Transvaal Springboks

The Transvaal Springboks association football (soccer) club in Liga Mundo was formed on January 12, 2008. The squad is "owned" by the Staatsregeringministrie vir Sport en Atletiese van Transvaal and managed by Bartnel Botha, the current Minister for Sport & Athletics in Transvaal.

The 'Boks play all their home matches at Loftus Versfeld Stadium (capacity 51,762) in Pretoria.

On May 4, 2009 after their match against SiPS, the club moved temporary to Khomasdal Stadium (capacity 10,300) - the home field for Windhoek Welwitschia - for the duration of the Karma War as Loftus Versfeld was deemed un-usable at the time. Two matches were played there before the club announced their return to Loftus Versfeld three weeks later on May 25, 2009.

Their kit colours, adopted on September 14, 2009, are bottle green shirts with golden orange and white neck trim paied up with white shorts. The Springboks have used two previous uniform designs. The original kit from Season 1 consisted of green shirts with white trim and golden orange shorts with green trim. This design was then changed during the later third of Season 4 on January 27, 2009 to green and orange shirts with vertical stripes and black neck trim paired up with green shorts with orange trim.

The club sponser since their first season has been Soundic Radio.

The Springboks, or Die Bokke as they are nicknamed in Afrikaans, have always played in the Primera Liga, the top-flight division of Liga Mundo. The Springboks' best league finish was when they won their first league championship in Liga Mundo Season 5 after defeating Estrella Roja in the final match of the season on June 8, 2009. Their worst finish was when the club placed 7th in their second season and faced relegation to the Segunda Liga until Hanslope Hornets, the club finishing above them, folded and the Springboks retained their spot in the Primera Liga.

Of the initial 18-man expansion roster, only fullbacks Joop Boekweg and Bert van der Meer and midfielders Dick Witchge and Henk Schot remain with the club. Stien van Buyten, Mark Verwayen, and Balthazar Botha all joined during the inaugural season as junior prospect signings - therefore 7 of the 20 players currently signed with club have played in all six seasons in Liga Mundo for the Springboks.

Original Springbok Ricardo van Deinsen announced his retirement at the conclusion of Liga Mundo Season 5. At the time of his final match, he was second on the club in most matches played (84) and lead the club in most points (45) and most goals (34). Van Deinsen is also (to date) the only Springbok player to have played in all four positions on the field - including two victories in net as the emergency substitute goalkeeper. He would later come out of retirement to sign with NVK Kaapstad Hornets of Nordreich Liga.

Joep Boekweg gained legendary status after playing his 100th match on August 21, 2009, the first Springbok to reach the century mark and the 7th player in Liga Mundo history to do so. =League Record by Season= =Cup Record by Season= =Career Statistics= Includes regular season and cup matches; * indicates player retired with club =Great Springbok players=
 * Ricardo van Deinsen - forward; wore jersey #10 and played Liga Mundo Seasons 1 through 5; at the time of retirement, was second on the club in most matches played (84) and lead the club in most points (45) and most goals (34); played in and won two matches as substitute emergency goalkeeper; he had 2nd most bookings (6 yellow cards) in Season 4 Primera; retired at age 30 after final match on June 8, 2009. He would later come out of retirement at age 31 and sign with NVK Kaapstad Hornets of the Nordreich Liga.
 * Gert Grünholz - forward; wore jersey #9 and played Liga Mundo Seasons 1 through 5; an original Springbok, he was released in Season 6 on July 9, 2009. He was sixth in career games (65) played going into Season 6; at the time of his release he was age 35, fourth in career points (29) and third in career goals (21). He was team captain in the first two seasons for the club. He had 3rd most bookings (7 yellow cards) in Season 3 Primera; His final match occured on May 18, 2009 versus VolNation Volunteers.
 * Joep Boekweg - fullback; wears #2 and has played since Liga Mundo Season 1. An original Springbok, he gained legendary status after playing 100th match on August 21, 2009.
 * Bert van der Meer - fullback, wore jersey #4 and played Liga Mundo Seasons 1 through 6; an original Springbok, he was sold on October 29, 2009 for $1,000,000 prior to the start of Liga Mundo Season 7 and at the time of his departure he was 32. One of the toughest, physically hard players seen on what has historically been a physical team. Van der Meer averaged a yellow card every 2 matches and had 5 red cards to his name. Every season he was in the Top 3 for penalty infractions of one sort or another, leading Liga Mundo for yellow cards the past four seasons. Despite the carnage he left behind on the field, he was selected 12 times to X11 teams.

=Championship teams= Liga Mundo Season 5: Thurston Alderton, Dakarai Baako, Gatseitswe Boyke Bathoen, Joop Boekweg, Balthazar Botha, Detlef Botha, Charles Brennan, Olav Froggnarson, Gert Grünholz, Leon Hooiber, Emmanuel Hörtnagl, Cuthbert McGorry, Dingiswayo Ngwane, Matthias Rieger, Henk Schot, Stien van Buyten, Ricardo van Deinsen, Bert van der Meer, Mark Verwayen, Göran von Knorring, Dick Witchge. =Liga Mundo - Season 1 Primera=
 * Player of the Season: Detlef Botha
 * Fullback of the Season: Joep Boekweg
 * Midfielder of the Season: Detlef Botha
 * Forward of the Season: Ricardo Van Deinsen
 * Most Improved Player: Stien van Buyten
 * Rookie of the Season: Cuthbert McGorry
 * Prospect of the Season: Dingiswayo Ngwane
 * EXPANSION ROSTER (January 12, 2008): Johann Berger, Joop Boekweg, Gert Grünholz, Huub Hoenkens, Patric Krejk, Glenn Mutsaers, Allan Pander, Henk Schot, Ricardo van Deinsen, Bert van der Meer, Martijn van der Woerdt, Merco van der Woude, Raymond van Eijk, Bram van Eijkeren, Rafael van Heijswijk, Pim Venema, Jurgen Winter, and Dick Witchge
 * ROSTER TRANSACTIONS: Stien van Buyten (junior prospect) signed January 14, 2008; Merco van der Woude sold for $103,152 on January 25, 2008; Rusty Hedger signed as free agent January 26, 2008; Bushunmo Fuse signed as free agent January 28, 2008; Allan Pander released January 31, 2008; Balthazar Botha (junior prospect) signed February 2, 2008; Jurgen Winter released February 5, 2008; Gijs Oesterweld signed as free agent February 8, 2008; Rusty Hedger released February 12, 2008; Thanos Sietaridis signed as free agent February 16, 2008; Pim Venema released February 19, 2008; Mark Verwayen (junior prospect) signed March 2, 2008

=Liga Mundo - Season 2 Primera=
 * ROSTER TRANSACTIONS: Raymond van Eijk released April 13, 2008; Gijs Oesterweld released April 14, 2008; Menno Van Graejleven (junior prospect) signed April 14, 2008; Bram van Eijkeren released April 16, 2008; Knut Borgebäck signed as free agent April 16, 2008; Horace Elding signed as free agent April 19, 2008; Rafael van Heijswijk sold for $71,316 on April 26, 2008; Thurston Alderton signed as free agent June 9, 2008.

=Liga Mundo - Season 3 Primera= ROSTER TRANSACTIONS: Martijn van der Woerdt released July 15, 2008; Glenn Mutsaers released July 15, 2008; Johan Zaanbeijer (junior prospect) signed July 16, 2008; Charles Brennan signed as free agent July 18, 2008; Bushunmo Fuse sold for $500,052 on July 22, 2008; Johan Zaanbeijer released July 26, 2008; Menno Van Graejleven sold for $122,052 on July 29, 2008; Leon Hooiber signed as free agent August 28, 2008; Thanos Sietaridis sold for $924,000 on September 9, 2008; Daniel Abanda (junior prospect) signed September 20, 2008; Mirko Zilic signed as free agent September 27, 2008; Johann Berger released September 28, 2008; Matthias Rieger signed as free agent September 29, 2008.

=Liga Mundo - Season 4 Primera= ROSTER TRANSACTIONS: Paul Nlend Wome (junior prospect) signed November 7, 2008; Huub Hoenkens released November 10, 2008; Benny Dewhurst signed as free agent November 13, 2008; Daniel Abanda released November 29, 2008; Göran von Knorring signed as free agent November 29, 2008; Patric Krejk released November 30, 2008; Olav Froggnarson signed as free agent December 17, 2008; Knut Borgebäck sold for $900,060 on January 6, 2009; Horace Elding released January 6, 2009; Paul Nlend Wome sold for $1,008,000 on January 12, 2009; Detlef Botha (junior prospect) signed January 13, 2009; Emmanuel Hörtnagl signed as free agent February 1, 2009.

=Liga Mundo - Season 5 Primera= ROSTER TRANSACTIONS: Benny Dewhurst released February 18, 2009; Cuthbert McGorry signed as free agent on February 18, 2009; Dingiswayo Ngwane (junior prospect) signed on February 18, 2009; Mirko Zilic sold for $315,000 on February 20, 2009; Dakarai Baako signed as free agent on March 1, 2009; Dakarai Baako released May 11, 2009; Gatseitswe Boyke Bathoen signed as free agent on May 13, 2009; Ricardo van Deinsen retired on June 10, 2009.

=Liga Mundo - Season 6 Primera= ROSTER TRANSACTIONS: Neil Northfield signed as free agent on June 17, 2009. Gert Grünholz released on July 9, 2009. François Théron signed as free agent on July 10, 2009.

=Liga Mundo - Season 7 Primera= text

=Press releases=

Season 4 Primera
NOVEMBER 28, 2008 - Arcadia "napping with their pants down"

“One of the best character wins in quite a long while” said Manager Bartnel Botha of the Transvaal Springboks during his post-game press conference.

“Arcadia is a cocky team that often takes us lightly because they forget that there are more than just 3 teams in the Primera – let alone the entire Liga. To beat them is always a welcome occurrence. Today was a huge victory for us. While we have stolen wins against the big three in the past, this morning’s match was just so much more gratifying because we struck back a few minutes after their early goal – and then when we lost one of our forwards to a red card midway through the second half, we not only held the Arcadians at the door, we were able to regroup a couple of minutes later and pot in the game-winner.”

“Our midfield, chronically our weakest aspect on the field, was phenomenal for us today and outplayed Arcadia’s stacked 5-man midfield line. We caught them napping with their pants down.”

“We are playing through probably our most difficult stretch in the fixtures right now, so to stay out of relegation and gain points at the expense of the stronger clubs is reinforcement towards our goal to finish in fourth place. At the very least we obviously need to avoid relegation, but after seeing the recent lacklustre performances of the two newly-promoted teams, our club feels that if we can at least split our points totals against the Big Three and walk away with 8 or 9 points – we have 3 in the bag already) and sweep against Estrella Roja, then a strong finish is possible.”

“However we need to focus one game at a time; our next Liga opponent (VolNation) we’ve had some unexpected success against but they never give us quarter so a 110% effort will be required from everyone.”

DECEMBER 5, 2008 - Springboks reach 150

Transvaal Springboks' 4-1 loss to VolNation Volunteers marked the club's 150th match played since the start of the squad in April 2007.

Since that time, the 'Boks have competed in two Transvaal World Cups, five UCFA Champions League series, and are currently in their fourth season of Liga Mundo play. While the Springboks had moderate success in the UCFA with one 1st place and two 2nd place finishes, success in the Liga Mundo has been hard to come by as the best the Transvalers have accomplished is two 5th place finishes in the top division.

In the course of 150 matches, Die Bokke have a record of 54 wins, 29 draws, and 67 losses.

Manager Bartnel Botha, who has managed the Springboks in 12 of their 20 campaigns, said the next six matches in league and cup play were the squad's easiest stretch of this season and full points from the four league fixtures must be secured should Die Bokke aim to finish mid-table.

"We are aiming for 4th place - anything better would be an outstanding success but also require a lot of luck on our part" said the manager during his post-game interview. "Meanwhile we are riding a strong cup run and hope to win our third round, which would be the farthest we'd have reached. Previously the club has not taken the cup competition too strongly, but this year we're trying to work hard and see how deep we can reach."

DECEMBER 12, 2008 - Springboks blank Gumbo Gods

Transvaal Springboks shutout the visiting Gumbo Gods 4-0 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria this morning. Newly-signed backstopper Göran von Knorring got the start in net but had little to do, with just 1 shot against him to deal with while Stien van Buyten, Matthias Rieger, Ricardo van Deinsen, and 16-year-old rookie Paul Nlend Wome (playing in his first league match) were the goal scorers.

Wome had played in two previous cup matches as a substitute, but today was his first league match and start. As the teenager told the press after the game: “Manager Botha told me when I was brought up from the junior team that I would not get much playing time for the first few years, even as a substitute. But he told me after practise this week that I would get to start against the winless Gumbo Gods. I am very pleased to have scored in my first league match.”

In other news, Manager Bartnel Botha has stated that the club is in negotiations to give former footballer and paramount chief Darakai Baako a try out for the final roster spot.

“After Mr. Baako’s defeat in the federal elections on December 1, he approached us about resuming his footballing career in some manner.”

Darakai Baako played with the Springboks during their UCFA campaigns and was the squad’s leading scorer in the inaugural UCFA Champions League. His stellar career came to a sudden end when he was involved in a smuggling operation in Angola and fled Transvaal for exile in PDSAR. Later he was pardoned and returned home to enter politics, successfully becoming elected African Paramount Chief in May 2008 on the coat-tails of his popularity as a domestic football star. He was trounced in the most recent elections a few weeks ago after critics chastised him for "doing absolutely nothing" during his term in office.

It is unknown which position Baako will be trying out for. “I’m versatile, I'm content to just be playing again so I’ll go wherever the manager needs me.”

JANUARY 2, 2009 - No Baako return; Elding suspended

Negotiations between Springboks club management and former noted UCFA ’Boks player Darakai Baako have fallen through, leading Manager Bartnel Botha to explain that “I seriously doubt we shall see Baako playing anytime soon, at least for this current season. We gave him a try-out but unfortunately were unable to find a suitable spot for him.”

Manager Botha also confirmed that midfielder Horace Elding will miss a month of play due to his 5-game suspension. “Horace won’t be suiting up until February” said Botha, “but I plan on using his vacancy to further develop our younger players and make some hard decisions regarding our midfield line-up. I also haven’t ruled out floating Horace on the transfer market although his suspension probably won’t make him too attractive to bidders.”

The controversial Horace Elding, one of the most penalized players ever in Liga Mundo (26 bookings during three seasons), was sent off during the Springboks’ second cup match versus VolNation Volunteers for making obscene comments and gestures about referee Fred Redkard. “I told him that if [Redkard] had one more eye, he’d be a cyclops. He took offense to that and when he showed me the red card, I asked him if he was flashing me his phone number for a date” chuckled a bemused Elding.

JANUARY 9, 2009 - Post-practise press conference

Manager Bartnel Botha spoke with the press after this morning’s practise regarding the departure this week of two ‘Boks players, Knut Borgebäck and Horace Elding. Borgebäck was sold Tuesday for R900,060 rand while Horace Elding was outright released the same day.

“Knut had been with the club since Season 2 but he had become the odd-man out on our defense. I felt that we could probably get some cash for him on the transfer market and then turn around and either sign a younger replacement or rely on promising 19-year-old Olav Froggnarson as the reserve defence.”

“As for Horace Elding, his lengthy suspension pretty much made him redundant as he would miss 5 of our 6 remaining matches. And at 35 years old, there was no guarantee either he would re-sign with us. The club management felt that his frequent bookings had worn out his effectiveness as a playmaker and goals scorer. Sure he may have potted in a few key goals for us – but one must ask how many games did he cost us?”

Manager Botha also stated that one of the forwards had been placed on the transfer market but would not confirm whom.

As to the outlook for the rest of the season, the manager told media that “we have three critical matches coming up and three from which any points at all would be considered a bonus. At this time it is unsure whether we shall field our strongest squad to attempt to contest these tilts for points against the Big Three - or just accept them as foregone defeats and utilise our younger players to gain them valuable playing experience. A lot depends on what our projected finish looks like in the coming weeks. If we are not facing relegation, then the opportunity for our developmental players improves.”

The Springboks have not played a league match in almost three weeks with back-to-back byes, but that downtime has not distracted the coaching staff. “We probably have the best form seen on our squad all season.”

JANUARY 12, 2009 - Springboks get million rand transfer

Transvaal Springboks received their first one-million rand offer for a player when 16-year-old Paul Nlend Wome was sold for $1,008,000.

“I am quite pleased – actually, quite surprised - with the quality of the offer. With six forwards, Wome wasn’t going to see much playing time, if at best 3 games this season, to put in the time, money, and effort to develop him. Ultimately we looked at what he had the potential to bring to the table, and we figured that we could easily find someone just as suitable right now on the market if need be. So we floated him on the transfer market to see if anyone would bite. To our pleasant surprise, we received three offers.”

Paul Nlend Wome was brought up through the junior programme and had played in two matches and netting one goal before being dealt by Manager Botha. He had the distinction of being the youngest player (to date) to don the green and orange in any match. He was also the Springboks’ second player of colour, the first being forward Bushunmo Fuse who played in the ’Boks’ first two seasons and lead in team scoring in Transvaal's first season.

Manager Bartnel Botha also added that “…we have given up interest in signing Dakarai Baako as he has since informed me he now plans on trying out for the expansion Windhoek Welwitschia in the Vedder League.”

JANUARY 13, 2009 - Botha Brothers re-united

The Transvaal Springboks announced this evening that Detlef Botha, younger brother of forward Balthazar Botha, has been promoted to the senior team from the juniors. The two brothers last played together over four years ago when Balthazar was still on the junior squad and Detlef was a 15-year old trial prospect brought up to the Juniors from the Minor programme.

Nineteen year-old Detlef Botha joins the Springboks midfield corps and will jump into the role of spot kicker – an area of talent Die Bokke have been lacking in for a couple of seasons. Manager Bartnel Botha – no relation to the two brothers – had this to say about the latest signing: “Detlef has already been written in for a start this Friday against the Gumbo Gods and I am looking forward to seeing what he brings to our team. He has been a tough, fundamental player for the junior side and his addition comes at a perfect time for us as I am in the midst of retooling our midfield.”

The junior signing now brings into question the roles of midfielders Henk Schot and Mark Verwayen, both who have been with the ’Boks since Season 1 (Schott is one of five original ’Boks still remaining). There have been rumours from the clubhouse that Manager Botha had also recently put out an offer for a spotkicker midfielder just prior to Detlef Botha’s release from the Junior Springboks. If the transfer offer is successful, then it is inevitable that either Schot or Verwayen will get the cut. While the speedy 25-year old Schot is somewhat more experienced than Verwayen, the younger (21 years) Verwayen has also been showing much promise the past two seasons. What is for sure is that carrying seven midfielders would be not feasible for finding adequate playing time – unless the squad perhaps went with a 5-midfield formation.

JANUARY 16, 2009 - Die Bokke massacre Gumbo Gods 7-1

The Springboks pulled off their most lopsided victory today at the Penske Center, when Transvaal defeated the hapless Gumbo Gods 7-1. The six-goal margin of victory is the highest ever from any Springboks match.

Forward Balthazar Botha, energised from playing alongside his younger brother Detlef who was making his senior debut, hammered the ball home for four goals in a row during a 36 minutes span in the first-half.

Midfielder Stien van Buyten set up Balthazar for a breakaway five minutes from the opening whistle. Eight minutes later, brother Detlef Botha crossed the ball for Balthazar to head it clean past Gumbo keeper Eric Rothwell. Three minutes later, a foul in the Transvaal penalty area allowed Adrien Whittle to pot in a rare goal from the penalty kick for Gumbo Gods, only their fourth tally of the entire season.

The ’Boks went up 3-1 at the 32-minute mark when Balthazar connected on a Dick Witchge pass to head in his natural hat-trick – then four minutes before the half whistle, he notched his fourth in a row from a penalty kick.

Transvaal then began to run away with the lead during the second half of the match as newcomer Detlef Botha and veterans Gert Grünholz and Dick Witchge shellacked a shellshocked Rothwell to round out the final result at 7-1.

“It was a pretty sad affair” commented Manager Bartnel Botha after the game. “To see this kind of result in first division football is shocking. I gave all our third-liners and juniors the starting nod, and prior to kick off I admit I wondered if we were perhaps taking them too lightly and it could in fact backfire in our face. We expected a strong result, but certainly nothing like this – especially with arguably our least talented line-up of the season, certainly on the attack. You have to feel for the handful of fans who stuck around to the very end… I suppose perhaps a morbid curiosity to see just how bad it could get.”

The match was notable as all midfielders and forwards chalked up at least 1 point, with all but two notching at least 2 points.

The next outing for Transvaal Springboks features a friendly meeting with Voobaha National at Loftus Versfeld. Said Botha: “This match was arranged for two reasons – namely, to gauge comparison between a strong Segunda and an original Primera side. As well, both clubs have some South African heritage in the ownership – so we are billing this as the first of a two-game meeting between us in what we are billing the South African Cup. Hopefully we can make it an annual event.

JANUARY 24, 2009 - Transvaal shocks VolNation 2-0

The Springboks chalked up another home win against VolNation on Friday, shutting out the Volunteers 2-0 at Loftus Versfeld.

“VolNation Volunteers are definitely the class of the league year in year out, but for some reason we’ve actually chalked up a few wins against them here at home” said an obviously pleased Manager Botha after the match.

“In the past, our results here at home against them have been relatively good, although close matches in which one goal is the decider. Our away form against then has been atrocious. My theory on why both teams don’t do well at the other’s home grounds is the time difference and the long flight from Neyland to Pretoria takes a toll on the players.”

“Now that all said, this year our previous three meetings [1 league, 2 cup] have been all one-sided definitely in their favour, so I am pleased beyond belief with the result on the pitch today. Our players played smartly, and while we did not have ball advantage, we made the most of our possession and fired off more shots than they did. Our defense held firm and out-classed them while our midfield and forwards matched them pretty evenly.”

“I think we also caught them off-guard by not playing our traditional formation, I decided to take the risk with something we don’t normally do and it seemed to pay off.”

Transvaal Springboks now go on the road for two tough matches against Arcadia FC and Atlético Luz Del Mar before finishing out the season at home against Estrella Roja.

“Those two tilts will be tough for us. I know for a fact that Arcadia is still smarting from their first loss ever to us back in November and will be out there playing hard for revenge. As for ALDM, there’s a team which since Season 2 even more so than VolNation has given us a ton of trouble. They have a phenomenal defensive corps which can smother out the opposition.”

JANUARY 25, 2009 - VolNation Stuffed By Transvaal

When you ask a VolNation Mighty Volunteer fan which game of the season they are most anxious about, you'd think that you'd get a Big Three response. However, every fan will tell you that it is the Transvaal match in Loftus Versfeld Stadium that gets them the most uptight. A check of the history shows that VolNation has never won here in league play, which made this match such a big one in VolNation's quest for a fourth straight title. Once again, though, history rears its head at the Mighty Vols, and the Mighty Vols were just unable to overcome, dropping a 2-0 loss at the worst possible time.

Form issues were really hitting the VolNation back line, which forced Coach Philip to start a back-up keeper and some defenders that really had no business on the pitch. The hope was that the midfield could cover and Robertson and Goodwin could capatalize on some shots, but Transvaal was able to really take advantage of the Mighty Vols weaknesses. While the Mighty Vols dominated possesion, it was Transvaal who got the opportunities, and welcomed the newcomer Rojas into the league with a baptism by fire. Rojas was simply not Sørgård, and two got through.

Meanwhile, in contrast to the shakiness of Rojas, Thurston Alderton was spectacular. In the last few matches against Transvaal, the VolNation forwards were able to have their way with him, but not tonight. Alderton shone tonight in stopping some wicked shots and the three-man defensive line got a lot of credit in not letting the Mighty Vols get many good shots.

All in all, while hopes were high in reversing this losing trend, the Mighty Vols were just not up to the task. Now, all they can do is wait to see what pans out.

JANUARY 30, 2009 - A successful season

Manager Bartnel Botha told the press after this morning’s match against Arcadia FC that the season has been “…an unqualified success for us” even though there are still two games left in the regular season.

Due to VolNation’s late victory today versus Estrella Roja, the Springboks have clinched at least a fourth place finish in the Primera – “which was our goal since the start of this season. We have a very slim chance to take third place but that would require three upsets, all of which I do not envisage occurring” said the manager.

Regarding today’s defeat, the manager had little to comment except that… “we knew it was going to be a real tough contest for us, and in all likelihood the better team won today. We were unable to anticipate their game and thus we spent most of the match playing catch-up. However it wasn’t a blow-out like we’ve seen in previous seasons between our two clubs, so I’ll take the one-goal-loss in stride.”

Bad news struck the Springboks very early on when veteran, original ’Bok Gert Grünholz left the game on a stretcher just five minutes from the opening whistle. “Gert is gone for the rest of this season and probably into the start of the next.”

The injury was a tough setback for Grünholz, who had struggled all last season to regain his captaincy form he displayed in the first two seasons for the Springboks – only to see his strong comeback progress this campaign come crashing down from sudden injury.

“Gert has suffered for playing minutes this season but nevertheless had been making the most of his limited playing time and putting the ball in when he can. We were actually expecting to see some improvement over the off-season despite his age. He actually wasn’t supposed to start today but he was literally a last minute switch for Benny Dewhurst.”

Manager Botha confirmed that he had one final offer on the blocks for the transfer deadline. “We’re trying to bring in a chap by the name of Emmanuel Hörtnagl, who at one time used to play in our domestic league for Johannesburg. The Botha brothers know him well and suggested that we try to pick him up on transfer. He plays for an amateur side somewhere in Europe – but he should be a good fit for our midfield if we can get him.”

According to clubhouse rumours, the manager plans on over-hauling the ’Boks’ midfield corps in the off-season once progress reports on performance come in.

FEBRUARY 5, 2009 - A look ahead to Season 5?

With three games remaining – two league matches and a friendly versus expansion team Compostela Artois – and baring some major upsets the Transvaal Springboks almost guaranteed to finish the Primera Liga in fourth place, Transvaler Daaglikse Sportnuus sat down with Springboks manager Bartnel Botha to discuss what he saw on the drawing board as the club headed into Season 5:

''“Once our coaching staff has completed their player assessment reports on player development from the off-season, I will be examining points in our roster where we can strengthen ourselves. I will be taking a long, hard look at our midfield line and making some difficult decisions to further consolidate and fortify it.”''

''“We have two anchors in Dick Witchge and Matthias Rieger, arguably two of the best midfielders playing in the league this season – both are having strong seasons. After that we have five players jostling for 2 to 3 remaining spots depending on what formation we go with. Emmanuel Hörtnagl has only just joined us while Detlef Botha is a definite keeper. I can see him over time evolving into another Dick Witchge once Dick is retired.”''

''“So that leaves Stien van Buyten, Henk Schot, and Mark Verwayen – all who have been with us since Season 1. I am eagerly awaiting to see just how much they will improve over the off-season. Their future with the club is interlinked and really depends on how they have all progressed in relation to each other, who has and who hasn’t between them. I also haven’t ruled out cutting two loose and then finding something on the transfer market. It’s going to be very interesting to say the least.”''

As for the forwards and defence, Manager Botha did not see much change happening with them.

“It’s possible we might contemplate moving one of our forwards who isn’t getting much playing time, but that will also depend on how Gert Grünholz recovers from his injuries.”

Season 5 Primera
FEBRUARY 16, 2009 - Improved Springboks gearing up

The strongest campaign yet for Transvaal Springboks combined with a strict training regimen throughout the season has paid off with massive dividends, as the club management reported tonight that all but two players increased in +/- skill and nine players went up by one full skill level. One player decreased and one remained unchanged.

“The results of the performance assessment today were beyond our expectations” said an ecstatic Manager Bartnel Botha. ''“It drastically changes our off-season planning now as we were expecting to make one perhaps two player moves. However at this point I’m thinking we might just sit with what we have and make any moves closer to the transfer deadline next season.”''

“Or we’ll ride the current roster and then go for a big-name signing in Season 7.”

The most noticeable improvement came in the midfield, traditionally a chronic problem area for strength. “We went up 4 points there, which was also where we were planning on making the most critical moves” said the manager.

Goalkeeping increased by 1 level, while defense and forwards increased by 2 points each. The only players which didn’t see any improvement were Mirko Zilic, the 35-year-old defender and 34-year-old fan favourite and original ’Bok Gert Grünholz. ''“Unfortunately Gert’s performance was hampered by his untimely injury, but we were actually expecting him to decrease – which he didn’t, as he has been responding well to injury rehab. As for Zilic, his playing days are drawing to a close, so he was expected to drop.”''

FEBRUARY 16, 2009 - Dewhurst wants out; Zilic shopped around

Benny Dewhurst asked club management today to put him on the transfer list. Apparently the forward, who played in seven matches this past season, does not see his playing time improving.

“Last season Balthazar Botha, Gert Grünholz and myself were all competing for the same starting spot – but it seems that Balthazer will be moving into it full time next season. While Gert seems content to wind down his career with most of his playing time on the sidelines as a substitute, I’d rather see what my chances are elsewhere.”

Added to the transfer list was Mirko Zilic, the 35-year-old fullback who switched with Leon Hooiber for the usual third defensive spot. With Hooiber and the quiet force Joep Boekweg making noticeable strides this year in their performance, and 20-year-old Olav Froggnarson nipping in the wings, the club has said they want to try and move Zilic while they can still hopefully get something for him.

“Don’t get me wrong, Zilic is a good defender but at his age, he’d be better used on another club needing some temporary advantage in making a promotion or cup run.”

“With Olav Froggnarson, a Norwegian immigrant who signed in December with the club and played in two matches and a bundle full of talent waiting on the sidelines just itching to get in playing time, by shipping Zilic we can then focus on Froggnarson seeing more playing time if we lose guys to injury or face a weaker opponent. Under some good training guidance, this youngster could easily develop into the club’s best defensive utility player two to three seasons from now.

“People talk about Bert van der Meer as being our keystone on defense, well just you wait and see what Froggie turns out to be like. His idol is none other than Lois Luis - and it shows why in practise...”

FEBRUARY 17, 2009 - Kak Cup

Transvaal Springboks and Arcadia FC will face off in the first-ever Kak Cup, a best of three series featuring the worst line-ups possible between the two clubs. The concept behind Kak Cup is to give the fringe players some playing time to boost their form and experience in prime positions as well as to see how different the results are when played with weak(er) squads.

The opening match is this Friday morning at Arcadian Stadium with the re-match played at Loftus Versfeld the following week.

FEBRUARY 18, 2009 - Busy day for 'Boks on transfer line

With Benny Dewhurst and Mirko Zilic released or soon to be sold for cash, the Springboks made further move towards more youth with two additions to their defensive reserve ranks when 20-year-old Cuthbert McGorry was signed as a free agent while 16-year-old Zulu junior prospect Dingiswayo Ngwane was promoted to the senior club.

“These two players were signed with the future in mind” explained Manager Bartnel Botha. “I wasn’t planning on making any drastic changes to our starting eleven but with Dewhurst and Zilic now on their way out, we had the room and money to acquire the services of some talented youngsters.”

“While I was casually scanning the latest transfer wires, McGorry’s name popped up out of the blue as having just too much going for him to pass up on. We anticipate him paired up with Olav Froggnarson to develop into the core of our defense in three seasons’ time.”

“Dingiswayo Ngwane is a raw youngster that will become a work in progress for the next two to three seasons - but he also has the potential to become a calming presence on defense.”

Ngwane becomes only the third player of colour signed by the Springboks and observers are watching him with a cautious eye in light of the recent Paul Nlend Wome tragedy to see if he can secure a long-term spot on a squad dominated by Europeans.

“I could have tried out for Windhoek Welwitschia, but I want to prove that Africans can play with the very best - here in Liga Mundo” said Ngwane when besieged by reporters after practice this evening.

Both McGorry and Ngwane have already been given starts in the upcoming Kak Cup series versus Arcadia FC. “I want to see what they can do when put up against one of the best teams in the league” said Botha.

FEBRUARY 20, 2009 - Die Bokke played like ‘kak’

The Springboks were shutout 3-0 by Arcadia FC in the first match of the Kak Cup. Manager Bartnel Botha claimed the loss was due to “poor form” prevalent throughout the roster.

“I’m not sure just how irregular and weakened Arcadia’s line-up was, but after our huge skill increase all of our players save for two ended up having poor form. Combine poor form with a line-up consisting of reserve players for starters, and no small wonder we left Arcadian Stadium on the wrong side of three goals.”

Back-up keeper Göran von Knorring got only his fourth start while the defence featured two brand-new acquisitions making their debut in the bottle green and orange sweaters.

“Our midfield consisted of four youngsters who in future seasons will form a formidable backbone for the team” – however the most glaring weakness was in the offense.

“In respect of what the Kak Cup is intended to be, we sat out Charles Brennan and had Ricardo van Diensen watching from the sidelines. However we had only one healthy forward to suit up, as an injured and hobbling Gert Grünholz was pressed into emergency service and defenseman Olav Froggnarson moved up to the attack.”

The second leg of the best-of-three tournament will move now to Loftus Versfeld.

MARCH 2, 2009 - Dakarai Baako returns to ‘Boks

Manager Bartnel Botha confirmed today that controversial UCFA Springbok forward and former Transvaler African politician Dakarai Baako has signed with the Springboks. Baako was released yesterday by his previous club Windhoek Welwitschia for undisclosed reasons; performing in only one match for the Wels during which he was suspended.

“I know a few weeks ago I said that there was no place for Mr. Baako, however since the departure of Benny Dewhurst we had one spot open up on our forward line and he expressed interest in taking it” said Manager Botha at the press conference.

“I am here to play football!” said the flamboyant Dakarai Baako to his fans waiting for autographs after the press conference. “I appreciate the Welwitschias giving me a starting place to play, but I did not see myself fitting in there as the eighth midfielder on a midfield-heavy squad. I asked Manager Botha to re-consider his earlier decision not to sign me. I told him that Liga Mundo is the place to play football and I wanted to be a part of it. He said that the club would take me on as long as I did not cause any disruptions and use my place on the team as a soapbox for politicking.”

Dakarai Baako was a veteran of the UCFA Springbok squads but his political career and personal off-field problems with the law prevented him from making the transition from UCFA to Liga Mundo when the Springboks joined the league.

Asked whether we could regain his famed scoring prowness of his UCFA days, Mr. Baako shrugged and replied “I have to play it one game at a time.”

MARCH 10, 2009 - Die Bokke win season opener

The Transvaal Springboks pulled off a convincing 3-0 win against Estrella Roja yesterday afternoon at Loftus Versfeld. The match was the first time in club history the ’Boks had won their season opener.

All scoring for the victorious home side occurred in the second half – with two goals coming off corner set-plays. The first goal was scored at 65 minutes when Ricardo van Deinsen connected on a Dick Witchge pass after the midfielder had been fed the ball by cornerman Detlef Botha.

Five minutes later, after Detlef Botha left the match injured, his substitute Emmanuel Hörtnagl then had to step up for the corner kicking duties at 85 minutes. Although not noted for his freekicking abilities, Hörtnagl lobbed the ball deftly through traffic to a ready and waiting Mathias Rieger on the penalty crease, who then made quick work to boot the ball in past Estrella Roja keeper Michel Raskenstam.

Seven minutes later, Raskenstam then came up short when Charles Brennan sized him up on a one-on-one breakaway to score Transvaal’s third tally and put the game beyond the reach of the visitors.

“This was a great team effort today where we made the most of the few chances we had” said Manager Bartnel Botha. “Estrella Roja played a real tight defensive game to limit our chances to five shots, so to bag three goals from those opportunities shows the character and skill of our offense today.”

“My only cause for concern was Detlef re-injuring himself. He pulled his hamstring in our friendly versus Duckies last week but the doctors had cleared him yesterday. He will likely sit out next week as I need him back at 100% when we begin our grueling three-game series against the Big Three teams in the later half of the month.”

Manager Botha also told the press that it was “highly likely” former-UCFA Champions League star Dakarai Baako would make his Liga Mundo debut next week when the Springboks hit the road to take on the Swamplandia Sinners.

MARCH 16, 2009 - ’Boks head into uncharted territory

“That we are sitting with six points after two matches doesn’t surprise me much – however, being alone at the top of the table does. It’s quite shocking really, something I never expected...”

Those were the first words of Manager Botha during this morning’s post-game conference at Purgatory Palace after the Transvaal Springboks defeated the hometown Swamplandia Sinners 3-0. Charles Brennan scored twice and Ricardo van Deinsen once while Thurston Alderton picked up his second clean sheet in a row.

“I expected a win against Swamplandia, although admittedly a much closer result than what we walked away with as MudBug’s crew have always proven a troublesome opponent for us over the seasons. But seeing the Big Three teams performing sub-par the past couple of weeks is really alarming – especially since our next three league matches are all against Big Three sides.”

“I have told our boys not to get their hopes up and think just because we are sitting in first place that means we can slack off. The next three weeks in the league will be our biggest tests yet as we’ve never done well on the road versus the Big Three. No doubt they will all be gunning to reverse their fortunes in the table at our expense.”

“To our own benefit, we haven’t even seen our top line-up out there yet. I’ve been inserting second-liners here and there so as to give them some playing time as well as let a couple of our key vets rest up from injuries and recover poor form in time for the three upcoming clashes.”

MARCH 20, 2009 - Shorthanded ‘Boks win cup match on road

Playing down a forward for almost half the match after Charles Brennan was ejected, the Transvaal Springboks fought back for a 2-1 win in their first cup match of the season against new Segunda side Kelville FC. The teams meet for the second round next week at Loftus Versfeld.

Captain Dick Witchge got the Primera leaders on the scoreboard 13 minutes into the game after defender Joep Boekweg boomed a clearing pass up the centre. Unlucky thirteen reared its head 13 minutes later when Barney Logan headed the ball past ’Boks keeper Thurston Alderton to even the scoring at one-all.

Disaster struck early in the second half when Charles Brennan was ejected from the game. Now faced playing short-manned for the long haul and on the road against a plucky opponent, the Springboks midfielders stepped up their pressure as they put up a defensive wall to deny the Kelville forwards the ball as Alderton faced 5 shots – all of them in the first half.

Stien van Buyten, who is having a break-out campaign and finally settling into a veteran role after four seasons as a second-tier player, struck back fast and hard against Kelville when Matthias Rieger set him up for a close shot in the penalty area.

With the slim lead, the ’Boks defensive game was key as they clung on for the road win.

“Today’s match was another character win, losing Brennan so early in the match could have been what shot us in the foot, however our midfield out-hustled theirs and was the factor in the win. I’m really pleased as historically our midfield was our weakest part, it’s nice to see them now often being our strongest factor. That all said, but this game was by hard our most difficult challenge and it only goes uphill after this.”

Transvaal now faces struggling Arcadia FC in what many are billing the match of the week. Arcadia FC has been on a surprising skid after being billed the team to beat and will now be fired up to take their frustrations out on the ’Boks – while Die Bokke will be looking to one-up a side that has often given nothing but contemptuous disrespect to the boys in green and orange.

“Of the Big Three sides, beating Arcadia would be the sweetest victory of all because they more than any other side are a cocky bunch. God as my witness I hate them and it’s great to see Courtney and the rest of them being knocked down to size. And, I would so love our team to be a part of that” said midfield spotkicker Detlef Botha in the dressing room after the match.

MARCH 24, 2009 - “Met God so my getuie haat ek hulle…”

“With God as my witness, I hate them…” Those fateful words, uttered last week by midfielder Detlef Botha when asked about the upcoming match against Coach Courtney’s crew, hung over the Springboks yesterday like cloud of impending doom as they made their way to Arcadian Stadium.

Would the boastings of a 20-year-old second-year player jinx his teammates – or galvanise them?

Thankfully for Die Bokke’s faithful, those boastful words were exactly what were needed to spark Transvaal to arguably one of the club’s biggest wins ever as the Springboks defeated Arcadia FC 3-1 while on the road. Only once before has Transvaal been able to overcome the talented Arcadian side in thirteen outings – and never leaving Arcadian Stadium with a single point… until yesterday morning.

And a key factor in that victory was the man at the centre of the verbal jousting – Detlef Botha himself – as the tough-minded midfielder scored the go-ahead goal and picked up one assist to go along with his first-ever X11 selection.

Heading into the match, there was some concern over attacking formation as forward Charles Brennan was forced to sit out a one-game suspension accrued from the cup match versus Kelville United. Balthazar Botha got his first start of the season but never looked out of place as he got the Springboks on the scoreboard around 9 minutes into the first half.

At the end of the first half, the score line was Botha Brothers 2, Arcadia FC 1. Dick Witchge would bag the ’Boks’ third tally in the middle of the second half when Detlef Botha set him up from a freekick set-play.

Despite a disadvantage of possession, the Springboks lead in shots on net with 8 for Arcadia’s 5. Keeper Thurston Alderton saw his clean sheet streak stopped but nevertheless walked away with man-of-the-match honours as well as garnering X11 selection in the Primera for the third week in a row.

After the final whistle, on-field officials and stadium stewards made for Detlef Botha in case he tried to use the win to further provoke the Arcadian crowd - however the heavy security was not required as he amicably waved to some fans wearing ’Boks colours and then quietly took time out to sign autographs for Transvaler and Arcadian fans alike before leaving the pitch.

Next up on the slate for Transvaal is the second-leg cup match against Kelville United at Loftus Versfeld – although cup competition is under review by the club.

“Depending on whom we’d play in the next round, we may decide to tank our cup effort this year if we make it past Kelville” stated Manager Bartnel Botha to the Arcadian and Transvaler press after the match.

“This is the first season where we have been in a strong position to challenge for the league championship, so each and every game is now important. There aren’t any teams at all we can afford to take lightly in the Primera, so the question has arisen ‘how will we find playing time for our junior signings?’ We may just use those matches in the next round as experience for them and not worry about the results or the cup this year. Each week our focus has been narrowing down on making a strong league run.”

MARCH 24, 2009 - ‘Boks plan to tank quarter-finals

Springboks manager Bartnel Botha confirmed comments reported in Transvaler Daaglikse Nuus that baring injuries the Primera leading side will tank the Cup quarterfinals should they make it past Kelville United later this week.

“As much as it pains me to harm our cup chances, our recent success has simply caught our club off-guard in what was supposed to be the first of two building and consolidation seasons. We have the players we want for the long haul - but for our club to have longterm success, we need to develop our youngsters and the only way that will happen is to give them playing time. However, with the Primera so tight for competition with no free wins, given one choice or the other, our boys have unanimously chosen to focus on Liga performance and the future at the expense of cup glory today. Our goal is still fourth place but will ride the tide and see where it lands us.”

“I won’t comment on what kind of line-up we would field except that it would involve a lot of second-line players and back-up keeper Göran von Knorring would get all cup starts in the quarter-final round.”

MARCH 30, 2009 - Springboks weary from road trips

Watching the Springboks make their way slowly through the airport in Franzharia for their quarterfinal cup match Friday against FC Franzharia, their dejected appearance would fool anyone from realising they had just come off their two biggest wins this season. Rather, they looked like the walking dead from a battlefield.

“It’s been awhile since we played at home, the wear and tear of travel is starting to catch up with us” said defender Olav Froggnarson as he hobbled his way along on crutches.

The fatigue showed in many of the Boks’ top stars, reinforcing Manager Bartnel Botha’s decision to field a sub-par squad against FC Franzharia. “Our defense is still looking pretty good, but our midfield and forwards have been taking a battering” said Dick Witchge, another of the walking wounded. “It’s our style to play bone-crunching football, but after a while it does catch up to you.”

Previous to their arrival in Franzharia, the Springboks had pulled off another upset at the expense of the Big Three by defeating the VolNation Volunteers 2-1 at Neyland, the win there a first-ever for Transvaal in five seasons – although Detlef Botha downplayed the win by saying “until we beat ALDM next week, then we’re still the Primera bridesmaids to the Big Three as far as I’m concerned. That win against VolNation was a fluke, we may have outshot them but we somehow stole victory from the jaws of defeat... in all honesty they should have run roughshod over us as we were playing on fumes from our earlier tough match against the Skirts” – ‘skirts’ being some sort of sideways reference to Arcadia FC’s female coaching staff.

Veteren defender Bert van der Meer put it a little more diplomatic: “As far as most of us are concerned, the Big Three are still the class of the league and until they are beaten, they remain as such. We’re all enjoying our time in the first place spotlight but at some point we’re going to slip – this is after all a year of consolidation for us. The pieces are all there, but we are still a little raw. What is really exciting about our current 7-game winning streak [edit: going back to last season] is if we are over-performing now, imagine what this crew will be like next season and those that follow? Many of our youngsters, like the Botha brothers and Stien van Buyten are taking commanding roles on the field. Mark Verwayen has been on the fringes the last couple of seasons but is making the most of his time and played a great game against VolNation.”

Van der Meer then laughed, adding: “I just hope there’s still a place for me!”

APRIL 3, 2009 - ’Boks shrug off loss to FC Franzharia

Transvaal Springboks suffered its first defeat of the season when they dropped a 4-1 cup decision to FC Franzharia. Gert Grünholz scored from a penalty kick in the 65th minute to tally the lone goal for Die Bokke. FC Franzharia scored off an early corner conceded in the opening minute of the match. Sloppy and disinterested play from the Springboks continued to Franzharia’s second goal and the field opened up for the home side when Dakarai Baako was booked for his brutal play and sent off. The booking was not well-received by some, as one unidentified, disgruntled player was heard to chirp that ‘Baako is useless even when we’re not trying...’

In his post-match press conference, Manager Bartnel Botha shrugged off the loss, saying that “The result should surprise no one – least of all ourselves. We had already told people that we weren’t going to take this match seriously.”

The Springboks now return home to Loftus Versfeld to regroup and take on Atlético Luz Del Mar – hoping to pull off a three-game sweep of the vaunted Big Three.

APRIL 6, 2009 - Shortmanned ‘Boks draw ALDM 2-2

Transvaal hosted Atlético Luz del Mar in a tight match at Loftus Versfeld this morning and walked away with a 2-2 draw despite finishing with ten men. Detlef Botha was booked and sent off for injuring Rodrigo Abreu while the Springboks were down 2-1 however around ten minutes later forward Ricardo van Deinsen bagged his second goal of the match. Abreu scored both goals for ALDM before Detlef Botha cheap-shot Abreu to take him down and out of the game. “He was becoming a threat to us so I played him hard” said Botha from the sidelines after being sent off.

While some fans were disappointed at the result, one of the most evenly matched and close meetings with ALDM since Season 1, Manager Bartel Botha was upbeat: “Looking back at our last three matches, to gain 7 out 9 points from the Big Three – 6 of those points coming from on the road - and concede only 1 point in return... am I happy? You bet I am!”

Transvaal hosts FC Franzharia in a cup draw Thursday and then faces their first league meeting versus promoted SiPS next week. Tickets prices for Thursday’s match have been slashed as poor attendance is anticipated as the ‘Boks are expected to field a weak squad to simply go through the motions of providing opposition.

“Göran von Knorring will get his second start in net and the rest of the line-up will be younger players and second-stringers – but we’re going to mix things up a little” said Manager Botha. “Our focus right now is on preparing for SiPS and getting our form back up. These recent weeks have been a strain on us.”

APRIL 13, 2009 - Botha Brothers take down SiPS

At Loftus Versfeld this morning, Transvaal defeated SiPS 4-2 with the Botha Brothers scoring three of the Springboks’ goals and the fourth coming as an own-goal by SiPS captain Hessu Öörni.

Detlef Botha got Transvaal on the scoreboard after hammering home a free kick past SiPS goalkeeper Matias Hammevik in the second minute of the match. SiPS then leveled out the score when Hessu Öörni booted a penalty kick past Thurston Alderton around ten minutes later. The visitors then took a rare lead against the Primera leaders when Pasi Viuhko was set up by Öörni on a corner at the 27th minute. SiPS then ran with the lead for the rest of the half although Transvaal was leading with shots and possession.

Action in the second half was fairly quiet until the 58th minute when Charles Brennan set up Balthazar Botha for a close try against Hammevik to score and cancel out the SiPS lead. One minute later, Joe Boekweg took possession after the kick off and booted the ball down to a ready and waiting Balthazar Botha, who then launched a long-range shot against a dazed Hamervik.

Nine minutes later, the Springboks gained a two-goal lead when Hessu Öörni fumbled the ball into his own net. The final score was 4-2 with Transvaal bombarding Hamervik for 11 shots versus 5 for the visiting Finns.

“I was fairly confident that we could beat them today” said Manager Bartnel Botha. “SiPS were the only team in our five pre-season games that we managed to get a win against and currently they seem to be in a slump right now in the standings.”

Next up for the Springboks is the mid-season back-to-back series against newcomers 1984 Duckies FC.

“This is a series which we are taking very seriously because the Duckies have been making an excellent run in the Primera against the Big Three and can pose a threat to our lead in the Primera. If we can win both matches, then it should give us some breathing room at the top - but I don’t plan to take them lightly and we shall be out in full force with our characteristic crunching style. I’m really glad that we face them first on their own turf as it puts more pressure on them.”

APRIL 28, 2009 - Springboks go Duckie hunting

Trasnvaal Springboks scored a 2-0 win over 1984 Duckies FC at Loftus Versfeld yesterday morning.

Ricardo van Diensen scored from a shot close in against Duckies keeper Claus Holten at the 65th minute to put Die Bokke on the scoreboard first. Twenty-five minutes later and down a man after Gert Grünholz had been sent off, midfielder Henk Schot bagged a long-range shot in the final minute of regulation to seal the deal.

The victory, coupled with a 3-0 loss by Estrella Roja, gave Transvaal a 6 point lead in first place.

As Manager Botha explained afterwards, “we’ve been playing kind of flat lately, but the boys improved their form leading up to the match and it was good preparation for a tough triple-header re-match coming up in two weeks against the Big Three. Those matches will pretty much determine if we will end up taking the championship this season. We face a struggling SiPS squad next week so we’re hoping to use that as a springboard to fire us up and come out hard against the always-dangerous Atlético Luz del Mar on the road the following week.”

MAY 4, 2009 - Khomasdal new home for Die Bokke

Springboks manager and Minister of Sport & Athletics Bartnel Botha announced today that future home games for the Transvaal Springboks will be played at Khomasdal Stadium, home field for Windhoek Welwitschia of the Vedder League, for the duration of the Karma War which has engulfed Transvaal.

Namibia, a province of the Federal Republic, has been relatively untouched by the invasion of South Africa. The Khomasdal will provide a cozy location for Liga Mundo football as the stadium only holds 10,300 compared to the 51,762 seats at Loftus Versfeld.

The Springboks and the Welwitschias play on different days and start times, so there will not be any conflict of matches at the same time.

"Once the Karma War and hostilities have ceased, then the Springboks will return to Loftus Versfeld" said Manager Botha.

MAY 11, 2009 - Dakarai Baako shown the door

Controversal forward Dakarai Baako was released by the Springboks this morning.

“Baako was not really bringing anything imperative to the team. In the three matches he played he ended up getting carded all three times and thrown out once... all that for just one goal in return. Anyways there are other, younger and more talented players chomping at the bit for a spot so club management felt that we could no longer hold up a spot for an unproductive player whose form has been mediocre at best.”

“With our defense and midfield, we are set for the long haul but our forward line still needs some adjustments. Brennan, Van Deinsen, and Balthazar Botha are our key attackers but with fan favourite and former captain Gert Grünholz getting long in the tooth, we really need to start looking at developing a solid fourth attacker. Gert knows his career is in its twilight, and is quite content with substitution duty – but we were wasting a spot with someone of Baako’s age pulling that same role.”

MAY 13, 2009 - Springboks sign Tswana teenager

In the wake of the Darakai Baako comeback failure, Manager Bartnel Botha followed up with an unusual signing this morning when 17-year-old forward Gatseitswe Boyke Bathoen was acquired from amateur side Gaborone Zebras.

“We signed GBB as a raw talent, project player for the future - but he could get a couple of starts late in our campaign depending what our placement looks like. The kid only started playing football two years ago after being one of the handful Tswana who happened to wander by to watch the famed Worst-of-the World match in the inaugural Nordreich Cup. Intrigued by the game, he began to hang around the clubhouse of the local amateur club and soon gained some notice on the field. He may be young and inexperienced, but he certainly has the intelligence and coolness to persevere and possibly make it big in the league a few seasons from now.”

“After the failed comeback of Darakai Baako, the club management really wanted to bring in another African player with enough ability to replace him so that there were no allegations of racism – a card which Baako has played occasionally over the years when things haven’t gone his way. While GBB may not have the ability right now to make an impact, he will develop into a player we would have never got out of Baako.”

MAY 18, 2009 - Liga Mundo in Namibia

Transvaal Springboks and VolNation Volunteers played to a grueling 1-1 draw this morning as Liga Mundo made its debut in Namibia with Die Bokke’s first home game played at their temporary grounds at the Khomasdal in Windhoek.

The match saw Referee Dick Tator making liberal use of his yellow cards as he handed out seven bookings to seven different Springboks during play: “That must have been some kind of record” commented Gert Grünholz after the game. “It was starting to become a one-sided farce out there with the way we kept getting into his book while VolNation didn’t.” What Grünholz didn’t comment on however were the three injured VolNation players who left the game.

Transvaal got on the scoreboard first when Ricardo van Deinsen scored eight minutes into the first half from a shot close in against VolNation goalkeeper Christopher Rojas. Ian Robertson evened out the scoreline at 1-1 when he bagged a penalty shot against Thurston Alderton three minutes into the second half.

“Unlike previous clashes against us where home field advantage has played a major factor, I think today both teams were feeling like they were on the road” said Manager Bartnel Botha alluding to the ’Boks temporary home.

Khomasdal Stadium was filled standing-room-only as local soccer fans got to witness their first example of two great, historical Liga Mundo teams in action. Windhoek is home to Transvaal’s “other team” in the X11 leagues, Windhoek Welwitschia – and a large number of blue-green-red Biltongboere jerseys could be seen in the stands cheering on the ‘Boks. Also most of the Windhoek players were in attendance to see for themselves what Liga Mundo was all about.

“Some of us were talking with the Springboks during warm-up, giving them useful pointers as to the peculiarities of playing at Khomasdal – such as those bare patches of dirt around the penalty box which cause the ball to bounce excessively” said Windhoek keeper Gil Sá. “It was really kind of surreal talking to Thurston Alderton and having him ask for pointers – it should be the other way around.”

MAY 18, 2009 - Bokkies vs Rokkies

Springbok midfielder Detlef Botha, known for his outspoken and derisive comments regarding the female coaching staff of Arcadia FC, announced to the press after this morning’s match against VolNation that “…if we lose to the Rokkies (“rok” is Afrikaans for ‘skirt’ or ‘dress’ then I will wear a skirt for the remainder of our matches this season. This is it boys! We are here to win and everything will be on the line next Monday! I so want to win this baby and see the Big Three’s shattered faces when we take the Liga Mundo championship on June 8.”

MAY 21, 2009 - Van Deinsen announces retirement

Ricardo van Deinsen, 30-year-old forward for Transvaal Springboks, notified club management of his retirement at the conclusion of this season. He is currently the club’s leader in career points and second for number of matches played.

“This comes as quite a shock to us” said Manager Bartnel Botha to the press, “as we were expecting that Gert Grünholz would be the one making his departure. Ricardo is an original Springbok and has been instrumental for us during our run for the championship this season. It now makes us want to win it just that much more, so we can see him leave us at the club’s highest moment.”

Van Deinsen’s retirement raises some cause for alarm for next season as this now leaves a major hole in the ‘Boks’s attack with Charles Brennan as their sole scoring threat up front.

“What this means is that Balthazar Botha will have to be ready to step up and take a leading role – as Grünholz is getting too old and been struggling the past three seasons while Bathoen is too young and raw to rely for more than the occasional start. The club probably does not have the cash to find an immediate replacement of the same calibre – so if we are to have short-term success, then the next three matches are imperative for us.”

MAY 25, 2009 - ’Boks return to Loftus Versfeld

With IRON’s withdrawal from the Karma War, peace finally returned to Transvaal this morning. As a result, the Springboks have announced their return to Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria for their final home match of the season – versus Swamplandia Sinners next Monday.

“We were planning on remaining at the Khomasdal until the start of next season, however with Ricardo van Deinsen’s impending retirement as well as next week’s match possibly being the championship winner, we felt that it was appropriate that we return to our home field at the earliest opportunity” said Manager Bartnel Botha. “Our supporters have been clamouring for one last chance to see Ricardo in action before hanging up the cleats.”

“It’s quite possible, depending on ours and Arcadia’s results next week, that we might clinch the league title next Monday – so it would be nice to win that in front of our home fans, if at all possible” said forward Charles Brennan.

And as Detlef Botha quipped “...our results at the Khomasdal haven’t been stellar either. The sooner we can leave this dustbowl behind, the better.”

MAY 29, 2009 - Loftus Versfeld bids farewell to Ricardo

Loftus Versfeld Stadium was filled to capacity crowd this morning as the Springbok faithful paid tribute to original ’Bok Ricardo van Deinsen in his penultimate match prior to retirement.

In a surprise roster move, the talented forward was pulling duty on fullback filling in for an injured Bert van der Meer. “I’ve played in every position on this team – including twice as goalkeeper” quipped the popular forward. “I often joke with Thurston [Alderton] and Göran [Von Knorring] about how I am still the only undefeated goalkeeper in the club.”

