Bay United F.C.

Last updated

Bay United
Bay United FC logo.svg
Full nameBay United Football Club
Nickname(s)Watsh’Umlilo (The fire is burning)
Founded2006
Dissolved2012
Ground Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane
Capacity15,000
Coach David Bright
League National First Division
2011–12 National First Division, 10th

Bay United was a South African professional football (soccer) club based first in the city of Port Elizabeth and later Polokwane. It played in the South African Premier Division and National First Division.

Contents

The club came into existence in 2006 when the franchise of struggling National First Division club Maritzburg United was purchased and relocated to Port Elizabeth. The club also purchased the Vodacom League franchise of the NMMU F.C. [1] The club spent one season in the Premier Soccer League, and the other years of its existence in the National First Division.

Following the 2010–11 NFD season, the club's NFD franchise was moved to Polokwane, Limpopo. It played the 2011–12 season under the name Bay United. In 2012, it became Polokwane City. The Vodacom League team became Bay Stars.

Ownership

The club was owned by Volkswagen South Africa during the 2006–07 NFD season. [2] After the 2006–07 season Sipho Pityana purchased the club through his company, Izingwe Holdings and VW became the team's main sponsor.

The club's future was unknown during the 2010 off season as owner Sipho Pityana had said that the club would cease conducting business, while attempting to sell the club. [3]

The main reason given for selling the club were, a lack of funds, stemming from the teams demotion from the PSL at the end of the 2008/2009 season. The reduction in income due to playing in the NFD, as well as a fine for releasing players seem to be the main causes for the club's problems. Pityana had said that he would however be willing to sell the club, should a buyer come forward. [4]

The league franchise was eventually sold to Striving Mind Trading 522 CC, a Limpopo based company, headed by Julia Mogaladi. She is the niece of John Mogaladi, chairman of the Limpopo-based football club, Winners Park. They announced that the team would be moved to Limpopo, but it remained in Port Elizabeth for the 2010–11 season. [5]

In August 2012, the PSL approved of the renaming of the franchise to Polokwane City.

Home stadium

When the club was first formed, it played its matches at the Wolfson Stadium, in KwaZakhele, Port Elizabeth. Following the 2007–08 NFD season, and the club's promotion to the PSL, the stadium was deemed below league standards. The team then moved its home matches to the EPRU Stadium in Port Elizabeth for the 2008–09 Premier Soccer League. The team shared the stadium with Eastern Province rugby team. During the season, the team also hosted some matches at East London's Buffalo City Stadium.

The team was relegated at the end of the 2008–09 PSL season, and then moved its home matches to the smaller Westbourne Oval. During the 2009–10 National First Division season, the team experienced scheduling issues, and was forced to also host matches at NMMU's Xerox Stadium, and the EPRU Stadium.

During the 2010–11 National First Division season the team began by hosting its matches at the Westbourne Oval, but later shifted to hosting its matches at the Gelvandale Stadium.

The youth team played its home matches at the NU2 Stadium.

After moving to Limpopo, the club played at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, University of Limpopo Stadium and Seshego Stadiumin Polokwane.

Honours

Club records

2008–09  – 16th
2006–07  – 13th
2007–08  – 2nd (Coastal Stream) (promoted through play-offs)
2009–10  – 3rd (Coastal Stream)
2010–11  – 1st (Coastal Stream)
2011–12  – 10th (Polokwane City playing under the Bay United name)
2007  – Round of 32
2008  – NFD Qualification Round
2009  – Round of 16
2010  – NFD Qualification Round
2011  – NFD Qualification Round
2012  – Round of 32 (Polokwane City playing under the Bay United name)
2008  – Quarter-Finals
2006  – Round of 16

Sponsorship

The team's main sponsor is Volkswagen South Africa, who had previously owned the club. The team is also sponsored by Aberdare Cables. [6] Puma is the team's technical sponsor. [7]

Former coaches

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium</span> Stadium in Gqeberha, South Africa

The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a soccer and rugby union stadium in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It hosted 2010 FIFA World Cup matches, including the third-place play off. It is the home of Chippa United Football Club and formerly of rugby union team Southern Kings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Province Elephants</span> Rugby team

The Eastern Province Elephants are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Rugby Challenge competitions. They are governed by the Eastern Province Rugby Union. The team represents the Western half of the Eastern Cape province, and they play their home games at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SuperSport United F.C.</span> Football club

SuperSport United Football Club is a South African professional football club based in Atteridgeville in Pretoria in the Gauteng province. The team currently plays in the Dstv Premiership. United is known as Matsatsantsa a Pitori amongst its supporters. They usually play their home games at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National First Division</span> Football league

