Not much talked about and possibly for our generation a not known story about the footballers that during the 60’s and 70’s travelled to South Africa to play professional football. Lucrative deals tempted players to join to play in a country banned by FIFA.
South Africa established and founded a professional football league back in 1959. The NFL (National Football League) was an “only white” league. In name the only football league regulated by skin color.
South Africa had a ban from FIFA during those years and was not allowed to participate in international football at any level, getting their sanctions lifted as late as in 1992, when the Apartheid regime became history.
Foreign players or teams never talked much about the money involved, when travels to South Africa were made. Leicester City, became historical, as the first foreign professional team to play a team in the Apartheid NFL. In 1961, just 11 days after the FA Cup final v. Spurs, Leicester City travelled Rhodesia and South Africa. They played “all whites” Durban City.
The NFL was heavy influenced by foreign import, this attracted large crowds to the games. A special “guest star” system were introduced, having star players making the trip to play a few games. Ex Liverpool forward Ian St. John revealed in his biography that he got an offer from Hellenic FC, a Cape Town based club. Bill Shankly told him he would be earning the same as he did at Anfield, and coming to a certain age, St John left and joined the Apartheid NFL in 1971.
Going down the archives you will also find a number of ex Leicester players on the list of appearances in the Apartheid NFL. Gordon Banks, Frank McLintock and Derek Dougan where down there on short visits as teams could bring guest players. Gordon Fincham, Bobby Kellard,Tom Kilkelly are other names to notice.
Gordon Banks turned out for Hellenic FC, Frank McLintock played for Cape Town City and Derek Dougan appeared for Arcadia Shepherds. Fincham joined Port Elizabeth City being in NFL for a longer period of time.
Star players such as Ian St. John, Alan Ball, Geoff Hurst and George Eastham stayed for longer periods of time. Bobby Moore also had a period in the NFL, so had former greats, Johnny Haynes and George Best.
More than 250 English and Scottish players appeared in the NFL during the time this league existed, from 1959 to 1977. A game in 1976, when one club fielded a black player, was the start of the end of this Apartheid league system, and football founded a new league later that had no such rules, which many says was a direct effect in the movement of stopping segregation of sports, based in skin color.
Foreign players were not sanctioned to play by FIFA, so they did nothing illegal, and it was no ban for foreign teams to travel and play friendlies in South Africa. But the signal of doing so, visiting a country banned by FIFA, made it all a bit strange, but with the money involved, we do understand the temptations.
The players who made the move to the NFL knew that it would be a chance to lengthen their professional career, or get a start to one, as the level of play were of course not the same as the top level in England. Former England boss, Roy Hodgson is one who had a spell in the NFL, another major name is former Aston Villa and England forward Peter Withe. Hodgson and Withe were both at a path in their career, not able to get the same deals at home, as they could get in South Africa, so they travelled out and played in the NFL. Hodgson for Berea Park and Withe for Arcadia Shepherds and Port Elizabeth City.
The stories are many and when South Africa arranged the 2010 World Cup, a number of British players were interviewed and their stories became public. Joe Frickleton, was probably good enough to play for Scotland, but he never did. He left a life in Scottish 2nd tier football with East Stirling, to become a star at the best club in the NFL, Highlands Park. Highlands Park won the NFL eight times and ended runners-up in five seasons. The NFL Cup competition saw Highlands as winners six times, reaching the final in nine. Joe Frickleton later went into coaching and management and today one of the most known football personalities in South Africa.
Of the group of British players who joined NFL, most of them travelled back, either to Britain or got a chance to continue playing in the NASL, some also travelled to Hong Kong.
NFL was a very popular league both for the black and white population, being allowed to attend, but segregated inside the stadium. This also made the foundations of a number of large football stadiums being build, as most of the stadiums used in the 2010 World Cup had their roots from this period in time.
Long before England had sponsors for their cups and league competitions, it was commen in NFL.
NFL was in a way a route into professional football for some, for others it became a nice little extra income and a third reason being a chance to lenghtening your career. Few or no one talked about the NFL, despite having former internationals from Britain, Brazil, West Germany, Scandinavia and several other countries, playing in the “all white” NFL during the Appartheid time period.
- Sources:
