Wednesday, October 06, 2010

THE TECH GROUNDS DAYS IN LENASIA


THE TECH GROUND DAYS.

I stepped into Regal Jewellers the other day and had a long chat with Zaheer Regal about the good old days.Ok I am getting old but lets be honest,those were the days. It was about wanting to play soccer and looking forward to the rivalries that existed with local clubs…..and as a kid growing up and playing at Tech Grounds we wanted to emulate the senior players. But the vibe was just different.A Sunday was a whole days affair. And you want to know whats ironical is that Tech Grounds was probably one of the worst pitches or fields ever.It was made up of stones and sand and well I guess you cant even call it grass.it was brown and definitely not grass.Yet we etched out some of our greatest memories in this place. How could we forget the Wors Roll stand and for 5 bucks you get a coke and one of the finest Wors rolls around.It just went down, Or how could we forget the aunty that sold the ice quinchies.It came in some hectic looking packet but it went down.
As a lity I started playing for Tigers.I so wanted to play soccer and you had to be under ten.So my toppie took me to Power Lines and with Doc Abu Seedat being my family myself,my bro and Yazeed Seedat signed up. The training, the feeling and the thrill of wearing your soccer boots from home straight on to the pitch.Oh yes I started with Adidas Scorer from my grandfathers shop.The boot must have been about R40. And if we wanted to emulate a legend than the only one that was expensive was the PUMA Maradona. Speaking of Maradona ,my bro and I used to watch Hero every Sunday before a game…..and get dedicated.
The heroes of the time were Maradona,Francescoli,Rummenige,Lineker,Sokrates,Platini and the likes.But what a video sends goose bumps down your spine

Myself and my bro before heading off to Tech Grounds in our Leeds Utd kits sent by family from Leeds England lol-1985.Thats me in white
Me and Nazo.Same team.Tigers Under 10

WATCHING HERO AND GETTING DEDICATED


Me in 2005,playing for Dynamos. This pic made the City Vison newspaper

Sundays then were different. In Steven Gerards autobiography he writes about a part where Liverpool were 3-0 down in Istanbul.he says in so many words that you are 3-0 down against AC Milan in Istanbul…..and then you see a guy like Jamie Carragher who wears his heart on his sleeve,battling on as if a miracle was still possible,A guys who is a scouser true and true,fighting on and urging the lads that its not over. A guy like that just motivates you.
Speaking of passion in those days our peers certainly had it.I don’t think you will find individuals like Dr Abu Seedat,Late Uncle Ebrahim Adam from Tigers and my late Uncle Ismail Kola from Lesco and so many other honourable candidates that did so much for soccer when we were kids. They were the first on Tech Grounds and always the last to leave and they did it to make every kids dream come true.Yes we never had the 5 star facilities but if you talk about HEART than that era was Full of it.
I recall one incident when we watched my bro play Under 12’s for TIGERS once.We had a late night it was a knockout game against Swaraj.I was on the touch line with my toppie and my oom Zahier Mayet.My bro was giving 5%.From the pitch my oom tore at him.It came home on the table.He said If you play,play with heart…………not looking like that.Thats humiliating.Such was the soccer culture at home.

Later on we moved to Lesco with all the Alipors.Myself,Hoosain & Anees Mayet,Pops,Ebie,Riyad Loonat,Freds,Swaar, Ebie Moose and the chaps. On the move my oom Uncle Ismail Kola was thrilled. And when the big owes from Lesco came to watch us play we were thrilled. After the Wors Roll the Sundays stretched until Maghrib.It was time for our heroes ,The Senior Players.
After the Wors Rolls we went back to Uncle Ismail Kolas house,ignoring the calls to come home by our tannies. Yip all of us alipor lighties were the boot boys and kit lities.We packed the kits out in the garage,We knew all the numbers.Number 5 Big Moose,No 11 Zahier Mayet,No 8 Zahier Baba and number 10 Tall Freddy.Then we watched Papis draw on the chalkboard and dished out the kits.Now to the game. Jumping in the cars to the tune of LA BAMBA and Fine Young Cannibals she drives me crazy,the pre match hype was summed up.The rivalries were fierce,Tech Grounds surrounded by people.Everybody always waited for the Big Teams.Tigers,Lesco,Athletico.Fago,Belleview,Greyville City.Talent came from everywhere and I still believe that if there were opportunity players like my oom Zahier Mayet,Doc Moosajee,Zahier Baba,MF Jassat…and many more,too many to mention from the other teams as well would have went far.But ball that time was at a different level. I remember the Lesco Line Up. Imo Bassar in the sticks,Saffers,MF,Ebrahim Khalil Mayet (what a class centre back),Doc Moose,Zahier Baba (he made it look simple), Naseem Seedat,Zahier Mayet,Hchee,Abdus,Mansoor Abdullah,Aziz Jijo Dindar,Rozie,Soppies….Bellevue had the pacy winger Stevie, Eldo Sporting had China.Tigers had the Adams,Fordsburg City had the Akalwayas, and Lesco had the Alipors. Full support on a Sunday,Tech grounds was full. I remember the late Blikkies Bismilla saying once that a Lesco Halftime was like a Alipor Wedding
And when a game was fixture at the Lenasia Stadium under the Murky Lights it was the greatest thing ever.The Stadium was like Wembley.
So no doubt,The Players then were class,and in all honesty players we admired.They were our role models when we were younger.And their were individuals past and present that you can never duplicate.They made the TECH GROUNDS era Special.
And when you finally get home,blow out the dust from your nose,clear your throat,Fill up the tub,pour in Detol, pull down the cycling shorts and soak that grass or arse burn as it became known,pull out the stones.....…………………..YOU KNOW THAT YOU MADE THE BEST OF TECH GROUNDS.

