In this edition of Locker Room Secrets, the legendary Les Grobler reflects on the Moroka Swallows side during the late '80s.
A dead ball specialist in his playing days, Les says that Swallows dressing room was full of colourful characters.
In those golden years, who was always late at Moroka Swallows?
"To be honest, nobody was consistently late. We didn't have many players who were late. Our coach, Eddie Lewis, was very strict about punctuality. After him, it was Sandile Bali who continued that standard. However, there were a lot of funny characters in the team, though! I played for Swallows from 1987 until 1991."
Did any teammates have interesting rituals before each match?
"When I first joined, there were a lot of funny things that the guys did, especially the 'muti man' rituals. Your kit had to be prepared in certain ways, and at times, you were even told not to use the change room. But things changed drastically when Eddie Lewis and Luis Luyt joined—there were no more muti men."
Who was the jokester in the team?
"Andy Cencig was the main jokester. He and Graham Louw were always cracking jokes, keeping everyone in the change room entertained."
Who was known as the singer?
"The singers were mostly the senior players, like Sipho Sikhonde, Ace Mnini, and Thomas Hlongwane. When I joined, most of them played for only one season before moving on."
Who was the best- and worst-dressed player?
"Noel Cousins was definitely the best dressed. He often wore smart shoes and fancy jackets.
"As for the worst-dressed... that would have to be me. I was always in casual clothes."
Did anyone skip showering?
"Nobody skipped showering. We all showered. Except for a couple of new youngsters, like Steve Sekano. But I can't remember the details very well."
Which coach at Swallows gave you the best team talks?
"Eddie Lewis. He was very strict, but he truly understood the game."