| Full name | Swallows Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Birds The Beautiful Birds The Dube Birds | ||
| Founded | 1947 | ||
| Ground | Volkswagen Dobsonville Stadium, Soweto, Johannesburg | ||
| Capacity | 24,000 | ||
| Chairman | David Mogashoa | ||
| Coach | Brandon Truter | ||
| League | DStv Premiership | ||
| 2020–21 | 2nd | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
| |||
Moroka Swallows Football Club (often known as simply Swallows or The Birds) is a South African professional football club based in Soweto in the city of Johannesburg in the Gauteng province.
Founded in 1947, Swallows are one of the original two Soweto clubs, together with Orlando Pirates.
Until relegation in the 2014–15 season, the club had played every season of the Premier Soccer League.[1]
They won the 2019–20 National First Division and will compete in the 2020–21 South African Premier Division, and play their home matches at Dobsonville Stadium.
History
The club was founded in the 1940s by a trio of soccer lovers, Ishmael Lesolang, Strike Makgatha, and Johnny Kubheka.[2]
They originally named the side Congregated Rovers after the firm in which most of the players and officials worked, later changing it to Moroka Rovers.[3]
But then, on 10 October 1947, the trio decided to change the name again to Moroka Swallows, basing themselves in the township formally known as Masakeng.[4]
The name has lasted for the best part of 55 years, a period which has seen consistent success both on the field and off it.[5]
The name 'moroka' means 'rain maker' in Setswana and the township was probably named after Chief Moroka of Barolong boo-Seleka who became the president of the African National Congress in 1940s. It is hardly surprising therefore that the club was renamed the 'rain bird'.
The 1950s and 1960s were a successful time for the club, culminating in their greatest ever achievement, winning the South African League title in 1965.[6]
Off the field, the club was becoming a business and in 1971 they became the first ever football team to register as a public company.
That same year they were also the first to receive an official sponsorship when Teljoy began their association with the club. [7] The decade between 1982 and 1992 was a successful one for the team, culminating in four pieces of silverware.[8]
In 2007, the club celebrated its 60th anniversary. Two years later Swallows won the Nedbank Cup, the club's first piece of silverware for five years.[9]
The club narrowly avoided relegation in the 2013–14 season, finishing thirteenth. The 2014–15 season saw them relegated for the first time in their history, finishing 15th, and failing to retain their position after being defeated in the promotion-relegation playoffs.[10]
Following their first relegation from the top level, the club finished bottom of the log in the National First Division, and were relegated again to the SAFA Second Division.
Prior to the start of the 2018–19 season, Swallows purchased the franchise of National First Division team Maccabi for R8 million, and competed in the 2019–20 National First Division.
At the end 2019–20 National First Division season, the club gained promotion to the Premier Soccer League following a 3-0 win against third-placed Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila F.C., and will compete in the 2020–21 South African Premier Division.
Honours
- South African Soccer League
- Winners: 1965
- Mainstay Cup
- Winners: 1983
- Bob Save Super Bowl
- Winners: 1989, 1991
- BP Top Eight Cup
- Winners: 1975, 1979
- Sales House Cup
- Winners: 1978
- ABSA Cup
- Winners: 2004
- Nedbank Cup
- Winners: 2009
- MTN 8
- Winners: 2012
- National First Division
- Winners: 2019-20
Club records
- Most starts:
Andries Mpondo 395 - Most goals: Thomas Hlongwane 73
- Most capped player: Lerato Chabangu 13
- Most starts in a season: Andries Mpondo 49 (1986)
- Most goals in a season: Thomas Hlongwane 27 (1985)
- Record Victory: 8–0 vs African Wanderers (29/9/91, NSL)
- Record Defeat: 2–6 vs Hellenic (7/3/85, Sales House Cup); Rangers (3/7/87, NSL)
Source:[11]
Premier Soccer League record
Club officials/Technical team
- MD & CEO: David Mogashoa
- General manager: Sipho Xulu
- Team manager: Bennet Mtshali
- Coach: * Brandon Truter
- Assistant coach: Fani Madida
- Goalkeeper coach:
Edgard da Silva
Source:[12]
First team squad
As of 8 October, 2020
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable players
- Brad Norman (2019): He converted into the first South African to play in Paraguay following his stint with Moroka Swallows.
Notable former coaches
References
- ^ PSL Club Info Archived 16 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Moroka Swallows Football Club - Succession". Moroka Swallows Football Club. 23 March 2010. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ^ "The history of Moroka Swallows Football Club". Moroka Swallows Football Club. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ^ "PART 2: THE FIRST DECADE (1947-1957)". Moroka Swallows Online. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ^ "THE SECOND DECADE (1957-1967)". Moroka Swallows Online. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ^ "MOROKA SWALLOWS BIG XV 1968-1978". Moroka Swallows Online. Archived from the original on 6 June 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ^ "PART 5: THE FOURTH DECADE (1979-1988)". Moroka Swallows Online. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ^ "PART 6: THE FIFTH DECADE (1989-1998)". Moroka Swallows Online. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ^ "PART 7: THE SIXTH DECADE (1999-2008)". Moroka Swallows Online. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ^ "Moroka Swallows' relegation a historic one in South Africa". ESPN FC. 2 June 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
- ^ "Moroka Swallows". Kickoff.com. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
- ^ Kickoff PSL Yearbook 2013/2014, p. 32.
- ^ "Moroka Swallows Have Appointed Craig Rosslee As Head Coach". www.soccerladuma.co.za. Retrieved 12 April 2018.