Following an exclusive report on the imminent return of Bloemfontein Celtic in the DStv Premiership, KickOff has the latest developments in their engagements with Marumo Gallants.
Gallants held a press conference just under a week ago, where they officially clarified matters regarding their buying of the Moroka Swallows status and relocation to Bloemfontein.
Bahlabane Ba Ntwa also made clear their position on the reported name changes, after stating in their press release, that their name "has been registered with the PSL as Marumo Gallants for the current season and that "should anything change in this regard, the club will update accordingly".
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KickOff previously exclusively reported that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of Celtic had meetings with the new owners of Gallants, in a lobby to be recognized and to be part of the establishment that acquired the status of Swallows.
The NEC of the Siwelele supporters made it clear that they would not support a team in their base in Bloemfontein, while they don't officially recognize them and their structures.
This website can now reveal that, following a meeting between Gallants management and the Celtic NEC, the two parties have come to a collective agreement that recognizes Siwelele as the brand of the team ahead of the 2024/25 season.
This publication is in possession of the minutes of the meeting between Bahlabane Ba Ntwa management and the Celtic NEC.
In it, among other things, it was resolved that 'Marumo Gallants' will remain the official name of the team in the DStv Premiership, at least for the foreseeable future but the club's moniker will otherwise be known as 'Siwelele Sa Marumo'.
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The name Marumo Gallants will only hold up until a suitable name that represents the Celtic culture and heritage is found.
Insofar as the shareholding is concerned, in the meeting, it was agreed that a 'Joint Task Team' will be formed to sort out issues regarding how Celtic supporters, represented by their NEC, would be absorbed into the new ownership structure.
KickOff can also reveal that the two parties agreed that Gallants will be using the Green and White colour in their replica jersey for the upcoming season and that only Siwelele supporters branches would be recognized in Bloemfontein, with the Bahlabane Ba Ntwa branch in the City of Roses set to be disbanded.
In the minutes of the meeting, this new formation is planned to be officially launched on 31 July 2024 in Bloemfontein.