The power of prayer
THE secret which kept top Chatsworth amateur team Royals FC ticking since it was established in 1973 is out… they prayed in the changeroom before taking the field.
Club stalwart Peter Pillay said management and players had faith in God and that they prayed not only for success but for their well-being.
Pillay, a school principal, said the rivalry in the halcyon days was intense.
He recalled when Royals players were blessed with holy water before matches, by a founding member who was a devout Christian.
“The competition was fierce and the ground talk was that our rivals had sprinkled some muti around the goalposts. To counter that, we were blessed with the water at the church,’’ he said.
Apart from praying, the individual skills and dedication of the players earned Royals the league and Clover Cup titles in 1982.
They won the Sastri Cup in Pietermaritzburg in 1986 and were league and Clover Cup champions that year.
Pillay said his club was honoured to represent the South African Soccer Federation (SASF) at two SASF tournaments.
“In 1987 we participated in the tournament in Kimberley. Two years later Royals featured in a similar tournament in East London.’’
Royals reached the semifinals of the Mainstay Cup and the Clover Cup in 1989.
Other influential players in the club were his brothers, Roy and Sagie, Morgan Nagan, Sugar Singh, Pranesh Mothieram, Abdul Haq, Devan Pillay and Buddy Govender.
“In the late 1970s, Sagie and I had a stint with Berea in the Federation Professional League. Morgan played for the professional outfit Manning Rangers while Devan played for Berea and Buddy for Leeds United.’
“Royals was coached by Eddie Mulheron in the 1970s and Jim Scot, both of whom played for Durban City. Ron McKinnon, who played for Durban United, also had a stint with us as a coach.’’
He said another highlight was having the great Dharam Mohan donning the Royals jersey after Mohan had hung up his boots as a professional.
“By then Dharam’s serious soccer days were over. We were privileged to have had this legend and other highly talented footballers in the Royals squad. While we did not make the finals of the SASF tournaments in East London and in Kimberley, my teammates were thrilled to be recognised as one of the best amateur football teams in the country.’’
If your club has been in existence for over 25 years, then please e-mail the club’s name and your contact details to postsport@inl.co.za