Holistic solution is Brand’s goal
The new boer on the PSL block listened to Bob Marley at varsity and tells Bareng-Batho Kortjaas what Nelson Mandela means to him
What was the first football match you attended? I can’t remember. My memory doesn’t go back that far. Growing up in old SA I got to know about Kaizer Chiefs and Kaizer Motaung playing. It was isolated from where I grew up.
And where was that? I was born in Vrede, grew up in Bethlehem and studied at the Free State University. Is this PSL CEO gig just a job or do you have a feel for football? I love sport. I’d watch a game of darts between two guys late at night. I’m watching Wimbledon. Football forms part of my interest. Do you attend PSL matches and what’s the last game you watched? Yes. The Soweto derby is the one everyone watches and I saw the last game. The derby is a full house, but the empty seats in most matches are an eyesore? It’s bad for the sponsors, broadcasters, club owners, for every stakeholder. If I was a broadcaster or sponsor or team I’d love to see a full house.
How are you going to remedy that? We need to go to the core of the problem . . . if it’s economics, transport, some say it’s the smoking. We need to engage and come up with a holistic solution. Up to that point it is one man’s opinion versus another. You’re a director at the Blue Bulls and now the PSL big chief. How are you going straddle both? I stopped being a Bulls director last month.
How did a boy from Free State end up a Blou Bul? My father is a big Cheetahs fan, my brother supports the Stormers. I was never one to follow the herd and always made up my own mind. Are you going to be a glorified clerk or will you have some power? If I own a flower shop I make all the decisions. If I grow a bit bigger I appoint a manager but I still own the business. He can make suggestions on how to run it and I will accept or reject. The members are the owners. I need to build their trust. If I want something changed I need to motivate for it. As the confidence grows I will get more powers. Delegation of authority is part of the whole dynamic. It obviously changes as the business grows. I don’t just expect to have authority left right and centre. Is it a ‘he who pays the piper calls the tune’ situation?
That’s exactly it. There’s an elephant called the National First Division in the PSL room. How are you going to change it’s image?
I haven’t had time to interact with the NFD committee. It would be arrogant for me to have a view. I’m not going to make rash decisions and spend time trying to prove that my decision was right. The priority is to get to understand the beast. How are you going to attract sponsorship for the NFD? Why would a sponsor come in? To build brands, they want exposure and the quality of the product they want to sponsor needs to be of a high standard. The league must understand what we need to make money from and it must provide our sponsors with that. If it is consistency in scheduling matches, it has to be that. If it is full stadiums, we have to deliver. Do exciting? you think PSL football is For a guy who only played rugby at flyhalf, centre and wing — and I was a very terrified flyhalf (laughs) — I’d insult a lot of people if I said this was entertaining and that was not. Which support? soccer side do you Manchester United. My Spanish team is Barcelona. They’re fantastic, like poetry in motion. I enjoy the unbelievable skill. Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Neymar? Messi does unbelievable things. He must just pay his tax.
What’s playing on your radio? I listen to talk radio and have just been introduced to Power FM.
What are you reading? I read biographies of struggle heroes from Madiba, Oliver Tambo, former president Mbeki’s book . . . everyone. I try and educate myself about what people have gone through.
What music do you listen to? My wife owns the house music and my kids put music in the car. Dad just listens. In my university days I was a reggae fan. I still listen to Bob Marley. What does Nelson Mandela mean to you? He him gave our country me a future. would If it have weren’t taken for a wife, different daughter route. and My son future, would that have of my been freedom completely to millions. different. He gave