Floor-crossing is frowned upon among football club supporters. However, Gladys Gailey did it without blinking in the late 1990s, ditching Kaizer Chiefs for new kids on the block Ajax Cape Town. An interesting move if you consider two facts: this was a team from the Mother City and she is a native of Sophiatown, Gauteng, and secondly, she was born, more than 60 years ago, into a family of staunch Amakhosi supporters. In fact, one of her brothers turned out for Kaizer XI, the forerunner to Kaizer Chiefs as we know it now. Ajax have since changed name to Cape Town Spurs and made a return to the DStv Premiership after five years in the lower ranks, yet their "number one supporter" is a no-show in the stands. What is the real story? Soccer Laduma's Lunga Adam tracked her down…
Lunga Adam: Cape Town Spurs are back in the big time and their number one supporter, Gladys Gailey, is nowhere to be seen in the stands. What's happening? Where are you hiding?
Gladys Gailey: No, Lunga, you're not the only one that's been asking that. I have been active all along. You must know that when I became the number one supporter for Ajax Cape Town and Bafana Bafana, it was the period of the 1st of August 1998 after we went to the FIFA World Cup in France. It started there, with that journey, until 2020, when Covid came into fashion, ha, ha, ha.
LA: So, that invisible monster of a disease just put a halt to things?
GG: Yes, yes, it stopped everything. But it didn't stop me because remember I had a premium package of DStv, so I would watch the games on TV, although they were also so scarce. I have also been attending local games here in Jo'burg, especially the Motsepe (Foundation Championship) games. I have been watching the PSL (topflight) games also, it's just that your cameras didn't pick me up, ha, ha, ha… I don't know why.
LA: Okay, good then. For a second we thought you may perhaps have fallen out of love with the game.
GG: No! No! That's the Beautiful Game hey.
LA: You talk about August 1998 as the beginning of the journey, but Ajax were formed the following year, right?
GG: Yes, it was formed then, but previously, I had been a Kaizer Chiefs supporter. In 1998/99, that's the time that I moved over to Ajax Cape Town, my reason being that I fell in love with the style of play. Remember they had this unique diamond pattern of football that they used to play – that's when I fell in love. Also, I fell in love because coach Cavin Johnson is a family friend of ours and I was just supporting him when he was our youth coach at Ajax. Immediately then I fell in love with the team and, as they say, the rest is history.
LA: That's not all.
GG: Well, on the 1st of August 1998 … I think it was a Friday … I established this unique tourism hub, it was called The Place Tourism Hub. You'll be asking me what did we do there? Hmmm, in June of that same year, we went to France, not a freebie but on a self-paid expense, ha, ha, ha. We went to France to get the feeling of what the World Cup was all about because remember we had just been watching (it) on TV, we were the Netherlands' fans, we were 'this' fans, we were 'this' fans. My husband and I, as well as four friends of ours, we decided to go to France to watch South Africa being readmitted into the international arena.
Remember that was the first time that we went to the World Cup. And while we were in France, one night we went pub-crawling and we came across this type of a bar, a sports bar something, and I was so fascinated with what I saw in there. This was in Toulouse. They had this sports bar and, you know, people just flocked in there. When going to a game, everybody used to congregate there – they used to call it The Arena. That place used to, like, prevent any stampedes at the stadium. So, we went there and we saw the idea and I sommer (just) liked the idea, and I improvised it. I turned that idea into a history thing. I turned it into a unique restaurant, heritage site, viewing area, a poetry reading area; live concerts we had there, and we had all local events like baby showers, weddings, after-tears (parties), what-what-what. And in that same process… you will not believe me when I tell you something, Lunga, one of our visitors that came to The Place Tourism Hub was the likes of FIFPRO. They were our first supporters, besides John Comitis coming to the place now, to see what was happening there, what we were doing there, what was so special about the place.
LA: You're talking about the establishment in the past tense. What happened to it?
GG: After 22 years, when Covid came into fashion, the landlord evicted me. Because remember we were on hard lockdown, we couldn't sell, we couldn't trade, we couldn't do anything. Obviously I couldn't pay rent, so he decided to evict me. At the same time, while he evicted me, I still had the keys to the premises because remember I was the rightful owner. That was 2020. One day I asked him if I could fetch my items and everything, guess what? When I eventually got there, they looted me (The Place). Half of my staff is gone. You know, if you can go on to my Facebook page or if you can Google me, you'll be able to see what this place looked like. Out of this world! National coaches were there. The Farouk Khans were there. The… argh, I don't know who else. The Jabu Pules. It was the hideout for all the legends, (Orlando) Pirates legends.
LA: So, when Jabu disappeared from Kaizer Chiefs, this is where he used to hang out?
GG: Yes, ha, ha, ha. But guess what? He would behave so well. I would ask him, "Don't you want a drink? Don't you want a drink?" "No, no, no, no." Ha, ha, ha. My best patrons were the legends of Orlando Pirates.
LA: Was this a venue then where supporters congregated before matches?
