Doc’s memory bank: I destroyed Pirates

Let me continue with coach Jeff. I’ll never forget when we were preparing for the Castle Lager Cup final against Orlando Pirates at FNB. Jeff was on my case like there was no tomorrow! I just couldn’t take it anymore and stormed off the training field. I believed we were just not meant to work together. We were playing 11 v 11 with a few minutes to go, I took a shower and drove home. The next day, my mother sent me to buy bread and milk – which was one of my daily chores – and when I came back, I saw a green Mercedes-Benz parked outside our house and I knew that was the

Chairman’s (Kaizer Motaung) car. I walked into the kitchen, dropped the stuff for my mom and she told me the Chairman and my dad were waiting for me in the lounge. Bro Sam Motaung, Chairman and my dad were waiting for me. The Chairman commanded me to sit down, and you must remember he was very close with my dad. I knew this man from when I was three years old because he would always come to fetch my father to games. He then asked me, “Why did you walk off the training field?” I explained myself and told him maybe I’m not the type of a player the coach wants because I really don’t know what’s wrong. I never do anything right in his eyes. The Chairman stopped me and said, “Listen here, you signed a contract with Kaizer Chiefs, not Jeff Butler. If the club didn’t know what kind of a player you were, we wouldn’t have signed you. He’s got a contract to coach the club and you’ve got a contract to play for the club. We’ve got a big game and can’t got into it with this kind of an attitude in our change room. I’m not here to beg you but to make you understand the dynamics of life. Jeff didn’t give you the talent but God. We believe in you and I want you to go to camp and, if you’re selected, show Jeff Butler who you are. Don’t go to prove him wrong, but show him why Chiefs signed you.” I think Pirates should have played nine left backs against me that day, the way I was so angry. There’s a video on YouTube where I dribble past their defence and set up Ace Khuse and then did the same for Fani Madida. I was unstoppable and destroyed Pirates because we scored two goals in five minutes. We got a corner kick and I couldn’t take the setpiece because their supporters started hurling missiles onto the field. After the game, the Chairman came into the dressing room and asked me to give him a hug, which I happily did.