Capetonians Long-Distance Relationship with the Premier League Cape Town and the Premier League: love beyond borders

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Words: Florian Bindl

Being a football supporter can be tough. You win, you lose, your team grasps for trophies or gets relegated. Clubs fire their coaches and players change their club more often than ever. When you admire the striker of your club who scores sensational goals you might see him leaving the club for a sum hardly anyone outside the football world could afford. The English Premier League is by far the richest national football competition in the world. The money these English clubs receive for broadcasting rights is far beyond any other league. People all over the globe are fascinated by the likes of Liverpool FC and Manchester United. This seems to be especially true for Capetonians.

Premier League Fandom

We tried to find out why people in the Mother City are so passionate about supporting the British teams. In Cape Town´s CBD we spoke to several fans from different ages and professions. Almost everyone we spoke to confirmed their love for one of the Big Six in England. Why do they care about a sport in a country that is thousands of miles away from their homes and nurture this long-distance relationship over decades? Which teams did they choose and why? Are they loyal to one club or do they follow a certain player? The answers we got to those questions are quite surprising and offer a glimpse of what football fandom in Cape Town means as well as what obstacles there are for the local teams.

One thing becomes obvious when talking to Capetonians about their football preferences – they are passionate about it. For most of them, it is more than just a hobby that you follow in your free time. Their clubs are part of their lives. Many have been fans since their childhood or youth, as the affection for a team got passed on to them by a family member. Being a football supporter is a way of life for them. A fruit dealer in the city center talked to us about Manchester United – his favourite club.

“I follow Manchester United, even in tough times. My father was a fan of them and he passed it on to me. Unfortunately I haven´t been able to go to Manchester and watch a match at the stadium. It is my dream, though. Quinton Fortune from South Africa (born in Cape Town) played for United a few years ago. So there is a special connection to our country. I´m not really interested in South African football. I support our rugby and cricket teams, but not Bafana Bafana or any local club.”

What about local teams?

Why do so few people in the city take to Cape Town City FC or Ajax Cape Town? It would be a lot easier to go to the stadium and get in touch with your team. But the South African league doesn’t seem to get too much attention here. Most Premier League fans dream about; travelling to England and attending a match of their club, exploring the city, cheering for their players and soaking in the atmosphere. Although none of the supporters we talked to have been able to do so yet. One street vendor said:

A Liverpool supporter tells us his story.

“I would like to go to Anfield one day but it´s expensive. Liverpool has a great style of playing and is very successful at the moment. When they struggle, I will still be there for them. From the squad I especially like Sadio Mané. He is from Africa, I’m very proud he plays for my club. I also support SuperSport, but Liverpool is my number one. They are more exciting and have a very mixed squad.”

This might be an explanation for Capetonians´ lack of interest in the local teams. An Uber driver said that in South African football, the clubs tend to focus on the wrong things:

“It is all about politics. Talents get picked because of the place where they grew up or because they know someone who works for the club. It should be about the potential of a young player, only then can a team have success. It is the main reason why our local clubs struggle. When I was young the clubs didn´t pick me, even though I was a decent player at that time. People in the city just love European football as it is more competitive and the teams consist of people from all over the world.”

Supporter’s clubs in Cape Town

Additionally, there is at least one official supporter´s club for every English top team in Cape Town with Liverpool´s located in Mitchell´s Plain and Manchester United´s in Strandfontein. One supporter mentioned; “We can go there, watch the matches and talk about football, it always gets really loud when there is a match. Sometimes they even organise trips to England.” These supporter´s clubs provide Cape Town´s Premier League fans with all important information about upcoming matches and a long list of football chants. When it comes to travelling to the UK, there is a guide on where to purchase tickets, what to do in the city and how to buy merchandise. It seems the supporter´s clubs really care about giving South African fans an extensive overview of what is going on in the Premier League.

Many Capetonian fans dream about going to a Premier League stadium.
Photo credit: Ronnie Macdonald

To understand what the English football clubs mean to Capetonians you need to listen to a man we met near Bo-Kaap. When asked about what his family said about his affection for football, he answered: “My wife knows, my life is about football in first place. Manchester United and Chelsea. Football first, wife second.“ He jokes that his wife is fine with that. The one person in world football he admires most is the coach José Mourinho. He follows every club José coached and likes that he always demands one hundred percent from his team.

“South African football struggles because there aren’t enough football clubs where young people can go to. The focus is clearly on cricket and rugby. We are very successful there. We might also be in football if we only started to work for it. That´s the  main problem.”

Interestingly in Bo-Kaap, I was told that most people aren´t that fond of football. An inhabitant said: “We grew up playing rugby. So we mostly follow rugby here. Football isn´t a big thing in Bo-Kaap. He added that he hasn´t enough time to follow sports anyway. “I have to work all day, there is no time to sit down and watch football.”

Most people we talked to have a rather positive view of football. Some critizised the amount of money that clubs pay for players. But that doesn´t affect their love for the game itself. One man though, who was sitting outside a restaurant in the CBD, complained that all matches are fixed. He said that there would be no real competition. “It´s about politics and money. I am tired of that. I avoid watching sports whenever I can.”

So to claim the whole city is fascinated by football and especially the Premier League is incorrect. Nevertheless, there is a strong tendency of Capetonians to cheer for foreign, mostly English, teams. We heard about the higher level of competition, their mixed squads with exciting players or coaches. And of course, the many possibilities to get in touch with supporter´s clubs in Cape Town, which enables the fans to enjoy their beloved clubs together. For the local clubs, it will be a difficult task to win over the South African football community. From the eleven people we asked, only two admitted that they support a South African team. Namely SuperSport United and the Mamelodi Sundowns.

When I listened to a local radio station the first thing I heard when it came to sports news wasn´t about rugby or cricket. It was about Liverpool´s win against Manchester City in Sunday´s top clash. Even though it is all about how much money you have got in your pockets in today´s football world, Capetonians don´t turn their backs on Premier League football. Quite the opposite: English football enthralls them maybe more than ever.

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