Unhappy Lions set for move to Soweto

[TRF_Ezequiel]

The Lions look set to leave Coca Cola (Ellis) Park for a move to Soweto's Soccer City and are looking to break ties with the partners that joined last year.

The move to Soweto will raise concerns about the viability of Ellis Park which has been a long term home for the Golden Lions and Transvaal Rugby.

Ellis Park hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup final as well as a Football World Cup quarterfinal less than a year ago.

The move appears set to be confirmed over the next few days and is down to the new ownership of the Super Rugby franchise.

Stadium Management SA (SMSA) manage Soccer City and three other local stadiums, are in the midst of talks with Kaizer Chiefs about the PSL club moving there as a possible anchor tenant.

"There's a very lucrative offer on the table to the Lions," Jacques Grobbelaar, executive chairman of SMSA told The Sunday Times.

"There's one for Chiefs as well."

The Sunday Times also says that the relationship between the Golden Lions and the Guma Group is at breaking point and the Lions are so desperate to get out of their contract with their equity partner that they have sought legal advice.

Apparently the equity deal has not been fulfilled in all facets, and trust between the parties has all but evaporated.

"Part of the problem is that the Lions have - misguidedly in my view - abdicated the financial running of the union in certain departments to the Guma Group."

"That's not ideal," said someone within the Lions hierarchy.

source: superxv.com


To me, this is one of the most ridiculous ideas I've ever heard in my life. They don't even manage to fill Ellis Park, how can they ever manage to sell 80.000 tickets in Soweto? On top of that, the stadium is called Soccer City. That's nice rugby. I think I will wait for the moment they will host a tennis match at Loftus

 

[Amobokoboko]

Tjan money and politics.

 

[Draggs]

FNB Stadium, isn't it?
Nice stadium, but it will look so depressingly empty.

 

[Seaton]

Ellis Park is a moer of a place to get to, and most of the supporters I have spoken think the team should move to another stadium

Preferably a smaller stadium to help contain any atmosphere created, but by moving to Soweto the Lions could have an entirely new fanbase, as we saw with the Bulls in Soweto last year, but ticket prices will have to be fairly reduced if they want regular visitors

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Ellis Park is a moer of a place to get to, and most of the supporters I have spoken think the team should move to another stadium

Preferably a smaller stadium to help contain any atmosphere created, but by moving to Soweto the Lions could have an entirely new fanbase, as we saw with the Bulls in Soweto last year, but ticket prices will have to be fairly reduced if they want regular visitors

Yeah, the Lions have needed to ditch Ellis Park for a while now. Its a solid move to go to Soweto but I wonder if it will be as succesful as it might have been have they made the move before the Bulls did.

This deal with the partnership turning sour is interesting. I guess we'll have to wait to hear what the particulars are. Interesting times at the Lions in any event.