GG: Every time! When Ajax played there, they would all come to The Place. On The Arena, we would say a war cry, and off we go from there. If we play at FNB Stadium, everybody congregates at The Place and from The Place, we go to FNB Stadium. If we play in Polokwane… from The Place to Polokwane. The biggest football event we had there was during the MTN8 – I remember it so well, it's still fresh in my mind. There were about 16, 18 or 20 buses all the way from around South Africa going to FNB Stadium obviously, they would come past there. Some (people) would watch the games there because we would have the big screens outside The Place and inside as well.
LA: How profitable was the business?
GG: It was very profitable, very sustainable. That is why I hang in there, and I can tell you that when he evicted me, I was there 22 years. I will just tell you one instance of a game between Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns. Afternoon game. You will think I'm telling you a word of lie because I didn't sell ngudus, these AK-47s. I would just sell all the premium brands, all the dumpies, all the pints, and on that particular day, that particular game, just on the beers, not on the food… Remember I used to sell food as well, I used to sell souvenirs, I used to sell flags, whatever. Any club you belonged to, all 16 clubs of the PSL I used to have their merchandise, and for that 90 minutes… that was, oh yirre, years back, I made R1 500. Ha, ha, ha. Just for 90 minutes hey. And that was my life. It's still my life.
LA: Okay, back to Spurs now. Why are you no longer 'actively' supporting them?
GG: They got relegated, but I was following Cape Town Spurs and, at the same time, while we were playing in the Motsepe League, I was following La Masia as well. Those were my two teams. I used to favour Cape Town City also because remember now I owe everything to John Comitis because he was the one that actually made me. He was such a professional and I think they are the only team where they announced that, "This is our number one supporter." Remember all the other teams it's just self-made, self-proclaimed, self-what-what, ha, ha, ha. And they're still fighting over that thing hey.
LA: Is it?
GG: Yes!
LA: Who's fighting?
GG: The supporters. You hear them (saying), "Ke mang a re o (Who's saying they're) number one? Ke mang a re (Who's saying) what-what?" You know our politics. At the same time, remember I was the founder member, together with Saddam (Maake) and Mzion (Mofokeng), of NAFSA – National Football Supporters Association. During that time, I used to support every team because remember we used to have offices at Gandhi Square, where we were endorsed by the Minister (of Sport and Recreation)– it was Fikile Mbalula that time. We were endorsed by so many people, and we were very professional because I'd go there during the day when it was match time and distribute the tickets to the fans. We didn't like this thing of one fan getting 10 tickets, this one doesn't get, then this supporter sells the tickets because we've got this tendency that when we get something mahala, we like to sell it. So, we were trying to move away from the selling of the tickets.
LA: So when the Urban Warriors play in Gauteng, where you're based, will you be at the stadium?
GG: I'll always be there, ha, ha, ha. Remember I've still got all my favourites there. Interestingly enough, you know what, I come across them so many times. The last time I was with "Hare", Clayton Daniels our captain. Even the other players, when they left Ajax Cape Town, they would still come and visit me at The Place. That was before this damn Covid came into fashion. So, this damn Covid really broke my heart, but it didn't break my spirit. And I'm still patriotic for my country, I still have the same love for it. That's within me, it's in my genes that no one can take it away from me.
LA: Tell us more about the World Cup experience you touched on earlier.
GG: Wow, wow, wow! You'll think I'm telling a word of lie. I still have VHF cassettes of them hey, I was the most photographed individual amongst our clan at the stadiums. We would sit with the parents of George Koumantarakis, we would sit with Ryan Muir, and guess what? Yirre, they couldn't just understand these girls… and guys. We would move out of our seats just to scream and cheer our team on. I remember our first game, I think we played in Marseille, on that day I had my sgqoko (hat) on, the red one, and the photographers, the reporters, the journalists used to call me to the fence just to take a picture of me. It was so unique and they were so fascinated with my looks, ha, ha, ha. Remember that time I used to wear…
Madiba was my trademark, and people used to ask me, "Do you know Mandela?" I'd say, "Yes." "Have you met him?" "Yes." "Have you kissed him?" And I would laugh, ha, ha, ha! From a supporters' point of view, you know, we grew, we grew, and come 2002, we went to (South) Korea and Japan. We were the only branch, the Westbury branch of Bafana Bafana, that went on own expense, again, to Korea and Japan. Guess how we did it? We did fundraising and we all… not everybody went. Okay, those that didn't wanna go took their proceeds, others went to buy big screens and what-what-what, but we soldiered on. All the World Cups that Bafana Bafana were involved in, I was part of them, not on a freebie, but I used to pay because that is my passion. I did not wait for SAFA to sponsor me, to be in the good books of Danny Jordaan – no, no, no. We as Westbury Supporters Club, we went on our own. Every time we qualified, we would go.
LA: That's amazing.
