The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER Warriors goalkeeper, Bruce Grobbelaar claims to have lifted the curse on his former English Premiership side Liverpool, which will pave way for them to win their first title in three decades.
Liverpool were last English champions as far as back as 1989/90 season, with this season looking really promising for the Reds.
The 62-year-old Grobbelaar, known for his energetic character and blistering nature recently narrated a story in which he claimed a curse had been placed on Anfield, before he was able to lift it in the most bizarre ways.
Grobbelaar was quoted in the British media saying in 1992, when he had his testimonial, his sponsors, Zambezi Lager sent a sangoma with his beer. The sangoma went on to put water over the Anfield posts and told Liverpool that as long as they did not have the Jungleman, they were never going to win the title ever again.
“I had a testimonial in 1992, I was sponsored by Zambezi Lager and they sent a witchdoctor with the Zambezi Lager and he went around on the posts, put his little goat’s tail, put all the water over the posts on both sides and got the microphone and he said ‘If you don’t have the Jungleman Bruce Grobbelaar here, you won’t win the league again’,’’ Grobbelaar said.
Grobbelaar claims to have tried to lift the “spell” by urinating on the Anfield posts in 2014 when former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard had his famous slip against Chelsea but was thrown out before he could complete the “task”.
“Of course I went back to South Africa, went to Canada, came back, remember when Stevie G had his slip, well, I went down to the pitch, I went to the Kop End, I peed on the posts and I got thrown out, I didn’t do the Anfield Road, that way we came second.”
Perseverance saw Grobbelaar, the former Highlanders goalkeeper finally accomplish the “task” when he played in a commercial game, he managed to put some urine into a water bottle which he sprinkled over the Anfield goalposts.
“I’ve fulfilled my task because last season I played for Hotel Tier in a corporate game here, we were in the dressing room and the guys said you’ve got to do the business today. I said ok, I took a water bottle, poured the water out, went into the toilet, peed in the bottle, came back, first half in the Kop End, splashed it over the posts, second half came down here, splashed it over the posts, I’ve done the job,’’ Grobbelaar said.
He, however, refuses to take blame for the so called “spell” despite conceding to have invited the sangoma to the game.
“You can’t put the blame on me, it was the witchdoctor, I did (invite him to the game).”
It remains to be seen if Grobbelaar has indeed played his part in ensuring that Liverpool finally win the English title again, after three decades of trying do so. The Reds have not lost a league game this season and only dropped two points when they drew against bitter rivals Manchester United.
@Mdawini_2
