The 'resurrection' of a beloved football brand could be on the horizon as a South African businessman looks to breathe new life into the Free State football team's legacy.
News coming out of Bloemfontein is that the businessman who has bought the Bloemfontein Celtic naming rights, Eddie Modise, has identified two Motsepe Foundation Championship clubs who are believed to be potential sellers to him.
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Insiders close to the businessman and the two clubs have indicated that the two clubs are potential sellers and able to relocate to Bloemfontein if all goes well.
The insiders added that the two clubs are JDR Stars and Milford FC who bought the status of Uthongathi FC two seasons ago.
"There are two possible teams which could sell. It's JDR Stars and Milford FC. It will all depend on the ongoing talks. But the one that is at an advanced stage is JDR Stars. There are just a few logistics and loose ends which need to be agreed and tied before announcing the deal and which team it will be," the insider told the Siya crew.
A second source stated that whichever club will agree to the deal, it will involve relocating and taking full responsibility of the players who are still on contract.
"You know for now, since Bloemfontein Celtic are just a name without a team then most of the players will come from the selling team. It will mainly be the players who are still under contract. It is also expected to involve the team to relocate to Bloemfontein where the new owners will want the team to be based," the second source told Soccer Laduma.
The Siya crew contacted JDR Stars owner Nditsheni Nemasisi who discussed the possibility of a sale to Celtic.
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"At the moment we are not talking to people from that side but you cannot totally rule out the possibility of such a thing happening. For now, I am still digesting this thing that just happened to us at the PSL Arbitration where we lost our appeal against Durban City and it could be the end of it. So you cannot rule this out. It could still happen. There is no more motivation in running the team so anything is still possible right now," Nemasisi told Soccer Laduma.
The potential resurrection of the Bloemfontein Celtic brand would be welcomed news for the passionate Siwelele supporters who have been without their beloved team since its sale and relocation to Durban a few years ago. While negotiations appear to be ongoing, the comments from JDR Stars' owner suggest a deal could materialise, especially given his apparent disillusionment following recent setbacks.
Soccer Laduma also contacted Milford FC about the situation but have not received a response by the time this report was published.
Football fans in the Free State will be watching developments closely as Modise attempts to return professional football to a region with a rich footballing tradition.
Photo by Gallo.