Van Deinsen did not look too out of place either on the backline along with defensive stalwarts Joep Boekweg and Leon Hooiber, as the Springboks held Swamplandia Sinners to just 4 shots on net. The Sinners played a cautious game which also held Transvaal to 4 shots (only 1 in the second half) but it was an early header by Balthazar Botha in the first five minutes which ended up sealing the much-needed victory for the ’Boks as they continued to maintain their grip on first place in the Primera Liga. 17-year-old forward Gatseitswe Boyke Bathoen made his senior debut and it was his timely cross which set up Botha’s goal.

After the final whistle, Manager Bartnel Botha was quick to explain the low-scoring game: “Swamplandia is one of those teams that just always match up well against us. Also we had some roster juggling which needed to be done to both cover some critical injuries and to get some guys into the game for experience sake. That explains why I had to move Van Deinsen back to the defensive line, so I could get secondary forwards Grünholz and Bathoen into the match. As well this being our final home match of the season, I needed to get Ricardo van Deinsen into the line-up – be it as a fullback. It was a move which was a bit of a gamble but ended up paying off as best as I could expect, especially since Bert van der Meer is now gone for the season and probably will miss our first match of Season 6.”

JUNE 8, 2009 - Ons almal is Bokke

Transvaal Springboks closed out a cinderella campaign by defeating Estrella Roja 3-1 at Estadio de Sierra Curon to win their first Liga Mundo championship title.

The match was also significant for being the final curtain call for 30-year-old forward Ricardo van Deinsen, an original Springbok who called it a day after five seasons, 84 matches, 34 goals and 45 points. A multi-purpose player, his final two matches saw him playing fullback, filling in for injured Bert van der Meer and bowing out as club leader in both points and goals and second after Joep Boekweg in matches played. His greatest match was arguably the 3-2 loss to Atlético Luz Del Mar on May 31 when he was responsible for both goals.

It was midfielder Detlef Botha who dictated the ’Boks finish against Estrella Roja today when he took a commanding role, scoring two goals himself and set up Charles Brennan for a third. Juan-María Motta clawed one back for Roja in the 72nd minute when potted the ball in close past Thurston Alderton.

In recognition of the club’s unexpected achievement in what was on paper intended to be “a season of consolidation” and gelling as a squad, the management has ordered gold rings to be presented to all 21 players who participated during the championship season.

When asked for his thoughts post-game, a still-shocked Manager Bartnel Botha had this to say:

“Winning the title really came down to the wire for us, as we faced a resurgent Arcadia FC making a run at us during the second half of the season while we began to face obstacles such as injuries and suspensions. Probably what won the title for us was bowing out of the cup competition when we did, as we only had the resources and talent to focus on one – not both.”

When asked about ‘where does the club go from here?’, Manager Botha replied: “I suppose our next challenge is to try and win one of the cups. Also there will be a lot of expectation for us to maintain position and defend our title. If anything, next season will be an even harder task than this one – as we had set ourselves out with modest expectations. There was no pressure on us to finish as well as we did, at the start of the season we were aiming for fourth place and 24 points.”

JUNE 9, 2009 - Springbok club awards announced

The Transvaal Voetbalsvereniging and management of the Transvaal Springboks announced this morning the following awards to be handed at the annual club award dinner and dance this coming weekend:
 * Player of the Season: Detlef Botha
 * Fullback of the Season: Joep Boekweg
 * Midfielder of the Season: Detlef Botha
 * Forward of the Season: Ricardo Van Deinsen
 * Most Improved Player: Stien van Buyten
 * Rookie of the Season: Cuthbert McGorry
 * Prospect of the Season: Dingiswayo Ngwane

Season 6 Primera
JUNE 10, 2009 - TDSN ’Boks Progress Report

TRANSVALER DAAGLIKSE SPORTSNUUS [EXCLUSIVE]: The Springboks management was hard at work this morning going through all the player progress reports to ascertain exactly what kind of impact last season’s improvement will have going into Liga Mundo Season 6.

First off, it appears that no one decreased in ability – even long-in-the-tooth veteran Gert Grünholz who at 35 is by far the oldest Springbok and has struggled for playing time the past two seasons saw some improvement.

Let’s start in the back field.

In between the pipes, starting goalkeeper Thurston Alderton came off his best season ever with eight X11 selections and is expected to have another banner year. His dependable back-up, Göran von Knorring visibly improved although he is probably still a couple of seasons away before making a challenge for more starting jobs.

In the defensive line, veteran fullback Bert van der Meer has been eclipsed by the quiet force Joep Boekweg and up and comer Leon Hooiber. This is the second season in which Hooiber has visibly improved. At age 25, Hooiber should start providing some leadership for the ‘Boks famed tightfisted defensive corps. Both reserve fullbacks Cuthbert McGorry and Olav Froggnarsen saw visible improvement but are likely two to three seasons away from being fulltime starters. Zulu prospect Dingiswayo Ngwane made the most of his limited playing time and improved visibly as well.

The midfield line saw the most interesting improvement, as veteran original ’Bok Dick Witchge, Matthias Rieger, Mark Verwayen, Emmanuel Hörtnagl, and Detlef Botha all visibly improved. For many seasons, the midfield was the achillies heel of the Transvaal side, however in the past two seasons it has evolved into being game makers. Hörtnagl’s improvement caught management pleasantly unexpected as most of his match time was as a substitute and he struggled compared to the flashes of brilliance he exhibited at the end of Liga Mundo Season 4. Mark Verwayen, who has been in the shadows since Liga Mundo Season 1, showed what he was capable of when making the most of his limited playing time last season. Liga Mundo Season 6 could well be his breakout year, much like how Liga Mundo Season 5 was the coming of age for Stien van Buyten, another Springbok prospect from Liga Mundo Season 1.

With the sudden retirement of Ricardo van Deinsen, the Springboks’ forward line is probably its weakest component of the team. Charles Brennan will continue to be the dangerous threat he is, but Balthazar Botha was expected to make the jump from 6 to 7 – which he failed to do. Balthazar will finally see himself as a regular starter again for the first time since Liga Mundo Season 3, while Gert “Grumpy” Grünholz should see more playing time when Die Bokke go with three forwards. Gatseitswe Boyke Bathoen joined the club too late in the season to see any visible improvement and his playing time will be mostly as injury reserve.

It is quite possible that Manager Botha might look at acquiring another forward – although the club probably does not have the cash flow to acquire any sort of player which could step in and make an immediate impact on the goaline.

JUNE 16, 2009 - Springboks bow out of cup

Up 3-1 going into the second half, the Transvaal Springboks somehow found a way to fold up in front of expansion side Atlético Melloria to drop a 4-3 decision which went into extra time and make an early exit from the Copa Del Mar.

“Despite rumours to the contrary, we did not actually tank the match – it was our intention to win it however it is pretty obvious that we took Atlético Melloria way too lightly today” explained an exasperated Manager Bartnel Botha. “We also did not field our strongest line-up.”

Most observers blamed the half-hearted and careless defence which the Springboks put up as well as still feeling the effects of Bert van der Meer’s lengthy injury and overall poor form from the off-season.

Referee Manuel Ficuz made excessively liberal use of his cards as he dealt out a total of 11 yellows and 2 red. “Melloria... welcome to ’Boks football!” quipped a frustrated Detlef Botha after the match when asked about all the bookings.

Back-up goalkeeper Göran von Knorring played horribly – allowing 4 of the 6 shots against him – while Balthazar Botha got himself booked twice within five minutes to see himself suspended for their next match – which now does not come until July 3. The only real bright spot was the first senior goal scored by youngster Gatseitswe Boyke Bathoen while Charles Brennan picked up Transvaal’s two other goals.

JUNE 26, 2009 - Springboks add forward Northfield

Manager Bartnel Botha made a quiet acquisition last week when he signed 27-year-old Neil Northfield off the transfer wire.

Going into the new campaign, it is no secret that Transvaal’s weakest position seems to be the attack with only two dependable regulars, Charles Brennan and Balthazar Botha, on the roster after the retirement of Ricardo van Deinsen. However with Botha now sitting out for the season opener with a suspension he picked up against Atlético Melloria in the Copa Del Mar, the ’Boks were looking rather thin for offense with neither Gert Grünholz nor GB Bathoen fully really to step in. Therefore Manager Botha dipped into the team coffers and was able to bring in utility forward Neil Northfield for just over R800,000 rand.

“Neil is admittedly a few years older than what we traditionally pursue for signings, however for his age and price he does bring us a nice, rounded skill-set package to the team. While I certainly don’t view him as an immediate replacement for Ricardo, he would definitely be a suitable replacement for Grumpy Grünholz when he decides to call it a day” said Manager Botha.

Prior to joining the Springboks, Northfield played two seasons in the old Transvaal Voetbalsvereniging domestic National Liga for his home town of Kimberley. After the NL folded last year, he then moved to Europe and toiled in an assortment of lower semi-pro leagues there.

JULY 3, 2009 - Dark cloud over season opener

Transvaal Springboks sputtered their way in reverse to a 2-2 draw versus Swamplandia Sinners at Loftus Versfeld this morning and lost goalkeeper Thurston Alderton to injury in the process.

Alderton – considered by many to be the defensive anchor of the team the past three seasons – is expected to be out for three weeks and will miss at least two matches. With another mediocre performance by back-up Göran von Knorring, fans and pundits are now wondering aloud whether the upcoming starts for Von Knorring will be the ultimate tests that make or break his spot on the roster.

The Springboks got on the scoreboard first in the middle of the first half from a long range snipe by Charles Brennan but would later fall behind by one when Buck Clay and Rory Palin scored for Swamplandia in the 71st and 82nd minute marks. Die Bokke only salvaged the equaliser through sheer luck after Swamplandia forward Jermaine Hays was caught back on defense and then fumbled the ball into his own net on a freak deflection.

“This wasn’t at all how we planned to start the season” said a dismayed Manager Bartnel Botha. “There were no bright spots from today’s match except perhaps that we didn’t outright cough up three points to Swamplandia. Losing Thurston Alderton is a major concern but at least he will be back well before our six-game string against the Big Three.”

JULY 9, 2009 - ’Boks fans shocked at Grünholz departure

Original Springbok Gert Grünholz was released by Manager Bartnel Botha this afternoon.

“It was a really tough, heart-wrenching decision to make but Grumpy Grünholz’s playing days were numbered and as much as we would have liked to have seen him retire with the club, management felt we needed to move on. With the recent injury to Thurston Alderton and management uncertainty with the long-term ability of back-up Göran von Knorring, the club has been scouting the transfer wires for a third keeper to bring in for development. To do so, we needed to make room and Gert was the most viable option to cut from our roster” explained a visibly upset Bartnel Botha at the press conference.

Gert Grünholz – who at age 35 was the oldest Springbok going into this campaign – was one of 5 last remaining players from the original roster. One of the most popular players with the Loftus Versfeld faithful, he had a strong presence in the first two seasons for the club and was named team captain. However during Season 3 his production and ability began to dip and he had struggled the past three seasons for playing time. At the end of Season 4 it appeared that he had re-found his stride only to be felled by a season-ending injury.

Grünholz played in 65 senior matches for the Springboks, putting him at sixth in career games played going into Season 6. He is fourth in career points and third in career goals.

JULY 10, 2009 - Springboks sign third keeper

In the wake of the sudden Gert Grünholz departure yesterday, Manager Bartnel Botha made short work in his stated desire to sign a third keeper when 22-year-old François Théron inked a contract with the Springboks this morning.

Despite his French-sounding name, Théron (pronounced ‘Troan’) is a South African player of French Huguenot decent. “My parents moved to South Africa like 200 years ago, so I’m as Afrikaner as the next boer” laughed the keeper when introduced to the press.

