Thanks to the Metro cops, a Soccer city visit is like visiting the dentist
Trips to Soccer City were the highlight of the Soccer World Cup for many of us.
But thanks to ample bottom Metro Police, I now look forward to visits to the iconic stadium with the same enthusiasm I usually reserve for trips to the dentist.
Saturday night’s Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates was nearly ruined by traffic officials who clearly did not have a clue what they were doing. It was yet another example of their utter ineptitude and it seemed they never had a plan.
To start with, there were very few traffic officials handling a match that was attended by 75 000 supporters. Imagine that nonsense!
Soccer City where the numbskull activity ruined a perfectly good derby
They were grossly short-staffed and it boggles the mind how Metro Police and the Premier Soccer League (PSL) got their supposed pre-match plans so wrong.
Traffic moved at a ridiculous snail’s pace from all directions while the few numbskulls who were supposed to be doing something about it looked on helplessly as the congestion worsened. Some fans claim they were stuck in traffic for over two hours while the chaotic scenes played outside the stadium.
While furious and impatient drivers were trying to negotiate their way around the venue, the traffic cops were oblivious to what was happening around them.
We spotted some of these supposedly on-duty cops huddled in a corner in Nasrec deep in conversation and completely unaware of the commotion that was developing outside of Soccer City.
Their presence at Soccer City was supposed to help regulate the flow of traffic and ensure that impatient supporters entered and exited the stadiums in an orderly manner.
But that never happened, and reckless drivers got away with just about every traffic violation in full view of the police.
PSL chief operations officer Ronnie Schloss blamed the chaos solely on the traffic officials.
“We do not control the traffic or have the authority to block off roads in and around the stadium,” said Schloss.
“We had informed the (Johannesburg) Traffic Department we expected between 60 and 80 000 fans at the game but there were not enough traffic officers to handle the situation which got out of control. I was bombarded with complaints from angry supporters who were stuck in a huge traffic jam.
“We, as a league, are concerned as this situation and we need to sort it out and make sure our fans get in and out of our matches smoothly, quickly and with the least possible inconvenience otherwise it will hurt our business.
“Therefore, we need to have an urgent meeting to prevent this happening in future.”
Schloss couldn’t understand why the Traffic Department had suddenly reverted from the highly successful plan they used during the World Cup.
“The traffic control was superb during the World Cup,” he said.
“What I cannot understand is why the situation has deteriorated in two months since the end of the World Cup.
“The PSL, stadium management and the traffic department need to find a solution to this problem.”
The PSL is trying to convince new fans to attend local soccer matches but based on the chaotic scenes on Saturday, they will be lucky if some of the people who attended that match on Saturday return to Soccer City.
Hell, I wouldn’t return to the bloody stadium myself if this wasn’t my job.
September 13th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Hi Mninawa
I went to the game. I took the train from Park Station.
It was soooooooo easy. And empty. And cost ten Rand return.
Take that mode of transport next time, it is painless.
And if you live in Soweto then take the Rea Vaya, those were running just fine.
What I have not thought about is that it is your job, which would mean that you would have to have your own transport.
In which case, you have made some good points.
September 14th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
I had to turn around and miss the Super 14 semifinal in Orlando Stadium when the Nedbank Cup final was happening at Soccer City.
From Maraisburg offramp to Nasrec – 4 hours. Unfortunately I did tell the Metro cops what I thought of them when I made my illegal U-turn to rush home. But now there is no parallel game happening in Orlando Stadiumand it still happens!
It’s about time we get some first-world cops to handle our first-world Stadiums.