WHERE DID THE FANS GO???

I will confess that I'm 29 years old, so my memory of SA soccer in the 80's is non existent. Maybe a vague picture of Ace Khuse and the great Ace Tsoeleng, inter passing each other but I can imagine that it was Ace's last few months in football. They tell me that stadiums used to be packed to capacity, with not even space to walk! I believe those were the days the mighty Swallows was a still force in SA football. The words Bhamjee and Shakoane, used to send cheers to thousands of fans, the singing and the dancing was electric! Fast forward 20 years, you can count the fans at a Wits and Supersport Utd game. The football is just as brilliant but the fans, seemingly have better things to do. Kaizer Cheifs have played to half full grounds and have moved stadiums atleast 4 times last season, unheard of in the 80s and 90s! Some blame the entry of Television that offer high tech HD of atleast 4 games per weekend, if not more and add to that English football. The fans no longer see the need to travel to the stadium, why travel and be stuck in traffic when you can whip out your DSTV remote and be in Jhb, Durban and CTN all within a flick of the channel and immediately after, centre stage in Manchster or Madrid! Yet nothing replaces the feeling of a live game, the atmosphere and the music is electric but the decision to go in the first place just seems that much harder. Yes, money is an issue that can't be ignored, it costs R40 for a PSL match ticket and for many, that's a stretch too far to watch 8 games per month so some take priority. The opportunity lies in the young market of the population 21-35 yr olds, this is a market that has a high social appetite and active enough to travel to games and also disposable income. Yet the PSL and clubs seem to ignore this fact. Man Utd is in town and you will see a different race demographic into stadiums, where are all these fans during the PSL season? SA Football needs younger supporters into the game, the only way to have a successful and sustainable franchise yet no one dares speak to this market. Twitter, Facebook and other social network platforms is the answer!!!