This post is also a tribute to the men that did so much for development of football..Some of them may not be with us now but they will never be replicated.Late Uncle Ebrahim Adam from Tigers.Dr Aboo Seedat and late Uncle Ismail Kola from Lesco.Its the two teams I played for as a kid, and it was when football was special

19 comments:

  1. Class Swoosh.Those were the days

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  2. Best Wors Rolls Ever

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  3. The memories come flooding back...those were the good ol' days cuz! The friendships made on those grounds are still rock solid today....regardless of which club you played for...
    Thanks for the recollection cuz...

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  4. Rivalries were fierce but those were the days.
    Individuals mentioned can never be replicated.
    Pity the window of opportunity beckons now and ceased to exist in those days.
    But for me the grass and arse burns will never be forgotten

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  5. Blikkies the Legend and some of his quotes.
    courtesy of Yusufi Bhamjee

    When I went to High School on my first meeting with Blikkies he asked me. "Boy, Who are you Boy? I said "Sir Im Zahier Mayets from Lesco's nephew and Big Mooses cuzzy. He said to me " Boy, Zahier Mayet is a talented footballer. You are a trickster. You look more like an Alipor Elvis"

    Jack Manack was walking with Blikkies during a game. Blikkies said to him, "Boy look closely. I am the next Dickie Bird"

    Blikkies was famous for making us do frog jumps and jogging. He often used to say. "You know boy. When you jogging boy. You dont have to get tired boy, because you breathing in an out"

    "When an Alipor falls in love, His sporting career is over"

    Some more Blikkies quotes

    “You know boy – Bhamjee is a trickster. He and Ziyaad Patel will burn this school out”

    About some footballer – “This boy has got %#$ing talent but then he met this girl and now his mind is f&^$ed up”

    After I had an argument about a disallowed goal in a five a side game in Standard six – I had the audacity to call him a Chor He simply said to me “Boy – Your Father is a chor” He then banned me from 5 a side for the rest of the year. Two days later he felt me sorry an lifted the ban.Simply saying “ no discipline will not be tolerated” we then went on to beat alpha primary school 8-0 the next day when they did a school visit.

    After doing frog jumps for two full periods – numb legs, couldn’t walk - Mohamed Lorgat cried out “Allah Paak”Blikkies just said : “God won’t even help you now boy” and proceeded to cane us.

    After playing for Achievers winning all our games for the season scoring 141 goals including a 17-0 thrashing of greyville city – we lost in the final of the Roshnee tournament to Swaraj 1-0.The lads were upset – I am sure I saw some tears in Freddies eyes.Monday morning with a smug look on his face – He told me “ Boy achievers achieved F&^%all this weekend”

    I remember playing for Lenz High in std six against the best of Lenz Primary Schools – Some of those primary school okes like Amit Gandabhai and Tyrone had bigger beards than I have now.I was having a kak game playing centre midfield we were one down and Gandabhai was all over me. I couldn’t do anything. At half time he moved me to left back and took Dean Naidoo off. I thought this toppie is crazy – I never played left back in my life.But he said “ Boy Trust me”We ended up winning 3 – 1 . I made all 3 goals down the left cos he took Gandabhai out of the game for me.After the game he told me “Boy - I was coaching Bells while you were in your fathers sack”

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  6. Once Lenz were playing cricket.they were three down.Blikkies called this oke and said Dont lose your wicket.Stay there and bat it out,dont worru about the score.The oke went and slogged third ball and was caught.He trudged back en route to Blikkies who pointed out to a tree and said Boy What is that.He said a tree sir.He said now go over there and Hang Yourself

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  7. "Mayet you will never go far in white boots and an Alice Band"-The legendry Blikkies Bismillah

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  8. Hey Swoosh, remember that day when the City Press photo was taken. Wasn't it against Zoo Lake. "CLOSE THE GATES".

