Adams served soccer, church

One of SA football’s great forwards

Born: November 29 1930 Died: June 30 Funeral: Sunday, at Saint Maria Goretti Catholic Church, Riverlea, from 12.30pm Burial: Westpark Cemetery, Johannesburg

My father Oliver “Ghandi” Adams was born in 1930 in the old Malay Camp area in Johannesburg.

He attended primary school at Wilhemina Hoskins, before moving to ETC Secondary School, both in Vrededorp, northwestern Johannesburg.

He left school in Standard 8 (now Grade 10) to work in a shoe factory at the age of 16. After 20 years, he left to join AB Electrolux, a home appliance manufacturer, where he worked for 25 years.

Adams played for Blackpool FC that comprised exciting players such as Tossie Crowder, Kallie Paige, Gerald Francis and Paulo Camphee.

They competed against the likes of Orlando Pirates and Swallows Big XV in their league. Adams played against quality opponents, who included Eric “Scara” Sono, Percy “Chippa” Moloi and Kaizer Motaung.

The Blackpool team was arguably the greatest so-called “coloured” professional team in SA, winning many championships in the 1950s and 1960s.

Adams represented the South African “Coloureds” 25 times and captained the team on five occasions. He was regarded as one of the greatest forwards in SA football. He retired due to injuries.

In 1972 he was asked by the catholic priest of Saint Maria Goretti Catholic Church to open a sports club for the youth of Riverlea, southwest Johannesburg. He then formed the Club Goretti, which later became a successful club in the Bosmont Football Association (BFA), winning numerous championships and cups between 1972 and 1994.

After handing over the reins of the club to me, my father went on to work for St Maria Goretti Catholic Church where he served in the finance department of the parish pastoral committee.

Ghandi is survived by four children, 17 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren.