The Sunday News
BULAWAYO football fans are not going to miss out on any Castle Lager Premier Soccer League action as the city’s clubs are set to play at Hartsfield Rugby Ground when regular soccer stadiums close for renovations.
There had been fears that the city’s four PSL teams, Highlanders, How Mine, Chicken Inn and Bantu Rovers will play their home matches in other towns for the duration of the closure of Luveve and Barbourfields stadiums as they are undergoing renovations in preparation for the Africa Union Sports Council Region Five Under-20 Youth Games slated for December in Bulawayo.
PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele said they have entered into negotiations with the Matabeleland Rugby Football Board, who own Hartsfield and are looking at making the necessary changes before the teams move to the venue.
Highlanders have been using Barbourfields as their home ground while the other three clubs play at Luveve Stadium.
“We have entered into talks with Matabeleland Rugby Football Board and we are assessing the stadium, we are looking at what needs to be done before the clubs move to Hartsfield.
“All the four teams will be fulfilling their PSL fixtures at Hartsfield,” he said.
Ndebele said this weekend’s fixtures could be the last to be played at Barbourfields and Luveve before the stadiums are closed for renovations.
Some of the clubs had already come up with plans to move to other stadiums outside the city with Highlanders opting for Mandava Stadium in Zvishavane while Chicken Inn had announced they are going to be playing at the Colliery Stadium in Hwange.
However, the PSL headache will be the fixture pitting Highlanders and Dynamos, which the revised PSL calendar indicates would be played on the weekend of 9-10 August, as Hartsfield is unlikely to accommodate the multitude of fans that are attracted by one of the biggest matches in the country.
The clash between the two eternal rivals usually attracts the biggest crowds in local soccer and Ndebele said they are yet to decide on where the game will be played.
“The fixture will present headaches for us but it is just a fortnight away I am sure by then we would have made a decision on the way forward,” he said.
The Region Five Games will run from 4 to 14 December in the city and various stadiums are undergoing renovations to ensure they would be ready in time for the sporting event that will involve 15 countries.
Facilities undergoing renovations include the Bulawayo City Pool, White City Stadium, Hillside Teachers College, Luveve and Barbourfields.
White City Stadium’s cycling track would be demolished so that the athletics track has eight lanes as per international standards and a tartan track would replace the current cinder ash one. At the netball courts, stands will be constructed to accommodate 5 000 people as well as erect ablution facilities.
The terraces at White City, which were condemned by the city’s engineers, would be replaced, while a warm-up track would be built outside the stadium.
Barbourfields’ sitting capacity will increase from the present 22 000 spectators to between 30 000 and 35 000 when spaces between the stands are joined by more terracing while two more changing rooms will be built and the VIP stand will also be renovated to meet international standards.
At Luveve, a new VIP section is being built along with adjacent dressing rooms and ablution facilities.
The present dressing rooms will be changed into public toilets that will accommodate close to 60 people at any given time.