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  9. I played for tigers from under 7 till under 17. tech grounds were the highlight of my week. i used to get a lift with dentist Ghanda from roodepoort to lenz on sat. get droped of at the the shell garage on rose avenue and go to my granny for lunch, get kitted up and off to training at half 2 till half 5.wake up bloody early on sunday morning and go to tech grounds and have the best time ever, every sunday at tech was like eid day at the lake. indians evrywhere, playing for tigers you knew there was always goin to be a fight and all the unties getting involved. yesses man, those were the days, thats the experiences that makes us who we are today. the cuts and burns and goals, i can still feel that sand and the atmosphere, the pitch was the worse ever but as a lightie nothing mattered except playing the beautiful game.

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  10. Nasseem you beauty, the memories you have expressed aboved are but a trickle. You bring tears of joy yet sadness as to how the love and passion for the game has changed or even lost and that we as a community especially have lost.

    Once again I salute you for recording all these wonderful memories and I hope and pray that one day our kids can also have similar memories.
    Ebie Seedat

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  11. Thanks Ebie.AY Yazeed 24 years later I wonder hows the okes.If they reading my blog..Regards lads.Lets see if I can remember
    Chrisi,Tariqi and Nadeem from Canada,Riyad Hassen, Zahier Hassim,Yusuf Shaik, Riyad Halfegee, Sean Brookstein.
    Back in time against the final vs Shamrocks

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  12. In Azaadville we had Jockey Wadee.
    Who are Who are We!
    Ajaaadville ringing in the stands

    A Azads Legend

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  13. I remember the pic.The Bloodbath at Brixton.hence we made the papers

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  14. ah what a post.
    I can still taste the wors rolls.
    I remember being a lighty, playing tiny tots cos the 1st age division was under 8.
    No change rooms, and everyone changed against the Tech school fence. Sometimes the wind was so fierce that the kits used to be blown away.

    The anticipation on the Sunday morning was unbearable : were you gonna make first team this week?
    you worked hard in training on Tuesday and Thursday.
    did the coach recognize your efforts. Cos at that time in your life, all you cared about was making that first team. That's all that mattered.
    You didn’t want to be the star player of the B team. You NEEDED to be a regular in the first team.

    The team was selected, and then the captain and coach would breakaway to make the MOST important decision of the weekend: Gents if we win the toss, are we kicking with the wind or against the wind for the first half?

    I remember those early morning kickoff’s.
    Sometimes a slight drizzle.
    Everything damp
    Wind howling
    Sidelines filled with your spectators(referees/linemans constantly trying to keep the lines clear)
    The chants of : CORNER IS A GOAL
    Those pasted panel balls( before the stitched panels) Those pasted panels used to come a lil loose, turning them into razors. Get a blast from one of those on your bare thigh, and you already know how it gonna burn when you soaking down.
    The half time water
    The horrid halftime oranges ( why did the aunty cut them funny)
    The stickiness from those oranges, mixed with the sand.
    The joy of scoring the only goal.
    The disputes when a ball went in, but straight through the net. ( don’t worry lampard, we were also robbed)
    The fierce rivalries
    Making sure you don’t walk alone past the Restons bus due to an incident 3 yrs ago.




    I was a Tiger, and in my heart, I will always remain a Tiger.
    Never say Die

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  15. Young Tiger...........So true so true.

    lol.I remember the Kick with or against the Wind tactic ha ha
    And scoring a goal without the nets.
    But you right you just wanted to be playing Sunday.

    Do you recall Tech 12 onward on the opposte side.
    If you celebrated a goal sliding you would end up with thorns.

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  16. Naseem Mayet guys how could I forget the LEGEND GAF....WHO had the minutes of everything.He was committed. aLSO his and Uncle Ismail Kolas love hate relationship. You could ask him GAF who scored Lesco vs Valache Chiefs at the stadium 1989.He would open up his diary.And say Zahier Mayet 59th minute and Aziz Dindar,header in stoppage time

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  17. Remember the Awards evening at LMA Hall.What memmories.Mayco,Twistville,Sandpit,BB Sports,Wits Underwear, Loonat Wholesalers

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