Soccer for the people

2009-07-06 11:56

Craig Hepburn trains players at the football academy in Cape Town. (News24)

Verashni Pillay

Cape Town – Craig Hepburn’s vision is simple. Take the beautiful game to the ugliest places – and then some.

Street children. Refugees. convicts. And then add middle class suburbanites, police officers, rich tourists - even kids age five. In Craig's opinion soccer is everyone’s game. But to use the word game is almost an insult to his vision. Soccer as development, soccer as employment, and most importantly - judging by the piercing hope in his eyes when he speaks of it - soccer as the great unifier.

Hepburn’s journey is a snapshot of a country of contradictions and immense change.  A white man playing a black sport in the 80s, his short stint with the township league Orlando Pirates was doomed by the compulsory conscription demanded by the apartheid government.

"I had to drive into Soweto and train in Orlando Stadium and drive back out and put my army uniform and my rifle on and go back in," he says, grimacing at the memory.

The experience changed him and by the time apartheid ended in 1994, Hepburn had developed a burning conviction that racial unity was absolutely necessary in the country.

Giving back to society

African Brothers was started in the townships with a few friends, bound together by the idea of a team of different cultures. "We were looking to improve the plight of football and look at the problems caused by apartheid where people from the age of 15 and upwards were illiterate and unemployed," he says. "We wanted to give them a foundation where they could contribute back to society through football," he says.

But the next 15 years proved to be an uphill battle. Hepburn, 46, has tried a variety of projects, holding steadfastly to his vision. And while he has enjoyed some successes he has had little to zero support from government.

"I’ve been to Mr Gert Bam [City of Cape Town's then director of sport] and he said that sport will never ever make a change to drugs and crime and all that and to this day we still don’t receive support." Hepburn pauses and then is quick to add he prefers not to have government support. It's clear he is tired of "going around with a begging cap," as he puts it.

Now with the 2010 soccer world cup looming in less than a year, Hepburn sees an opportunity for South Africans to really unify. "Rugby brought the country together twice. Soccer - the African Nations Cup - brought a certain large majority of the population together and a few whites," muses Hepburn. "But now we have an ideal opportunity to bring people together and say: Hey we’re South African. And we need to believe in that and live it together and share each others' cultures and languages and really get to understand each other."

Partnerships

But he's not waiting on government anymore. Craig has engineered a number of partnerships to provide an opportunity for any would-be football professional to realistically follow their dream. An opportunity he never had.

In 1981 he would have had a professional career with professional Scottish Club, Dundee United, but was prohibited by sanctions on the country and the reality of self-imposed exile: by reneging on his army duty he would be imprisoned if he ever returned to the country. The apartheid regime effectively put an end to his dreams. Decades later the regime has changed but not much more widespread opportunity has been introduced. Hepburn is determined that no other young South African should be likewise stunted for lack of support.

"Unfortunately the people that are now in charge haven’t taken responsibility for developing the game," he says. "There are coaches, players out there that want to perform at their best, but the facilities aren’t there, the coaching isn’t there, and the opportunities are not there."

He has now leased a huge - if run-down - training facility in the very centre of Cape Town from Gardens Commercial High School. A video shows the facilities as Craig envisions it - with international standards of training made available to every level of society.

"Sponsors can get involved by purchasing branding boards, donating or getting involved on a macro scale," he says.

Dreaming big

His vision is huge. The academy will act as a training ground for coaches and players alike, providing formerly homeless youth, ex-convicts and refugees with skills and work opportunity. Situated in the city, he hopes to attract other Capetonians too, offering facilities and training for a membership fee. Women and children would receive special attention, and those who have always dreamed of the thrill of scoring a goal would get their time on the field. "Five aside" teams and mini-tournaments means those without huge amounts of time or commitment could get involved.

Eventually he hopes to attract international players who would "come on holiday and then give back", by coaching the academy's players.

The beautiful game, for Craig, is also the universal game. "Most importantly the theme is about multiculturalism; bringing people together through football."

• Contact Craig Hepburg on 072-425-5983, or email him at [e-mail]
• Click here to see News24's video about the African Brother's academy.
  

 

- News24