OFFICIAL: Soweto giants SOLD!…moved to Bloemfontein!
OFFICIAL: Soweto giants SOLD!…moved to Bloemfontein!
Soweto has lost one of its oldest, most historic teams in Moroka Swallows, after they were sold on Thursday.
From next season onwards, Swallows will be known as Marumo Gallants, who have successfully bought their status.
There had been widespread speculation that Swallows was on the brink of selling it’s status, Gallants seem to have swooped to quickly close the deal. In a statement, they revealed the deal is done, and the club would not relocate to Bloemfontein:
Swallows sold to Gallants
“Following the final approval of the Premier Soccer League, (PSL) today, Marumo Gallants Football Club officially confirms the acquisition of Moroka Swallows Football Club. Gallants will take over Swallows with immediate effect. The club also confirms that home games for the upcoming season will be played in Bloemfontein, Free State. Gallants will provide more details of plans once staff, technical teams and players have been addressed. At this stage the club will not be issuing further comments or taking interviews – a date will be communicated for a press briefing that will take place shortly.” Wrote the statement.
Unless Swallows are looking to purchase another status, this could mark the end of an era for South African football. The Dube Birds are the second oldest side in Soweto, behind Orlando Pirates. Together, the duo have played in what has always been regarded as the original Soweto Derby. It was believed that the club was no longer making the enough profit to become sustainable. There had been poor fan attendance at the Dobsonville stadium as well. Chiefly, this made the running of the club unsustainable.
Season filled with turmoil
It was also a season filled with trouble for Swallows, however, who were embroiled in financial difficulties. In towards the end of 2023, they had failed to pay their players. This result in a strike from the players who were then punished by the club. That resulted in a mass exodus of their squad. Their season didn’t seem to recover from that and Gallants’ offer