NEWLY promoted National First Division League side Blackburn Rovers are counting themselves lucky to be among the beneficiaries of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
NEWLY promoted National First Division League side Blackburn Rovers are counting themselves lucky to be among the beneficiaries of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
Rovers will be using the East London Stadium in Southernwood, which was recently upgraded by the Buffalo City municipality.
The municipality renovated the facility as a World Cup legacy project. They also hope it will be used as a training base camp by one the 32 World Cup teams.
The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon were courted by the municipality to set up their base in Buffalo City, but ended up opting for KwaZulu-Natal.
The East London-based Rovers were promoted to the First Division after winning the Coastal Stream of the Vodacom Promotional League in Witbank last weekend.
Rovers director Dumisani Mcedani said they would meet the municipality this week to finalise their negotiations for the use of the stadium.
"We are happy that despite not hosting a World Cup match here in Buffalo City, our stadium has been upgraded in line with the international standards of Fifa," he said.
"We will play our home matches at the venue and I must say we appreciate the support from the Eastern Cape provincial government and Buffalo City Municipality.
"Our promotion to the First Division is a blessing in disguise for Buffalo City because the upgraded stadium will not be a white elephant.
"In fact, we hope to see the return of top flight football in the Buffalo City in two seasons because we are planning to spend only one season in the First Division."
Rovers get to use renovated stadium
NEWLY promoted National First Division League side Blackburn Rovers are counting themselves lucky to be among the beneficiaries of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
NEWLY promoted National First Division League side Blackburn Rovers are counting themselves lucky to be among the beneficiaries of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
Rovers will be using the East London Stadium in Southernwood, which was recently upgraded by the Buffalo City municipality.
The municipality renovated the facility as a World Cup legacy project. They also hope it will be used as a training base camp by one the 32 World Cup teams.
The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon were courted by the municipality to set up their base in Buffalo City, but ended up opting for KwaZulu-Natal.
The East London-based Rovers were promoted to the First Division after winning the Coastal Stream of the Vodacom Promotional League in Witbank last weekend.
Rovers director Dumisani Mcedani said they would meet the municipality this week to finalise their negotiations for the use of the stadium.
"We are happy that despite not hosting a World Cup match here in Buffalo City, our stadium has been upgraded in line with the international standards of Fifa," he said.
"We will play our home matches at the venue and I must say we appreciate the support from the Eastern Cape provincial government and Buffalo City Municipality.
"Our promotion to the First Division is a blessing in disguise for Buffalo City because the upgraded stadium will not be a white elephant.
"In fact, we hope to see the return of top flight football in the Buffalo City in two seasons because we are planning to spend only one season in the First Division."
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