Poor Attendances...Bafana Ranks higher

Good day....

You would have heard by now, Bafana Bafana are moving up the FIFA rankings to their rightful place, 58th now from around 90th just prior to the world cup. Congratulation to the boys and more importantly to the Nation. I think Bafana has seen some improved support recently. Yes, the world cup had much to do with it, I only hope this is continued. Just a thought, what would be our ideal ranking really? Top fifty, top twenty or top ten even?

We should push to be ranked as high as possible, but what would you, as a South African be more satisfied with? I don't think we've ever been ranked higher than twenty, if my memory serves me well, I think the highest was 22. That could also just be wishful thinking!

But critically we should keep on supporting the Boys. You know I was on the issue of support yesterday, and I mention something that the Birds are doing. Swallows has taken a long term view of this, and I love long term. What they've done is attract kids to the stadium to come and watch the team play. For the long term this is ingenious. This kids will grow knowing this team and under the Birds wings. A masterstroke!!!

It will take a long time to see the fruits of this project and it will go in leaps and bounces. My plea for now you Fellow bird is that if you have bit of spare cash or know someone who has, and there's many of you out there even in these recessionary times, please support this kids with a few T-shirts in our colours (Maroon and White thank you). This is something that could be done on a season by season basis but I am sure if you get in touch with our Brand Manager, Siya here you can work out a few things together.

I really hope Swallows continues with this, but critical to this plan would be the Birds using the same Dobsonville stadium as their home base for many, many, many, many, many, many years to come. I am not privy to the lease agreements in place between us and owner/management of the Dobsonville stadium. But a good start would probably to make this very long term. In my terms that would be just about ninety-nine years, Not long term enough I know!!!
There could be a few benefits to this. It could allow us to really Swallowficate (you catch my drift) this stadium and make it into the Birds' Nest that we really want. There's a saying in one of our many local languages that says, when literally translated:

"You can't follow a snake to its hole"

Well try getting int a Birds' Nest....And this is what I am trying to get to. We have to make it just that, you go there at you own peril!!! It has ooze of the Birds.

In the short term though, getting supporters back to the stadiums is a bit tricky. And that I'll leave to those in the know. But I think we've thinking too long outside the box! Its not working....so let's starting thinking within the box for a while, get some balls rolling and who know?

Thats it from me today.....

Cheers and see you soon