Like many other younger players waiting for the opportunity to crack the Springboks, Théron has toiled in various mid-level European leagues waiting for the call. “Manager Botha and the rest of the club management have had their eye on me for a couple of seasons however the timing wasn’t right until this week.”

While observers have no doubt as to injured Thurston Alderton’s place on the squad, there has been quiet concern inside and outside the club whether Göran von Knorring has the ability to take over the reigns in the future when Alderton has moved on.

To quote Lukas Reitz on Radio-Transvaal’s “Boks World” afternoon programme:

“What we will probably see the Springboks progressing towards is much what is happening at Windhoek Welwitschia right now, where the club relies on a goalie tandem splitting the duties instead of relying on one strong keeper and carrying a weaker back-up. While Göran likely isn’t doing to develop into a solid starter, he would make an excellent paring in a tandem, albeit giving Théron a couple of seasons to gain enough experience to become the other half. Of course this is all conjecture because it is a guaranteed bet that Alderton will be a fixture at Loftus Versfeld until retirement day.”

JULY 17, 2009 - Springboks thump Voobaha

After three weeks of looking the complete opposite of their championship form, Transvaal Springboks regrouped and finally began to click when they downed visiting Primera newcomers Voobaha National by the score of 6-3.

Charles Brennan, Balthazar Botha, and Detlef Botha each bagged a brace of goals in the win while Xristostomos Zikos and Alexander Heggem were responsible for the three goals for Voobaha.

Third-string goalkeeper François Théron got his first-ever senior start but looked pretty nervous between the posts as he only managed to stop 1 of 4 shots against him. At the other end of the pitch, Kees van der Vart was bombarded with an incredible 17 shots.

Both of the Botha Brothers were forced to retire early from the match due to light injuries sustained but should be ready for selection when Die Bokke clash with Swamplandia Sinners in the first leg of their cup tie next Tuesday at Loftus Versfeld.

“This was the first match this season where our form was back up to its normal, expected levels – and the effects definitely showed today” said a relieved Manager Botha at the post-game press conference. “The pundits had us down for losing today, so it was really nice to hear that final whistle and then see those 6 goals on the scoreboard. The first win and the last win of the season are always the most stressful.”

JULY 24, 2009 - Die Bokke slides into mediocrity

Transvaal Springboks dropped a 2-1 decision to Estrella Roja in the 84th minute after Juan-María Motta beat lethargic keeper Thurston Alderton on a breakaway. Alderton had been cleared to play only hours before and looked out-of-form after returning from his injury incurred three weeks ago. And more bad luck struck down the ’Boks in what is fast becoming a forgettable season when star fullback Leon Hooiber was then lost for three weeks due to injury early in the first half.

“These injuries to our best players are taking a real toll on us” said a frustrated Manager Bartnel Botha. “Judging from our performance so far, it’s really hard to believe that we actually won the championship last season. It now all seems so long ago.”

The Springboks haven’t been able to find their stride since losing Ricardo van Deinsen to retirement. The club’s two signings since last season have been peripheral movements with little to no impact seen so far – although foward Neil Northfield is slowly gaining some steam after his decent performance against Swamplandia Sinners in last week’s cup tie.

“And with that six-game series against the Big Three looming ahead in a couple of weeks, things could get real ugly real fast as right now I seriously doubt we could walk away with any points from those matches.”

One unnamed player commented after the final whistle that “after a long string of success against Estrella Roja, and seeing them parked in the basement, I believe many of us took them too lightly today and thought we could afford to make mistakes.”

JULY 28, 2009 - Transvaal advances to second round

Transvaal Springboks held off a strong effort by Swamplandia Sinners in their second cup draw to hang on for a 5-4 victory to take their cup round and move on with an 8-5 aggregate goals total.

The defensive combination of Bert van der Meer, Joop Boekweg, and Cuthbert McGorry looked particularly flat today while keeper Thurston Alderton is still showing the lingering effects of his lengthy injury.

At the other end of the pitch however, the Springboks’ midfield and forward were particularly strong although Henk Schot and Detlef Botha will be sitting out the next match due to suspensions. Balthazar Botha had a solid game as he picked up 2 goals and 2 assists. Emmanuel Hörtnagl played one of his stronger matches and collected a goal and assist. Charles Brennan scored one goal – which has now tied him with career goal and points leader Ricardo van Deinsen in both categories.

“I think we might have caught them off-guard with our formation, as we usually end up – mostly due to injuries and form – playing 3-4-3 against Swamplandia. However today we switched to our more familiar attacking formation and offensively it prove huge for us. Defensively however we didn’t look very good, but in that department they looked worse – so it all kind of balanced out” said Manager Botha.

AUGUST 7, 2009 - Manager blames Cup for poor ’Boks form

With all-star midfielder Matthias Rieger now out until early September due to injury picked up in today’s 4-1 losing effort against Atlético Luz Del Mar, Manager Bartnel Botha lambasted the Liga during the post-game media conference and put blame on the two cup tournaments for the Springboks’ recent woes.

“When your team is playing two matches a week almost all season, it is next to impossible to maintain a constantly high level of form. The more I think about it, having two cup series in a season is brutal. All it really does is benefit the same rich, strong teams who win season after season and collect the prize money.”

“The reason why the past two seasons - more so last season - have been so competitive is because teams have a chance to train and recover from injuries. This year we have had four serious injuries and they have had twice as much impact on our squad than if they occurred last year because of all the extra fixtures we have to play this year.”

Transvaal Springboks, normally one of the strongest teams for form, have been devastated on the field this season due to injuries and scheduling. Their defensive line, last season an impregnable bulwark, has been decimated like swiss cheese with injuries, poor form, and suspensions.

AUGUST 9, 2009 - ’Boks to tank cup draw to Bohs

JOHANNESBURG FREE PRESS SPORTS: The latest rumours coming from the Loftus Versfeld clubhouse is the Springboks plan to tank a cup match for a second season in a row. While Manager Bartnel Botha has not gone on record saying that will be the case, the fact that he has urgent business to attend to between August 19 and August 23 means that the Springboks will be effectively managerless during that time.

While the team would be able to make do on its own for its league matches during that time, that would not be the case should the Springboks compete in the Quarter-Finals. It is rumoured that the Transvaal manager plans to dress his second and third string players against Dun Carrig since the team would be almost guaranteed to be knocked out the next round.

Since Manager Botha lashed out recent at league officials over the state of the schedule with league matches and two cup runs, the Springboks management may be just opting to cut their losses early and thus avoid having to worry about extra form training for what would be meaningless matches resulting in losses.

With names like GB Bathoen, François Théron and Dingiswayo Ngwane listed on Tuesday's starting line-up while Boekweg and Hooiber appear on the sidelines, this reporter is smelling 'tank' in the works.

AUGUST 11, 2009 - ‘Boks field youngsters in 2-0 cup loss

Transvaal Springboks exited the Copa Legada today with an expected 2-0 loss to Dun Carrig Bohs.

With stars Van der Meer, Hooiber, Boekweg, Brennan, and Alderton all on the sidelines, Transvaal’s youthful future got a chance to compete. “What you saw today is what our line-up will look like in around three to five seasons, after all our vets have retired. Apart from Emmanuel Hörtnagl, who was dressed as a substitute, these are the future stars of the Springboks” commented Manager Botha.

While Transvaal’s defence looked weak for a Primera team, Manager Botha did stress that “Frognarsen and Ngwane had played better than normal”, especially the young Zulu fullback. “Van Buyten and Balthazar also looked good out there today.”

The man dubbed Koppesneller [Headhunter] will miss the ’Boks match against powerhouse VolNation Volunteers; Detlef Botha picked up a late red card for mowing down Dun Carrig midfielder Paul Kells and has been suspended one game. Kells is expected to miss the next two weeks.

When asked about the suspension, the Koppesneller shrugged and laughed with a twinkle in his eye: “I’ll guess that means I have to wait for Robertson next time around.”

Joep Boekweg, veteran fullback from the original Springbok roster, has quietly been making his way towards playing his 100th match, scheduled to occur on August 21 in Arcadia.

AUGUST 15, 2009 - Witchge leads ‘Boks against VolNation

Midfielder Dick Witchge scored two goals yesterday in Transvaal Springboks’ 2-0 shocker upset versus VolNation Volunteers. In what was an unusually clean match for the South Africans, the home side was limited to just four shots on net but Witchge hit paydirt both times as he took control of the midfield.

“This was our first game this season where no one shirked off on the field. Everyone performed as best as they can – most often better. Second-string fullback Olav Froggnarson had a very strong effort in undoubtedly his best match to date” said Manager Botha in post-game.

“VolNation has traditionally done poorly at Loftus Versfeld, but considering how our season has been progressing, most people expected the Volunteers to beat the curse.”

AUGUST 15, 2009 - The legendary Joep Boekweg

Transvaal Springboks' upcoming match on August 21 against Arcadia FC will go down in history as the 100th competitive match for fullback Joep Boekweg.

One of just five original Springboks, the hardworking Boekweg has quietly passed under the attention radar in Liga Mundo as he steadfastly made his way towards legendary status.

As Detlef Botha told Transvaler Daaglikse Sportnuus: “When most people think of Springbok fullbacks, often Bert van der Meer is the first who comes to mind. Then Leon Hooiber – but Boekweg is probably the best of them all. Not flashy, but always consistently steady and a rock solid presence”

Statistically, Joep Boekweg is 11th in overall club scoring with 18 points and tied for 3rd with 15 assists – leading all fullbacks that have donned the green and orange sweater. He has 23 X11 team selections, tied with Matthias Rieger and only 1 behind midfielder Dick Witchge. In Liga catergories, he trails behind Lois Luis in 2nd place for points for all fullbacks.

When asked about his longevity with Die Bokke, Boekweg told us that “I’m not actually sure why I survived all the cuts over the seasons while other, better fullbacks have fallen by the wayside. Johann Berger, Gijs Oesterweld, and Knut Borgebäck - these were all good players on our back line yet I was kept on and they were let go. I’m not sure why. I have to admit that it is rather surprising I lasted this long on the team. I must be doing something right”

Manager Botha says Boekweg’s appeal is his strong work ethic. “We have never had a player who trains and hustles as much as Joep does.”

AUGUST 29, 2009 - Springboks level out Arcadia FC

In what was the first match this season with no injured players on the sidelines, Transvaal Springboks managed a late goal in injury time to scrape a 2-2 draw against league powerhouse Arcadia FC. Playing down a goal for the majority of the match, forward Charles Brennan and midfielder Detlef Botha were the scorers for the homeside.

“Considering how our season has been progressing, I was quite pleased to walk away with a draw with the league leaders” said Manager Bartnel Botha post-game. “Our goalkeeping was a little circumspect as Göran von Knorring left halfway through the game and Thurston Alderton looked a flat when he went in for relief. Originally Alderton was starting but with the late kick-off, I changed my mind and gave Von Knorring the start on account of his much stronger form this week. Alderton is still feeling the after-effects of his lengthy injury spell.”

Detlef Botha – who always steps up his game a notch or three against Arcadia FC – provided yet another thorn in the visitors’ quest for the three points with his timely freekick goal. Dick Witchge and Henk Schott also had particularly strong outings for Die Bokke.

Next up is another tough Big Three match-up when Transvaal makes the trip to Neyland Statdium to face the VolNation Volunteers. The struggling ’Boks took the earlier match this season 2-0 as Transvaal has not lost a game to VolNation in the last four meetings.

