Opinion / National
Let's all rally behind FC Platinum
11 Jan 2019 at 09:07hrs | Views
All roads lead to Barbourfields Stadium this weekend. FC Platinum plays host to Orlando Pirates in their first African Champions League group stage match.
The South African team has been African champions before, though that was many years ago.
We believe the dream of being crowned African champions drove the team to scale those great heights coupled with the support of passionate fans.
The fans are called the twelfth man for a reason. FC Platinum may not be as old and be as big a brand as Orlando Pirates, but let us not underestimate the enormity of their dreams.
They have given the champions league a go before and they did not go far.
However, it is that experience of the past few years that should motivate the players to do better this time around.
Our plea is to the twelfth man. FCP is flying the national flag this weekend and we urge all Zimbabweans, even those whose sympathies may lie with Orlando Pirates, to come in their numbers and rally behind Norman Mapeza and his boys at Barbourfields.
It is a pity that we cannot commandeer fuel companies to deliver enough fuel to Zvishavane so that Platinum supporters based in that part of the country can travel to Barbourfields to cheer their team.
Not only will we have Pure Platinum Play as our ambassadors at Barbourfields but our fans will also assume that ambassadorial role and it is therefore incumbent upon football lovers to be at their best behaviour before, during and even after the match. We have seen how tempers can flare at such matches, sometimes over contentious refereeing decisions, or even the behaviour of rival supporters.
It is important for the supporters to keep in mind that they are at the stadium to cheer their team to victory, within the confines of the law and rules of the game.
As for the Zimbabwean representatives, we urge them not to take anything for granted and focus throughout the match since Zimbabwe is looking to them to deliver a result and put our football on the global map.
When our teams do well it gives us confidence that our football is moving in the right direction hence the performance of our league champions is likely to be used in some quarters as a barometer to measure our level of competitiveness as a league, and a footballing nation. Let us therefore go out in numbers and cheer our boys to victory.
The South African team has been African champions before, though that was many years ago.
We believe the dream of being crowned African champions drove the team to scale those great heights coupled with the support of passionate fans.
The fans are called the twelfth man for a reason. FC Platinum may not be as old and be as big a brand as Orlando Pirates, but let us not underestimate the enormity of their dreams.
They have given the champions league a go before and they did not go far.
However, it is that experience of the past few years that should motivate the players to do better this time around.
Our plea is to the twelfth man. FCP is flying the national flag this weekend and we urge all Zimbabweans, even those whose sympathies may lie with Orlando Pirates, to come in their numbers and rally behind Norman Mapeza and his boys at Barbourfields.
It is a pity that we cannot commandeer fuel companies to deliver enough fuel to Zvishavane so that Platinum supporters based in that part of the country can travel to Barbourfields to cheer their team.
Not only will we have Pure Platinum Play as our ambassadors at Barbourfields but our fans will also assume that ambassadorial role and it is therefore incumbent upon football lovers to be at their best behaviour before, during and even after the match. We have seen how tempers can flare at such matches, sometimes over contentious refereeing decisions, or even the behaviour of rival supporters.
It is important for the supporters to keep in mind that they are at the stadium to cheer their team to victory, within the confines of the law and rules of the game.
As for the Zimbabwean representatives, we urge them not to take anything for granted and focus throughout the match since Zimbabwe is looking to them to deliver a result and put our football on the global map.
When our teams do well it gives us confidence that our football is moving in the right direction hence the performance of our league champions is likely to be used in some quarters as a barometer to measure our level of competitiveness as a league, and a footballing nation. Let us therefore go out in numbers and cheer our boys to victory.
Source - bmetro
All articles and letters published on Bulawayo24 have been independently written by members of Bulawayo24's community. The views of users published on Bulawayo24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Bulawayo24. Bulawayo24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
