THE dream of the people of Plumtree to watch top-flight football action in the border town is slowly becoming a pipe-dream as construction of a stadium to host Premier Soccer League (PSL) matches has not started, two months before the start of the 2014 season.
RONALD MOYO SPORTS REPORTER
Plumtree Chiefs are now likely to join big guns Highlanders, Chicken Inn and How Mine in Bulawayo.
With the White City Stadium dressing rooms condemned by the PSL, either Chicken Inn or How Mine who use Luveve Stadium as their home ground would share Barbourfields Stadium with Highlanders.
PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele yesterday said clubs have not yet submitted the stadiums they will be using for the 2014 season and Chiefs is expected to make a choice of the stadium they intend to use in the event that they fail to construct their own facility.
“So far all clubs have not yet told us the stadiums they will be using this coming season. In the event that they (Plumtree Chiefs) fail to construct a stadium they will have to choose the stadium they will be using,” Ndebele said.
Club secretary Dumisani Sibanda said the club had not yet started the construction of the stadium, but wished to play their league matches in Plumtree.
“We have not yet done anything so far, but it is our wish to play league games in Plumtree where most of our fans are placed.
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“We are having challenges here and there so we are having a meeting on Monday (today) as a club and the main issues to be discussed would be the stadium and preparations for the season,” Sibanda said.
Sibanda said the construction of a stadium that meets the standards of the PSL would cost over $1 million and they were yet to consult some of the stakeholders.
“We want to get hold of our stakeholders because the construction of the stadium needs over a million dollars. As a club we are also faced with the responsibility to cater for the welfare of our players, so we are considering all those things.
“If plans for this season fail, we will be constructing the stadium during the course of the season for the following seasons so that Plumtree-based Chiefs supporters can afford watching their team play,” he added.
In an interview with Southern Eye Sport in October last year after being officially crowned 2013 Zifa Southern Region Division One League champions, club chairman Lovemore Sibanda said the construction of the stadium would begin by the first week of November last year.
When How Mine joined last year, they indicated they would complete the refurbishment of their stadium at the mine. They have not done so.
Chairman Mlondolozi Nkomo said their stadium would be not ready for PSL action by March and they will be based in Bulawayo.
“Our stadium is not yet ready, so at the present moment we are based in Bulawayo. We will be going to begin our 2014 campaign in Bulawayo and if there are any changes in the process we will let the public know,” Nkomo said.
