50 years on, and Bluebells United still going strong
OVER the years, Bluebells United FC have had a fantastic crop of footballers who have donned the famous blue and white jersey
A significant day in the history of Bluebells United was April 9, 1972, when the club made its debut in the Federation Professional League (FPL) and recorded a 4-1 victory over Manning Rangers at Curries Fountain.
The Bluebells United Legacy Project celebrated the 50th anniversary of this milestone on April 9, 2022 at the Lenasia Secondary School. Bells were the first team from the then Transvaal to join the FPL, making the FPL a truly national league. This paved the way for other Transvaal teams, like Swaraj, Dynamos, Pretoria Sundowns, Bosmont Chelsea, Benoni Manchester, Vereeniging Old Boys, Fordsburg Celtic to play under the banner of the FPL.
During the halcyon days (19611967) of the South African Soccer League (SASL), the province was well represented by Transvaal United, Blackpool, Moroka Swallows and Orlando Pirates.
The demise of the SASL led to the beautiful game to being played without racial restrictions, in direct conflict with the policies of the apartheid regime.
The government in turn ensured that clubs featuring players of all races would not have football grounds to play on. The Johannesburg City Council decreed that Bluebells would not play at the Lenasia Stadium. Their incredulous reasoning – the club had players of diverse racial backgrounds.
Bells had to travel to the Queenspark Sports Ground in Vrededorp to play their home games. This was one of the many obstacles and hardships that the club faced at the time.
The transition from amateur to professional football was a daunting task for players. Lenasia players who formed the core of the Bluebells team in 1972 included brothers Louis and Terry Jeevanantham, Prega Thandrind, Rattin Padayachee, Goona Padayatchi, Aggie Mohamed, Abdul Bapoo, Krish Packery and captain Alan Moonsammy. The squad was complemented by Meshack Nkosi (Soweto), Freddy Hermans (Kliptown), Mannie Brink (Noordgesig), Melvin Jansen, Patrick Louw, Ally Snyders (all Vaal) and Vincent van der Merwe (Bloemfontein).
Louis Jeevanantham, Moonsammy and Mohamed, the founding members of the club in 1966, played football for the Lenasia Football Association. Louis played in the FPL (Maritzburg City, 1970) before Bluebells FC were accepted into the league.
For the rest of the young team, the FPL represented uncharted territory. What the team lacked in terms of professional exposure they made up for with an abundance of enthusiasm and fighting spirit.
The team was coached by schoolmaster Billy Morgan, managed by Zanoff Ramdin, while Vincent Naidoo headed the administration. The fanatical support base also gave the club the extra gravitas it needed to succeed.
The 1972 season proved frenetic. Bells faced former champions such as Glenville and Cape Town Spurs. Playing at the Athlone Stadium was mesmerising.
The team also had to travel to Durban to meet the likes of Lincoln City, Maritzburg City, Berea, Verulam Suburbs, Aces United and Manning Rangers.
Despite inadequate training facilities, the team adjusted admirably. Just when Bells mastered the art of playing on the dusty fields of Queenspark, the team relocated to the Natalspruit Grounds.
The team survived a roller-coaster season and ended in a respectable seventh position, recording five wins and two draws. After an epic struggle with Johannesburg City Council in 1973, Bluebells won the right to play at the Lenasia Stadium.
Over the years, Bluebells have had a fantastic crop of footballers who donned the famous blue and white jersey.
The list of Bells footballers includes Groovin Malope (late), Big Boy Kholoane, Soondrum Moodley, Smiley Moosa, Jerry Sadike, Leroy Fortuin (late), Suli Bhamjee, Chris Fortuin, Bubi Williams, Robin Palm, Roy Jones, Andy Karajinsky, Gary Moonsamy, Indrin Pakiry (late), Kanaga Naidoo, Gora Ebrahim, Augustine Makalakalane, Peter Balac, Haroon Mohamed, Derek Eastwood, Sugar Patel, Martin Patel, Deenan Pillay, Zunaid Mall and Noel Goodall.
Bluebells are often compared to the legendary Dutch team of 1974. Both teams played an attractive and entertaining brand of football, and both share the agony of not having won the supreme prize, the World Cup in the case of the Netherlands, and the League or KO Title in the case of Bluebells. Bells were runners-up twice in the FPL to Cape Town Spurs (1973) and Santos (1988).
Bells were also losing KO finalists to Cape Town Spurs (1975), Manning Rangers (1977), Tongaat Crusaders (1984), and Manning Rangers (1985). The team’s solitary success was the historic Top Four away victory against Glenville at the Athlone Stadium in 1974.
Bluebells were fondly known as the People’s Team. The chant of ‘Vande Mataram’ will always resonate with Bells’ faithful.
The club is synonymous with the social history of Lenasia and has earned the right to have its named inscribed in the annals of South African football history.