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~ This is a gem of a book with photographs that evoke something
of the soul of the people and landscapes of South Africa, with
thought-provoking and insightful writing. Ideal for anyone who
has an interest in soccer, and/or South Africa. ~
Dawn Kennedy, 021 Magazine
~ This wonderful book
stirs strong feelings in me, because these are the fields from
which the beautiful game draws life and where footballers dream.
These are the places where Dreamfields does its work. So much
can be done to make the real soccer fields of South Africa better
– level the ground, fence the pitch, put up some solid
goalposts. That after all is why we started Dreamfields. But
what never fails to inspire is that the children and adults
in these communities are not sitting on the sidelines waiting.
Every day, they take to the fields in whatever kit they have.
And they run and tackle, shout and shoot, play like they are
every bit as good as the players who have the best. Each day
they grow their own dreams – and we should do all we can
to help them. ~
John Perlman, The Dreamfields Project
~ Playing fields, in South African football,
have had a massive impact on how the game is played in this
country; on how the game is understood, by participants and
viewers alike; and on the type of football that has developed
over the years.
For example; the type of football played on township dustbowls
and street curbs, has given birth to a style of play that is
rich in individual talent, that encourages close control and
rewards outrageous tricks. Accurate long-range passing, goal-directed
play, and structured tactics are not nurtured under these conditions.
And it shows in our football. We have an abundance of talent
and we struggle to score. So much of it is down to the pitch.
In the green suburbs where I grew up, however, we had even,
well-grassed playing fields, marked by straight white lines.
A different game developed out of those conditions – more
structured, certainly more goal-directed, bereft of the more
jaw-dropping individual tricks.
Yes, I am simplifying matters here, but I do think that perhaps
this gulf in playing experiences and conditions explains to
some extent the ongoing struggles to define a clear playing
style in South African football, to develop a style that has
at its core the requirement to score goals.
It also explains my fascination with all sorts of football pitches
around South Africa and beyond: The slopes of the Wild Coast,
grass kept shorn by grazing goats; the razor-like stubble of
the hard up-country winter pitches; the make-shift half-fields
amid factories. I have countless images of South African pitches
in my mind’s eye. Now, with the publication of this book,
I am able to feast on those very images of South African playing
fields.
Richard Maguire, Kick Off Magazine
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