Township Rollers F.C.
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| Full name | Township Rollers Football Club |
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| Nickname(s) | Mapalastina, Tse Tala, The Blues, Popa-Popa, The Happy People |
| Founded | 1961 (as Mighty Tigers) |
| Ground |
Botswana National Stadium Gaborone, Botswana and other venues, like University of Botswana Stadium |
| Capacity | 22,000 |
| Chairman | Jagdish Shah |
| Manager | Mark Harrison |
| League | Botswana Premier League |
| 2015–16 | 1st |
| Website | Club home page |
Township Rollers Football Club is a football club based in Gaborone, Botswana. Township Rollers are popularly known as Mapalastina. The club was founded in 1961 as Mighty Tigers, later to adopt the name Township Rollers in 1965. Rollers has an old rivalry with cross town club Gaborone United. Rollers also have a bitter rivalry with Mochudi Centre Chiefs, which has eclipsed the Gaborone Derby in recent years. This match has earned its right to be called the biggest football encounter in Botswana due to both clubs' following and success. The team is owned by Township Holdings, a company chaired by billionaire Jagdish Shah of CA Sales. The other shairholder is Somerset Gobuiwang while the fans also have a stake.
It enjoys a massive following all over the country. With most of its fanbase scattered across Botswana, it can be called the most supported football team in the country.
History
The club was formed by the Public Works Department (PWD) workers in 1961. They called the team Mighty Tigers FC at the time. In 1965, the name was changed to Township Rollers FC.
Township Rollers is the most achieving football club in the history of Botswana football. It dominated Botswana football around the eighties and its popularity grew bigger and bigger.
Township was for the first time relegated to the first division league in 2003 leaving Extension Gunners as the only club in Botswana which has never played in the lower league. It took them only one season to bounce back to the then Premier League, and the club did so with a bang. They made history by being the first club to win a double in any one season. In the season 2004–05 under the tutelage of a Botswana icon, the late coach Banks Panene they won both the Coca-Cola Cup and the league title.
After the 2004–05 success, Township Rollers struggled to have any impact in domestic competitions winning only the Kabelano Charity Cup. This was mainly due to the sale of their influential players among them Mogogi Gabonamong (who is now the captain of South Africa's PSL club Santos), Mosione and the skillful winger Mark both of whom were sold to Platinum Stars. Phenyo Mongala has since been bought by Orlando Pirates.
The season to watch for the mighty Popa was the 2009–10 season. The club made history by clinching the League and Cup double to the delight of popa supporters where they amassed 78 points and beating their closest rivals Mochudi Centre Chiefs by 13 points as well as a convincing victory against the same team in the Coca-Cola Cup final. As if that was not enough the team won all awards on offer for both the league and Coca-Cola Cup.
Privatization
In 2012 prominent business man Jagdish Shah of CA Sales entered into an agreement with management of the club to privatize it. The resultant deal saw the formation of the holding company Township Holdings, majority of which was owned by Jagdish Shah.
Colours, emblem, nicknames
Since 1970, Township Rollers has played in their famous blue and yellow strip for their home matches. For away matches they mostly used blues and white striped shirt. There has never been a time in history, when the home kit has been drastically altered, hence the blue and yellow colours are the most recognisable aspect of the team.
Township Rollers has gained numerous nicknames over time. Their most recognisable being 'Popa Popa e a ipopa' or Pops for short. This simply means 'the one who makes himself', this may be due to the fact that Rollers became a success on their own without massive financial backing in the past. Other nicknames include The Happy People, 'Mapalastina' (Palestinians), which can be attributed to the number of Middle-Eastern people who have worked at the club. They are also known as 'The Blues' and 'The Nala Tsa ga MmaMasire'. The latter an allusion that the team is based in MmaMasire Grounds in Gaborone West.
'Popa's emblem has few alterations over time. Their emblem features a football boot, a football and painting rollers, a reference to the team's name and it's working class roots. On the bottom of the crest is their motto and nickname 'Pops Pops ea Ipopa'. The latter was added in 2010 on the eve of the team's 50-year anniversary. The crest features the blue and yellow colours of the team.
Support
Along with fellow rivals, Mochudi Centre Chiefs, Extension Gunners and neighbours Gaborone United, Popa enjoys massive following all over the country. Its supporters are known as The Happy People. They are amongst the most vocal and passionate in the league. Popa fans also have shown to be loyal to their team as evidenced by their support during the dismal 2007–08 season, when the team underperformed. Almost every game when the team plays, the stadium is filled to the rafters, regardless of where the team plays. The famous blue and yellow colours of Township Rollers are a common sight in the streets of Gaborone.
Stadiums
In its early years Popa played their games in dusty football grounds in Gaborone West due to the lack of stadiums in Botswana. Only when the National Stadium was opened after Botswana's independence in 1966 did they start using the multipurpose facility. The stadium has then acted as the team's home ground.
As the BPL wanted to reduce fixture congestion, Popa had to play in other grounds in and around Gaborone, most notably University of Botswana Stadium and Molepolole Sports Complex in neighboring Molepolole.
Rivalries
Township Rollers has a rivalry with fellow Gaborone team Gaborone United. This rivalry can traced back to early years of the premier league as the two teams were one of the fours that dominated it. The other two being Extension Gunners and Notwane This rivalry has somewhat waned over time due to the mixed fortunes of the teams.
Due to the rise of Mochudi Centre Chiefs in the late 2000s, Township Rollers has found itself competing for the championship with Chiefs. This rival has over time passed the GU rivalry as both teams are amongst the most successful and supported teams in the country. Both teams also boast having the current best in the country, including Segolame Boy of Rollers and Ayanda Molefhe of Chiefs. Games between the two teams are normally at the National Stadium, which acts as the home ground of both teams.
Sponsors
- Capital Bank
- Liberty Life
- Jack's Gym
- Umbro
Honours
- 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1995, 2004–05, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2015–16
- 1979, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2005, 2010
- Gilbeys Cup : 3
- 1991, 1992 and 1996.
- 2002, 2004, 2006, 2014, 2015
- 2012
Performance in CAF competitions
- CAF Champions League: 1 appearance
- 2011 - disqualified in Preliminary Round
- African Cup of Champions Clubs: 6 appearances
- CAF Confederation Cup: 1 appearance
- 2006 - Second Round
- CAF Cup Winners' Cup: 4 appearances
- 1980 - First Round
- 1994 - Preliminary Round
- 1995 - First Round
- 1997 - Preliminary Round
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable players
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Managerial history
Kaiser Kalambo (1989–91)