GG: In 2010, it was also very, very big because now you remember I used to go to the stadium and my husband used to look after the business. It (The Place) was a public viewing site also. It was hectic, ja. In the years that we did not feature, I think the one German television used us as a public viewing site. The Korean people also used The Place as a public viewing area. Oh, it was up and down! 2010 was profitable, ha, ha, ha, because all the media houses used to come to The Place and those that didn't have tickets used to see the culture here in South Africa, what we do. They were totally impressed. So many documentaries were made there at The Place. kykNET had one, SABC had one, DStv had one, MTN, Euro Cup, Kofifi TV, Mindset programme, Nkepile Mabuse… so many programmes were made there.
LA: Seems The Place meant so much to you. You must have been devastated at the time of its forced closure.
GG: I'm still devastated, my brother, and I was so fortunate to meet up with Dr. Irvin Khoza at his wife's funeral. He called me… I went to sympathise with him and he was much more interested in me, ha, ha, ha. He was saying to me, "Gladys, I saw your story in the paper. I saw it in the Sowetan. Please, you must come talk to me." Remember even Lucky Lekgwathi's place they also looted, we were crying together myself and Lucky.
LA: Did you take Dr. Khoza up on his kind gesture?
GG: You won't believe me, just the other day, last month, I phoned him, but you know what, when they don't know your phone number… he never picked up. But as I'm sitting here today, I've got a list of all the people that I want to take up. Even… remember I had a dialogue with President (Cyril) Ramaphosa. He was also one of the people that promised me – that was in Riverlea while we were there. He said to me he heard about The Place and come the next game, he'll take me to go watch a game with him. I think that was in March 2019. Ever since the president took my phone number, as they say in Afrikaans, dit was die laaste gesien en die laaste woord (that was the last seen and the last word). He still owes me big time. Everybody that was here, whenever they meet me in town, they ask me, "Did the president ever pay for your ticket?" I say, "No way! No way!
LA: Maybe it was just empty promises, Mama Gladys.
GG: Haai, bathong! Ha, ha, ha. I mean, I put South Africa on the global map. I put The Place on top of the world.
LA: Well, Dr. Khoza does read Soccer Laduma, so maybe after this he'll make means to reach out to you.
GG: I just pray (that happens), and I'm appealing to Dr. Khoza, to our Minister of Sport (Zizi Kodwa), just to help me as a patriotic South African so that I can realise my dream.
LA: Do the football authorities give the supporters an ear, in your opinion?
GG: Can I be honest with you? There's so many intrusions in this Beautiful Game of ours. So many people, like we say in Afrikaans, hulle koop gesig by die mense (they buy faces from people). Like, they can werem (worm) themselves in. And others like to pretend they are Gladys. There's only one Gladys, there's no other Mama Gladys, ha, ha, ha. The relationships that I've created…I mean, FIFPRO, not everybody has seen FIFPRO. You can speak to FIFPRO and ask them about me, they'll tell you. Where have you seen a South African woman's picture at The Arena in Amsterdam? My picture is there. My picture used to be everywhere. And I've travelled the breadth and the length of South Africa, as I said to you, on own expense, even without SAFA. The first time I got a free ticket was the day when we played at Ellis Park against Nigeria.
It was a friendly game and we won. I used to buy all my tickets! Even going to France. Remember, I had been overseas by then, but we didn't know how to get hold of FIFA, where to get our tickets. Luckily, our travel agency was well-organised. In the morning, from Marseille we would go to maybe another place, Toulouse and whatever, and we would first go to FIFA to get our tickets to go to the next game. Now it's just a matter of freebies, ha, ha, ha. Before the last World Cup in Qatar, someone promised us that they were going to take South African supporters to Qatar. I was in that bus and I don't know what happened. Like we say in Afrikaans, hulle het ons uitgeskinner (someone must have gosipped about us). You know, this is another game, my brother, if you don't know it. We're living now in the days of 'dog eats dog'. It's brood vir my broer (bread for my brother).
LA: What challenges come with being a woman in SA football?
GG: Being a woman, they underestimate you so much. You cannot bring your ideas or views, and then they just want to trample you down. I encountered that so many times. I was born into a sports family, so that's where I got my bug from. My brother was the first goalkeeper for Kaizer XI – his name was Jabulani (Jimmy Smith). That was the time when Kaizer (Motaung) had just come back from the States. Kaizer XI played at the Western Oval. My father is a big Chiefs supporter, while my brother Bobo (Smith) is also a big Chiefs supporter – we call him "Bob Save". Then I've got another brother, Fargo – he's also from Chiefs. Then our eldest brother, his name is Cyril (Smith), or we call him "Ting- Ting" (I don't know what that means), he played for the pick side of the Transvaal Coloureds. It was during the Apartheid era. So, can you see where I fit in? I married, now, a skipper of the team. Basil is my husband's name and he was the captain of Ipswich Town Football Club. They used to play against people like bo (the likes of) Marks Maponyane, like the Maja brothers. Very well-known team Ipswich Town. I think it was the first Coloured team that they had yesteryear, besides Leicester City.
LA: Mama Gladys, good to see you able to afford a smile after the devastation caused by Covid to your booming business. Thanks for sharing your story with us.
GG: Thank YOU for your time, hey brother. Thanks for listening to me, ha, ha, ha.
