In this edition of Locker Room Secrets, the legendary Geelbooi 'Gomma Gomma' Masango shares with KickOff what used to take place at Giant Blackpool's change room.
Blackpool is a legendary club that used to be a true mention of giant killers in the National Soccer League era.
They had players like John Moshoeu, Fani Madida, Gavin Lane, and Rudolf Seale, amongst others.
Who was always late?
"Lucky enough, we had the team driver, Mr. Dladla, he is the one who used to collect players for training sessions. He was very disciplined, he respected our coach, Eddie Lewis who was very strict when it came to punctuality.
"The only person who caused our bus driver, Mr. Dladla, to be late is Jurry Bantwana. Sometimes, the bus would come to collect him, and Jurry would be with his girlfriend."
Any interesting ritual before they played?
"No. Remember our team was dominated by white players like the likes of Gavin Lane, so ritual stuff was not our thing."
Who was the jokester?
"Benedict Lekopa, Isaiah Pete, Gardner Seale, and the little Johnny Moloi, together the four of them caused chaos. The rest of us just laughed. And also Fani Madida, as a Zulu man from KZN, had his way of being funny."
What kind of change room was it?
"We sang, prayed, and headed straight to the pitch."
Who was the singer?
"That was me, of course, I had the sweetest voice. Shoes Moshoeu and Fani Madida followed closely. How can I forget Jerry Sikhosana with his ANC struggle songs from his kasi? His favorite struggle song was 'Heyi nyamazane, yiyo le ehlal' ehlathini [laughs]"
Who was the best and the worst dressed?
"The best dressed, that must be the late Shoes Moshoeu. I remember there was this close friend of our chairman, Coloured Passmore, his name was Bra Derrick, and he was also our team manager. Just like his friend Coloured Passmore, Derrick dressed very well too. And Shoes was staying with Coloured Passmore, I'm sure he is the one who taught him how to dress.
"And the worst dressed, Jerry Sikhosana, used to wear a North Star while the rest of the boys would rock up in their All-Stars sneakers. Those days we didn't pay much attention to clothes."
Who never showered?
"Richard Sekaledi, he was from the Vaal. A quiet, very hard tackler, he was always in a rush. We always used to find him waiting for us in a car, he is Relebohile Mofokeng's uncle, and he never liked showering."
Which coach at Giant Blackpool gave the best team talk?
"Eddie Lewis. He emphasized talent and discipline. He always a player to express himself."
