Wits University FC
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| Bidvest Wits | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Bidvest Wits University Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Clever Boys, The Students | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Founded | 1921 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Bidvest Stadium (Milpark Stadium), Johannesburg |
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| Capacity | 10,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman | Cyril Ramaphosa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager |  Boebie Solomons |
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| League | Castle Premiership | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005-06 | Mvela Golden League, 1st | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wits University Football Club, known under their sponsored title as Bidvest Wits, is South African football team, founded in 1921. The club plays in the Castle Premiership after securing promotion to the country's top flight on April 2nd, 2006 with a 3-0 league victory over PJ Stars. The victory gave the side an unassailable eleven point lead at the top of the Mvela log, with only three games left to play in the season.
The team is nicknamed 'The Clever Boys' or 'The Students' because of the club's close affiliation with the University of the Witwatersrand.
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[edit] History
The club has its roots at Wits University in Johannesburg, where it was formed in 1921 by the university's Students Representatives Council. The club competed in a variety of tournaments and leagues before eventually winning promotion to the South African National Football League in 1975 - then South Africa's top domestic league.
During the 1970's the club produced some of South Africa's finest players - amongst them goalkeeper Gary Bailey, who went on to play for Manchester United and England and Defender Richard Gough, who later played for Rangers, Everton and Scotland.
The club won their first major title in 1978 - winning the Mainstay Cup after beating Kaizer Chiefs in the final of the competition. Six years later they picked up the BP Top 8, and a year later in 1985 they again beat Chiefs, this time in the final of the JPS Knockout Cup.
The 1990's saw mixed fortunes for the team. They won two trophies, the BP Top 8 and the Coca Cola Cup in 1995 under coach John Lathan. But a year later they dropped dangerously close to being relegated from the newly formed Premier Soccer League - only surviving thanks to a spirited win on the final day of the season against Jomo Cosmos.
Mid-table finishes followed in 1997 and 1998 before the club finished sixth in 1999/00 - helped largely by the inspirational form of centre back Peter Gordon, who played over 400 times for the club and won caps for Bafana Bafana (the South African National Team), and striker Sam Magalefa who finished as the club's top goalscorer.
In 2000/01 the club finished a disappointing 13th under new Scottish coach Jim Bone. A year later former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Roger De Sa was appointed head coach, and he immediately restored order with the club finishing 7th in the PSL in 2002, thanks to a 3-1 victory on the final day of the season over Orlando Pirates.
Under De Sa's reign things appeared to be looking up for Wits, with the club securing third placed finishes in the PSL in 2003 and again in 2004. But in 2005 things took a turn for the worse, as De Sa's ultra-defensive tactics, coupled with a mass player exodus at the start of the season, saw the side score just 24 goals in 30 league matches to finish bottom of the league.
At the start of the 2005/06 season, former Santos Cape Town and Maritzburg United coach Boebie Solomons was appointed as head coach, and Solomons' first season in charge brought a return to the PSL for the Clever Boys, with the club comfortably winning the Mvela Golden League (the second tier of South African football) after starting the season with six successive victories.
[edit] Achievements
- Mvela Golden League Champions 2005/06
- Coca-Cola Winners 1995
- JPS Cup Winners 1985
- BP Top 8 Cup Winners 1984, 95
- Mainstay Cup Winners 1978
[edit] Notable former players
- Gary Bailey - Manchester United and England goalkeeper.
- Richard Gough - Rangers, Everton and Scotland defender.
- Frank McGrellis - Striker, formerly of Coventry City and Hereford United.
- Zoran Ilic - Bafana Bafana midfielder.
- Eric Tinkler - Barnsley and Bafana Bafana midfielder. 1996 African Nations Cup winner.
- Zane Moosa - Bafana Bafana defender.
- Kevin Rafferty - Bafana Bafana defender.
- Lovers Mohlala - Bafana Bafana defender.
- Peter Gordon - Bafana Bafana defender.
- Bradley Carnell - Bafana Bafana defender.
- Ashley Makhanya - Bafana Bafana defender.
- Rowen Fernandez - Bafana Bafana goalkeeper.
- Josta Dladla - AGF Aarhus, Sundowns and Bafana Bafana midfielder.
- Tony Coyle - Bafana Bafana defender.
- Neil Winstanley - Sundowns and Bafana Bafana defender.
- Benson Mhlongo - Sundowns and Bafana Bafana midfielder.
- Tsietsi Mahoa - Supersport United and Bafana Bafana defender.
- Stanton Fredericks - FC Moscow and Bafana Bafana midfielder.
- Gert Schalkwyk - Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana midfielder.
[edit] Former coaches
- Eddie Lewis - Former Manchester United striker.
- Julie Kaplan
- Mike Kenning
- Terry Paine - Former Southampton winger, and England World Cup winner.
- John Lathan
- Jim Bone
- Roger De Sa
- Boebie Solomons (Current coach)
[edit] Club records
- Most appearances: Peter Gordon 415 games
- Most goals: Peter Gordon 55
- Most capped player:
- Most appearances in a season: Andy Geddes 46 (1986)
- Most goals in a season: Frank McGrellis 29 (1985)
- Record winn: 14-0 v Cardiff City (Mainstay Cup) - 16/09/1986
- Record loss: 1-6 v Kaizer Chiefs (NSL) - 14/10/1990
[edit] Premier Soccer League record
- 2004/2005 - 16th
- 2003/2004 - 4th
- 2002/2003 - 3rd
- 2001/2002 - 7th
- 2000/2001 - 13th
- 1999/2000 - 6th
- 1998/1999 - 11th
- 1997/1998 - 8th
- 1996/1997 - 12th
[edit] 2005/2006 season
[edit] Season record
- Mvela Golden League - winners
- ABSA Cup - last 32
- Telkom Charity Cup - not qualified
[edit] Award winners
Player of the Year: Boitumelo Moleyane
Players’ Player of the Year: Richard Gariseb
Most Improved Player of the Year: Michel Babale
Young Player of the Year: Zakhele Ndhlovu
Club Man of the Year: Charles Yohane
[edit] 2006/2007 First team squad
As of August 31, 2006 (official PSL player registration deadline)
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[edit] 2006/2007 Transfers
In:
Moeneeb Josephs - Ajax Cape Town
Phil Evans - Supersport United
Lucas Sebona - Mamelodi Sundowns
Abram Raselemane - Supersport United
Rene Richards (on loan) - Kaizer Chiefs
Nhlanhla Kubeka - Kaizer Chiefs
Noah Chivuta - City Pillars
Pepe - Internacional SP, Brazil
Wendell Robinson - Supersport United
Kenneth Motshumi - Dynamos
Danilo Julio - Vasco da Gama, Brazil
Out:
Isaac Mabotsa - Supersport United
Elasto Kapowezha - FC AK
Michel Babale - FC AK
Danzyl Bruwer - Bay United
Aubin Takutchie - Fidentia Rangers
Peter Rabolele - Fidentia Rangers
Jonathan Solomons - Bloemfontein Celtic
Victor Nguvule - Witbank Spurs
Gareth Divine - PJ Stars
Jackson Mabokgwane - Mamelodi Sundowns
Paulus Shipanga
Simon Makhubela
[edit] Official sponsor
BidVest
[edit] External links
- Bidvest Wits Official Website
- Premier Soccer League
- PSL Club Info
- South African Football Association
- Confederation of African Football
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Premier Soccer League 2006–07
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Ajax Cape Town | AmaZulu | Benoni Premier United | Bidvest Wits | Black Leopards | Bloemfontein Celtic |
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