CHIPPA United owner Siviwe Mpengesi is paying out of his pocket to upgrade the lights at Cape Town's Philippi Stadium, so desperate is he for his club to return to their "slaughter house".
The Premier Soccer League new boys have struggled to make an impact over the past few months after two years of successfully emerging from amateur obscurity to earn dream promotion to the top flight.
The Philippi Stadium, which Mpengesi got on a 20-year lease from the Public Works Department, was one of the major factors in the club's success and they want to play there again.
They have been allowed to host only one daytime match at the venue this season - a first-round loss in the Telkom Knockout to Bloemfontein Celtic last month - but most of their home games are scheduled for night time kickoffs and to be played at the Athlone Stadium, because the lights at Philippi are not strong enough.
But Mpengesi has had enough of the poor results and wants to go home. And so he is paying to do so.
"It's coming out of my own picket. It will cost R2,2-million but I've already paid a deposit and appointed a contractor to upgrade them.
"It looks as if from the second half of the season we will be playing all our home games at Philippi."
Chippa's boss pays for lights
CHIPPA United owner Siviwe Mpengesi is paying out of his pocket to upgrade the lights at Cape Town's Philippi Stadium, so desperate is he for his club to return to their "slaughter house".
The Premier Soccer League new boys have struggled to make an impact over the past few months after two years of successfully emerging from amateur obscurity to earn dream promotion to the top flight.
The Philippi Stadium, which Mpengesi got on a 20-year lease from the Public Works Department, was one of the major factors in the club's success and they want to play there again.
They have been allowed to host only one daytime match at the venue this season - a first-round loss in the Telkom Knockout to Bloemfontein Celtic last month - but most of their home games are scheduled for night time kickoffs and to be played at the Athlone Stadium, because the lights at Philippi are not strong enough.
But Mpengesi has had enough of the poor results and wants to go home. And so he is paying to do so.
"It's coming out of my own picket. It will cost R2,2-million but I've already paid a deposit and appointed a contractor to upgrade them.
"It looks as if from the second half of the season we will be playing all our home games at Philippi."
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