SEPTEMBER 4, 2009 - Springboks battered by VolNation

Transvaal Springboks emerged from VolNation’s Neyland Stadium worse for wear after the Volunteers won 5-2 and two leading Bokke were lost for the upcoming match against Atlético Luz Del Mar. Forward and leading scorer Charles Brennan will sit out from suspension while hardnosed midfielder Detlef Botha is out for two games due to injury.

“Not having those two guys next week will no doubt make it difficult for us against ALDM. I may have to change up some positioning so as to strengthen our attack and help out Balthazar Botha up front.”

Despite the loss, Manager Bartnel Botha said that there were still some positives to take home.

“After Detlef was carried off, Mark Verwayen stepped in and bagged our first goal a minute into the second half. Now here’s a kid who has been with the team since a junior prospect early in Season 1 and has constantly had to struggle from the sidelines for playing time, most often as a substitute. But talk about making the most of his chances whenever he gets them. Also Stien van Buyten played his strongest game ever and only just missed out getting just his second X11 section in six seasons. Henk Schot has continued to play very strong after a great outing against Arcadia last week”

“It’s really nice to see these ‘original’ prospects like Van Buyten, Verwayen, and Balthazar now maturing into solid, dependable players just hitting their stride.”

SEPTEMBER 4, 2009 - Detlef Botha denies retaliation injury

Detlef Botha spoke with the VolNation media after yesterday’s match regarding his injury at Neyland Stadium.

Despite what the hardnosed midfielder for the Springboks stated – or joked depending on whom you believe - in the press last month after their previous meeting about going after Ian Robertson “next time around”, he doesn’t believe he was the target for retaliation.

“No, freak stuff like that happens all the time. I’m a big boy and VolNation are too classy an organization to go on a headhunting spree. I was going hard in on goal and twisted my ankle on a grass chip taken out of the field. The guy tackling on me – I think it was Red Moreno, don’t recall for sure – was playing it all positional, clean and good. No hard feelings.”

SEPTEMBER 13, 2009 - Springboks changing sweaters on Monday

The marketing department of the Transvaal Springboks announced this morning that a brand-new uniform design and colour scheme would be revealed on Monday.

Gone are the green and orange stripes which have been used since the middle of Season 4 – to be replaced by dark, bottle green sweaters with golden orange and white neck trim along with white shorts.

While the old orange and green stripes will always be associated with our championship run last season, this new design we guarantee will be a classic look that will become popular with our fans and will cry ‘Bokke’.

SEPTEMBER 25, 2009 - Springboks pronk out of relegation

In what Manager Bartnel Botha was calling a “major character win for our forwards”, the Transvaal Springboks leapt out of last place in the Primera Liga and outside of the relegation zone with their decisive 5-1 victory over visiting Estrella Roja.

Going into the match, the prospects looked pretty stacked against Die Bokke as Balthazar Botha was sitting out from a suspension and Charles Brennan left after just four minutes due to injury. This left second-string forward Neil Northfield and youngster Gatseitswe Boyke Bathoen now with a momentous task on their shoulders to provide some offensive power.

Neither player failed to disappoint as both players dug in and perfomed in their best outings seen to date in their short playing careers. Despite being one of the rawest talents in the entire Liga Mundo, GB Bathoen showed flashes of future brilliance when he got Transvaal on the scoreboard first with his smart, cool-headed play in close against Havgrímur Tjørnild after connecting on a Northfield pass at the 23rd minutes.

Estrella Roja counterattacked off the following kickoff and the score leveled out at 1-1. Detlef Botha, back from his recent major injury, however banged home another close shot around five minutes before halftime and this gave Transvaal a 2-1 lead at the break.

The midfield took over during the second half as Matthias Rieger scored twice and Henk Schot then picked up one goal to give Transvaal a commanding 5-1 lead at the 66th minute.

Estrella Roja was limited to just three shots against Thurston Alderton while the Springboks had eight attempts on the opposing net – with Rieger’s goals coming from a long outside shot and then later set up by a Detlef Botha cornerkick.

“This was one of our stronger games this season, in practically all areas we out-classed them” commented Detlef Botha after the final whistle. “We knew coming into this match it was a key fixture as Estrella Roja, like us, have been staring down relegation. Those five goals did wonders for our goal difference, which could end up deciding our fate in the Primera this season.”

OCTOBER 2, 2009 - ’Boks display perfect teamwork in win

In what was a textbook win, the Transvaal Springboks displayed what could only be called ‘perfect teamwork’ in their 2-0 victory against Voobaha National.

Midfielder Matthias Rieger scored both goals for Die Bokke with Emmanuel Hörtnagl and Detlef Botha chipping in for the assists. Both goals came from spotkicking plays, Botha setting up from a setpiece freekick while Hörtnagl’s assist was off his corner. Despite the low score, Springboks dominated ball control as Voobaha was limited just 30 minutes of possession.

“This game was by far the best I have seen this team play – as a team – in many seasons. It was a 20/20 effort for everyone today” commented a pleased Manager Botha to the press after the final whistle.

Transvaal has two matches remaining in its Liga Mundo Season 6 schedule before sitting out the final week as a bye.

OCTOBER 16, 2009 - Springboks close out dismal season

Transvaal Springboks defeated Swampandia Sinners 1-0 to avoid relegation in what prove to be a depressing follow-up to their Primera championship title in Liga Mundo Season 5. For the second week in a row the ’Boks played with perfect teamwork throughout but an early red card to Matthias Rieger capped out the goal scoring with a lone tally from Charles Brennan. Mark Verwayen left the match in the first half hour due to injury and is now gone for three weeks.

Mathematically the Springboks could drop down to a sixth place finish in the Primera Liga but this would require Swamplandia to defeat high-flying Arcadia FC by an impossible and unheard-of 9-goal margin. The ’Boks now have to wait out a week as the rest of the league plays out the remaining round of fixtures.

With no retirements announced for the off-season, Manager Botha said that he would stick with the same roster for Liga Mundo Season 7 although depth on the forward line was still an area of concern. “We don’t have the cash to make any major acquisitions that would have an immediate effect so we are hoping the progress report will be kind to us on our offense. We are expecting all our forwards except perhaps Brennan to improve by one full level – in the case of GB Bathoen we’re expecting 2 levels. Balthazar Botha had his best season in six campaigns while Neil Northfield performed better than we expected for joining the squad as a stop-gap replacement for the departed Van Deinsen and Grünholz.”

Season 7 Primera
OCTOBER 26, 2009 - Van der Meer on his way out?

Original Springbok fullback Bert van der Meer has by mutual agreement been placed on the transfer wire by Manager Bartnel Botha. “Van der Meer has now slipped down to third on our defensive depth chart but we found last season it was difficult to provide the playing time which he demanded.

“At $1,000,000 he would be a bargain, experienced player for an up and coming Tercera or Segunda team and still has some years of playing left. However recent progress the past two seasons of Joep Boekweg and Leon Hooiber has eclipsed Van der Meer from being our leading defender. By shopping him around, we are hoping he will prove more useful to another club in Liga Mundo.”

OCTOBER 29, 2009 - And then there were three...

32-year-old veteran fullback Bert van der Meer was sold this afternoon for R1,000,000, leaving the Springboks with just three players remaining from their original expansion roster.

Manager Bartnel Botha said it was a painful decision but major injuries the past two seasons had contributed to a problematic decline in Van der Meer’s form and playing time.

“Bert was the only Springbok not to see an increase during the progress report, and at age 32 when that happens the question starts to arise how much longer does he have as a productive player?”

During the first four seasons of Liga Mundo play, Bert van der Meer was regarded by most observers as the anchor of the Springbok defence and along with midfielder Dick Witchge and forward Gert Grünholz kept the club competitive during those early formative seasons.

However with the acquision of future captain Leon Hooiber in the latter half of Season 3 and the quiet improvement of Joep “Radar” Boekweg, Van der Meer found himself eclipsed by these two players by the time Transvaal had won the championship in Season 5 – an event which was painfully ill-timed for Bert as he was sitting out injured when the cup was finally clinched. And surprisingly enough, despite setbacks on the field he still lead Springbok fullbacks in points last season.

Bert van der Meer will no doubt go down as one of the defensive greats of Transvaler football. In 90 league and cup matches, he collected 1 goal and 16 assists. While possessing a booming shot which never seemed to get used as much as it should have, on a wider scale, he will always be remembered by Liga Mundo fans as being simply one of the toughest, physically hard players seen on what has historically been a physical team. He averaged a yellow card every 2 matches and had 5 red cards to his name. Every season he was in the Top 3 for penalty infractions of one sort or another, leading Liga Mundo for yellow cards the past four seasons. Despite the carnage he left behind on the field, he was selected 12 times to X11 teams.

Despite the obvious, immediate hole his departure leaves, Manager Botha says he is shopping the transfer wires for a younger replacement.

= Player merits =
 * Detlef Botha - 3rd most sending-offs (1 red card) in Season 4 Primera; 2nd most bookings (6 yellow cards) in Season 5 Primera; 2nd most points (12 Points) in Season 5 Primera; 2nd most sending offs (1 red card) in Season 5 Primera
 * Charles Brennan - 2nd leading scorer (8 goals) in Season 4 Primera; 3rd most bookings (5 yellow cards) in Season 4 Primera; 2nd leading scorers (7 Goals) in Season 5 Primera; 2nd most sending-offs (2 red cards) in Season 6 Primera
 * Horace Elding - 1st most sending-offs (2 red cards) in Season 2 Primera; 1st most bookings (8 yellow cards) in Season 2 Primera
 * Gert Grünholz - 3rd most bookings (7 yellow cards) in Season 3 Primera
 * Matthias Rieger - 1st most assists (7) in Season 4 Primera
 * Ricardo van Deinsen - 2nd most bookings (6 yellow cards) in Season 4 Primera
 * Stien van Buyten - 3rd most bookings (6 yellow cards) in Season 5 Primera
 * Bert van der Meer - 2nd most bookings (8 yellow cards) in Season 1 Primera; 2nd most sending-offs (2 red cards) in Season 2 Primera; 1st most bookings (7 yellow cards) in Season 3 Primera; 1st most sending offs (3 red cards) in Season 3 Primera; 1st most bookings (8 yellow cards) in Season 4 Primera; 1st most bookings (7 yellow cards) in Season 5 Primera; 1st most bookings (7 yellow cards) in Season 6 Primera

=Youngest and oldest players= =Captains=
 * Youngest: (16) Dingiswayo Ngwane (fullback) signed and played with the club as a junior prospect when he was just 16 years old.
 * Oldest: (35) Mirko Zilic (fullback), Horace Elding (midfielder), and Thanos Sietaridis (goalkeeper) were the oldest players to sign with the squad at 33 years old. They all departed when they were 35. Gert Grünholz also departed when he was 35 but had joined the team at an earlier age.
 * Liga Mundo Season 1 - Gert Grünholz (forward)
 * Liga Mundo Season 2 - Gert Grünholz (forward)
 * Liga Mundo Season 3 - Gert Grünholz (forward)
 * Liga Mundo Season 4 - Leon Hooiber (fullback)
 * Liga Mundo Season 5 - Leon Hooiber (fullback)
 * Liga Mundo Season 6 - Leon Hooiber (fullback)
 * Liga Mundo Season 7 - Leon Hooiber (fullback)

= "Zero Heroes" = The following players were signed by the club but never participated in a competitive match.

=See also=
 * Liga Mundo
 * 1984 Duckies FC (Liga Mundo)
 * Arcadia FC (Liga Mundo)
 * Estrellapuerto FC
 * Estrella Roja (Liga Mundo)
 * FC Franzharia (Liga Mundo)
 * SiPS (Liga Mundo)
 * Voobaha National (Liga Mundo)
 * Windhoek Welwitschia (Vedder League)
 * NVK Kaapstad Hornets (Nordreich Liga)