The National First Division (NFD), officially known as the Motsepe Foundation Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest league of South African club football after the South African Premier Division. Both the NFD and South African Premier Division are organised by the Premier Soccer League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polokwane City F.C.</span> Association football club

Polokwane City Football Club is a South African professional football club based in the city of Polokwane in the Limpopo province that currently plays in the first tier South African Premier Division. The team plays its home matches at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University F.C. is as an association football club representing the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The club was brought to its current form in 2005, through mergers of three football clubs. NMMU's previous institutions had football clubs at the University of Port Elizabeth, Port Elizabeth Technikon and Vista University's Port Elizabeth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thanda Royal Zulu F.C.</span> Football club

Thanda Royal Zulu was a South African football club based in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008–09 Nedbank Cup</span> Football tournament season

Nedbank Cup is a South African club football (soccer) tournament. The knockout tournament, based on the English FA Cup format, carries a 'David versus Goliath' theme. The competition was sponsored by ABSA until 2007, after which Nedbank took over sponsorship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highlands Park F.C.</span> Football club

Highlands Park Football Club are a South African professional soccer club who played in Modderfontein, Johannesburg. They were founded in 2003 as a phoenix club to the earlier Highlands Park F.C. (1959) and Highlands Park F.C. (1990) The club started out in the fourth tier of the South African Football league, known as SAFA Regional League, and got promoted in 2007 to compete in the third tier, known as Vodacom League.

2010–11 National First Division, was the season from September 2010 until May 2011, of South Africa's second tier of professional football. The overall NFD champion was promoted to the first level, known as Premier Soccer League (PSL). While the losing team of the championship final, faced a round robin playoff stage, against the second lowest ranked team of PSL and the two second ranked teams of the NFD streams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baroka F.C.</span> Football club

Baroka F.C. is a South African football club from Ga-Mphahlele near Polokwane, Limpopo that plays in the National First Division also known as the Motsepe Foundation Championship for sponsorship reasons, following their relegation from the top tier division commonly referred to as DStv Premiership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chippa United F.C.</span> Association football club

Chippa United Football Club is a South African professional football club based in East London in the Eastern Cape province, having previously been based in Nyanga suburb of the city of Cape Town. The club's first team currently plays in the Premier Soccer League's Premier Division, with the reserve team playing in the PSL's reserve league. The team plays most of its home games at the Buffalo City Stadium, while hosting night matches at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

The 2011–12 National First Division, is the season from September 2011 until May 2012, of South Africa's second tier of professional football. By the end of the season, the overall NFD champion will get promoted to the first level, known as Premier Soccer League (PSL).

The 2016–17 South African Premier Division season is the 21st season of the Premier Soccer League since its establishment in 1996.

The 2017–18 South African Premier Division season is the 22nd season of the Premier Soccer League since its conception in 1996.

The 2019–20 Nedbank Cup was the 2019–20 edition of South Africa's premier knockout club football (soccer) competition, the Nedbank Cup.

The 2020–21 Nedbank Cup is the 2020–21 edition of South Africa's premier knockout club football (soccer) competition, the Nedbank Cup.

The 2022–23 South African Premier Division from 5 August 2022 to 20 May 2023 is the 27th consecutive season of the PSL. Mamelodi Sundowns are the 5-time defending champions, having won the title from the 2017–18 season to 2021–22. Sekhukhune United relocated from Ellis Park Stadium to Peter Mokaba Stadium.

The 2022–23 National First Division was the season from September 2022 to June 2023 of South Africa's second tier of professional soccer, the National First Division.

The 2023–24 National First Division will be the season from September 2023 to June 2024 of South Africa's second tier of professional soccer, the National First Division.

References

  1. ↑ "Bay United History". Supersport. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  2. ↑ "Sports". Volkswagen South Africa. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  3. ↑ "MEDIA STATEMENT FROM IZINGWE HOLDINGS, OWNERS OF BAY UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB". bufc.co.za. 2 March 2010. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
  4. ↑ "Despair as Bay United folds, put up for sale". The Herald. 3 March 2010. Archived from the original on 7 March 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
  5. ↑ "One more season at home as Limpopo woman buys Bay United". The Herald. 30 July 2010. Archived from the original on 30 July 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
  6. ↑ "Bay United get R3-million sponsorship". Kickoff Magazine. 6 March 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  7. ↑ "Puma and Bay United clinch deal". Kickoff Magazine. 8 August 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.