expected to use the facility a week, and Zimba described the pitch as a level-two social events pitch which was also tested and certified by the University of Johannesburg Sports Laboratory and is due for its official opening later in October.
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