- Maritzburg F.C.
-
Maritzburg Full name Maritzburg Football Club Founded 1953 (as Durban Municipals) Ground Jan Smuts Stadium, Pietermaritzburg 
Home coloursMaritzburg FC is a South African football (soccer) club based in Pietermaritzburg.
Contents
Notable players
Ian Bender (F) (1975-1976)
Keith Blackburn (M) (1968) 4 apps.
Bobby 'Red' Campbell (M) (1967-1968) 5 apps.
Bobby Chalmers (F) (1968-1974) (Only player in NFL history to surpass 300 goals)- Bobby Davidson (M) (1968-1976)
- George Dougan (D) (1969-1970)
- Neil Duffy (F) (1968) 8 apps, 1 goal
- Cliff Durandt (M) (1969-1971)
- Francis Exall (F) (1969-1972)
- Dave Forsyth (D) (c1974-1975)
- Robbie Geils (M) (1968-c1975)
- Jerry Gibson (F) (1967-1969)
- Richard Gomes (F) (1974)
- Johnny Haynes (M) (1975)
- Mike James (F/D) (1967-1976)
- Gavin Laing (D) (1968-1969)
- Danny Le Roux (M) (1970) 1 app.
- Findlay McGillivray (D) (1968; 1969; 1973-1974)
- Frankie McGuigan (M) (1968-1969)
- Pat Price (D) (1969-1976)
- Neill Roberts (F) (1975-1977)
- John Rugg (D) (1967-1969)
- Jimmy Scott (F) (1973-1974)
- Charlie Smith (M) (1973)
- Alan Varner (M) (1967-1974)
- Ray Veall (M) (1971)
- Alan Watt (GK) (1975-1978)
- Len Wilkinson (GK) (1968-1974)
- Jimmy Wilson (M) (1973)
History
Durban Municipals (founded 1953) had been a leading club in Natal for some time when the 1967 season got underway. They had come agonizingly close to promotion twice before. First, qualifying for the 1963 promotion play-offs only to miss promotion by a single point vis-a-vis Hellenic, and again in 1966, losing the southern play-off final against Westview Apollon from Port Elizabeth. The club (still known as Durban Municipals) would be playing their home games in neighbouring Pietermaritzburg to avoid competition for support with the three Durban teams in the top division. (Pietermaritzburg, on the other hand, had been without a professional soccer team since Maritzburg Celtic found themselves hopelessly out of their depth in NFL's inaugural season in 1959, folding after an abysmal run in which they failed to win a single game.) The 1967 season unfolded very much like the previous year's. The Municipals won the provincial league again, ahead of Escombe, to qualify for the Southern section of the play-offs. There they recorded three wins and one draw against East London Celtic and Peninsula FC of Cape Town, earning the right to a two-legged showdown with the 13th placed team in the NFL. Their opponents? None other than last season's nemesis, Westview Apollon. The Municipals lost 4-6 on aggregate, despite a first-leg hat-trick from future star defender Mike James. However, in a final twist, Westview Apollon withdrew from the NFL, and so Durban Municipals were promoted anyway. Attendance figures following the move to Pietermaritzburg had been encouraging, and it was decided to re-name the club accordingly. They took the field in the NFL in 1968 as Maritzburg F.C.. In 1969, only their second season in the top flight, they won the Castle Cup. Their most successful league campaigns were 1970, 1974 and 1975, all ending with a third place finish.
External links
See also
Categories:- South African association football clubs
- National Football League (South Africa) clubs
- South African sport stubs
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
