The passing of a football stalwart
ONE of the founding fathers of non-racial football in South Africa and a prominent businessman, Vic Pillay of Durban, has passed away at the age of 86.
Pillay became involved in football administration in 1955, when he became manager of Aces football club, which had been acquired by his brother, Soobrie Pillay.
Later he joined the Durban Football Association – the first FA to drop the Indian tag – and attracted teams from other races.
Pillay’s nephew, Yana Pillay said: “This move laid the foundation for non-racial professional football in the country, which led to the formation of the SA Soccer League.
“My uncle Vic was at the first meeting to form a non-racial professional football body. This meeting was attended by Dan Twala and Carlton Moloi, who stayed that weekend at my father’s Randles Road house.”
With white teams Durban City and United attracting huge support from the Indian community, Durban FA felt it needed to act decisively to retain local support.
A few officials of Durban FA, including Pillay, travelled to Dube township in Johannesburg, where they met with the likes of Twala and Lucas Khoza – grandfather of prominent football boss Irvin Khoza – representing the Transvaal Football Association.
Stemming from their talks in 1961, a friendly match between Moroka Swallows and Aces was set for Curries Fountain. The possibility of Moloi featuring in the Swallows line-up, having just returned from trials in England, proved to be a definite crowd puller.
In the 1970s, Pillay was among the stalwarts with the likes of VC Thaver, Ashwin Trikamjee, Rama Reddy, RK Naidoo, Dan Manicom, SK Chetty, Manna Govender, Abass Rassool, Don Mudaly and others, who threw their weight behind the SA Soccer Federation Professional League (FPL), which took non-racial football to new heights.
He was also one-time president of the South Natal Soccer Board.
Former soccer administrator, sports writer and playwright Ronnie Govender described Pillay as “one who did not hesitate or mince his words”.
“Vic had the foresight to call for the dismantling of race-based soccer bodies. He was fearless in football boardrooms and would call a spade a spade. He also sacrificed family time to be a sports administrator and did not expect anything in return.
“Today sports administrators earn big salaries for the same job that Vic Pillay did without taking a cent,” said Govender.
In 2006 he helped form the South African Federation of Soccer Legends.
Jasper Vurden, a fellow founding member of that association, said: “I served with Vic on the FPL in the early days and he always stayed true to his principles, especially when it came to non-racial sport. He gained respect throughout the province, and even nationally, for this stance.”
Bryan Rupram, the founding chairman of Maritzburg United, said his interaction with Pillay started in 1974, when he served in the FPL as an executive member.
“Based in Pietermaritzburg, my links with Vic were highly professional while he was 100km away. His friendship and guidance were priceless. Telephone conversations for an hour and a half were nothing unusual for Vic. He had a solution for anything that needed attention, for the betterment of football administration.”
In the struggle to promote nonracial soccer, Pillay stood head and shoulders above many “so-called talkers and non-doers”, he said.
“The astute and well-dressed Pillay did not fail to offer a helping hand or advice to any individual of our society.
“Pietermaritzburg had the likes of the late Norman Middleton and Babs Sithapersad, the stalwarts of the South African Soccer Federation of yesteryear and, here, Vic embraced the football fraternity of Pietermaritzburg and up north in his very own charismatic style.”
Rupram said very few presidents of any federation in the height of the apartheid era could do what Pillay achieved.
“In between his busy business schedule running a clothing factory, he sacrificed his entire life for the betterment of football, not only in southern Natal but around the country.
“As an understudy, he would put his hand on your shoulder and read out the riot act in a manner that one would look forward to a trip to hell if need be. However, his fatherly advice to many who crossed his path was for the better and never the worse.”
The Sports Veterans Association in Pietermaritzburg honoured Pillay in 2013 with a lifetime achievement award, which he accepted with humility and grace, said Rupram.
Pillay also succeeded as a businessman. He was a director of the Pelican Restaurant, Sol Namara Hotel. Shemez Fashions garment manufacturers, Sindcor, Graphic Newspaper and Chatsworth Grocers.
He leaves behind his wife Kamala, daughter Pangie and sons Perun and Seelan.
His funeral is on Saturday, at the Clare Estate Crematorium, Hall 2. The body will lie in state from 1pm to 4.30pm.