Yesterday, Kaizer Chiefs and Highlands Park battled it out in the Absa Premiership at the Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa. The result didn't go Highland's way, but the real victory was football as a soccer-loving community got to fill a stadium and watch the spectacle.
Read – Saddam: I Smell Disaster
Before the game, prominent Chiefs supporter Saddam Maake expressed concerns that the stadium was too small to host a team of Amakhosi's magnitude. His reasons were very good, and personal, as he has attended a number of games that ended in tragedy due to poor crowd control.
I want to differ with Saddam slightly, however. I think small stadiums are fantastic for our football. Of course, we must learn our lessons from the past and respect those who have lost their lives watching the beautiful game. However, I don't think their lives were lost so much because of the size of the stadium, but rather the way in which the crowd was managed.
Last night's game had a wonderful atmosphere; it is beautiful to see a small stadium based in a community, and it is beautiful to see it full. If the same game was played at FNB Stadium with the same sized crowd, it would have looked empty, and it would have looked depressing. In fact, I am of the opinion that the quality of football on the field suffers when the crowd is dwindling.
Our stadiums are far too large and the fact is our stadium attendances are shocking as it is. This can be helped a lot by playing in smaller stadiums. Smaller stadiums also tend to be closer to the people and they therefore have to spend less money on transport to get there.
Smaller stadiums do not have to be dangerous if they are controlled properly by security. South Africa has bigger stadiums than most European countries, and they fill their stadiums every week and their fans go home safe because things are organised properly.
My thumbs up goes to Highlands Park and Tembisa, your atmosphere is a welcome breath of fresh air in the PSL, and I hope you stay for long and prove your home ground to be a success, so that other teams may learn from you.
What are your thoughts on smaller stadiums in South Africa?
