Unhappy Lions set for move to Soweto

The Lions look set to leave Coca Cola (Ellis) Park for a move to Soweto’s Soccer City and are looking to break ties with the partners that joined last year.

The move to Soweto will raise concerns about the viability of Ellis Park which has been a long term home for the Golden Lions and Transvaal Rugby.

Ellis Park hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup final as well as a Football World Cup quarterfinal less than a year ago.

The move appears set to be confirmed over the next few days and is down to the new ownership of the Super Rugby franchise.

Stadium Management SA (SMSA) manage Soccer City and three other local stadiums, are in the midst of talks with Kaizer Chiefs about the PSL club moving there as a possible anchor tenant.

“There’s a very lucrative offer on the table to the Lions,” Jacques Grobbelaar, executive chairman of SMSA told The Sunday Times.

“There’s one for Chiefs as well.”

The Sunday Times also says that the relationship between the Golden Lions and the Guma Group is at breaking point and the Lions are so desperate to get out of their contract with their equity partner that they have sought legal advice.

Apparently the equity deal has not been fulfilled in all facets, and trust between the parties has all but evaporated.

“Part of the problem is that the Lions have – misguidedly in my view – abdicated the financial running of the union in certain departments to the Guma Group.”

“That’s not ideal,” said someone within the Lions hierarchy.