In a thrilling Division 1 showdown, Global United extended their lead at the summit with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the Sundowners, a match billed as a six-pointer. This win not only solidified their position but also dealt a significant blow to the Sundowners’ aspirations. The latter’s woes were compounded after being held to a dramatic 4-4 draw by Atletico, forcing them to glance over their shoulders as Joburg City mounts a challenge. Joburg City’s 5-2 win over Leeds has catapulted them into third place, turning up the heat on the competition.

Panorama succumbed to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Highlands Park, a result that saw them tumble down to the sixth spot in the standings.

Turning our attention to Division 2, the dynamics are equally compelling. Lenasia suffered their first setback of the season, a narrow 2-1 loss to Randfontein, throwing the title race wide open. However, Old Parks failed to capitalize on Lenasia’s slip-up, with their encounter against Warriors ending in a goalless stalemate. In contrast, Old Parks 2 won 5-3 over Eagles, moving them in the top half of the table.

Rush added to the excitement with a 4-1 win against Florida, marking another victory in their campaign.

In Division 1, Global FC ascended to the pinnacle of the league, equaling Sundowners FC at the top, courtesy of a resounding 6-0 win over Panorama FC. This victory is particularly noteworthy as Global FC has two games in hand, offering them a strategic advantage in the title race. Sundowners FC, on the other hand, faced a setback in their campaign, succumbing to a 3-2 defeat at home against Joburg City FC. This outcome not only dented Sundowners FC’s lead but also propelled Joburg City FC to third place in the standings, rejuvenating their aspirations for the season.

Leeds FC celebrated a pivotal moment in their season, securing their inaugural points with a narrow 1-0 victory over Randburg FC. This match, a crucial six-pointer due to the double-header rule, could play a decisive role in their fight for survival. Meanwhile, Sundowners FC’s reserve team won 3-0 against Atletico FC.

In the second division, Lenasia FC continued their impressive run, maintaining their position at the summit with a 5-2 victory over Florida FC. Warriors FC made significant strides up the leaderboard, ascending to third place following a hard-fought 4-2 win against Flying Eagles FC in another match of paramount importance due to the six-pointer rule. Meanwhile, Rush FClost to GPMI at home, while Randfontein and Old Parks FC ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw.

In Division 1, Sundowners secured a 3-1 victory over Highlands Park, while Global beat Leeds with a 6-1 scoreline, intensifying their rivalry at the summit. Thanks to a significant 6-point win against Atletico, Randburg ascended to third place. A fiercely contested match between Panorama and the newly added Sundowners 2 concluded with a 3-3 draw, rewarding both teams with 2 points each, courtesy of the double-header rule.

Transitioning to Division 2, Lenasia’s continued their march on top with a 4-2 away at Old Parks 2.

The game between Old Parks 1 and Flying Eagles, due to irregularities with the teamsheets and cards, was defaulted to Old Parks 1, getting a dobule 3-0 due to double header rules (the original score was 5-4 for Flying Eagles)

The battle for third place heats up with the Warriors and Randfontein each securing commanding wins; Warriors beat Rush with a 6-1 victory (under a double header rule), and Randfontein beat GPMI with an 8-1 scoreline

In an unexpected turn of events, Jozi Friends have withdrawn from the competition, paving the way for Sundowners FC 2 to step in and fill the void. Now set to host their home games at Balfour , this reshuffling introduces a thrilling dynamic to the league.

Starting from February 21st, every match featuring Sundowners FC 2 will carry an intensified significance, transforming each confrontation into a 6-pointer.

With Division 1 matches postponed due to a range of complications, attention shifted to Division 2’s compelling lineup of games.

Lenasia solidified their dominant position at the summit with a 5-0 victory over Warriors, extending their impressive run. The closest challenger to their throne, Old Parks, won the local derby against Old Park 2, securing a 4-0 and keeping the title race alive. Meanwhile, Randfontein made significant strides up the leaderboard, vaulting to third place following their high-scoring 7-2 victory against Rush.

Amidst the competitive clashes, a solitary friendly match was also in the spotlight, where Sundowners 2 narrowly succumbed to Flying Eagles in a thrilling 4-3 encounter, delivering an entertaining spectacle for the fans.

In Division 1, the competition heats up as frontrunners Sundowners secured a 3-0 victory away at Panorama, and Global United demolished Randburg with a 5-1 win, further solidifying their positions at the apex of the league in a two-horse race. Meanwhile, Joburg City clinched a narrow 3-2 win against Atletico, and Highlands dispatched Leeds with a 3-0 scoreline.

Over in Division 2, Sandton Warriors moved up with a high-scoring 7-4 victory over GPMI, while Old Parks 2 delivered a 5-0 defeat to Rush and climbed to 3rd. The match between Randfontein and Florida ended in a stalemate, with both teams sharing the spoils in a 2-2 draw, keeping the competition lively and unpredictable.

In the latest turn of events this season, a combination of favorable weather conditions and a temporary reprieve from load shedding allowed all the scheduled games to proceed without interruption.

Division 1 witnessed some intense clashes as Global United emerged victorious with a solid 2-0 win against Joburg Atletico, closing in on Sundowners, resting this week. Randburg also delivered an impressive performance, securing a 3-2 victory at Panorama. Meanwhile, City managed to clinch a hard-fought 2-1 win against Highlands, and Leeds narrowly edged past Jozi Friends with a thrilling 3-2 scoreline.

In Division 2, Flying Eagles celebrated a milestone by earning their first point of the season in a thrilling 2-2 draw against GPMI. With Lenasia taking a break this week, Old Parks seized the opportunity won 7-0 against Rush, solidifying their position as the current sole challengers in the division. In other matchups, Randfontein won 7-3 against Warriors, while Old Parks 2 emerged triumphant over Florida with a 3-1 score.

2024 has kicked off with a series of thrilling matches that have set the tone for an exciting year ahead.

In Division 1, Panorama team beat Leeds 6-0 victory. Meanwhile, Suindowners maintained their position at the top of the table, securing a hard-fought 4-2 victory over Jozi Friends.

Over in Division 2, Rush celebrated a significant milestone by clinching their first win of the season, defeating Flyning Eagles FC 4-2. This victory is particularly notable as Flyning Eagles FC made their debut this season, stepping in for Drunken Pandas. Elsewhere, Lenasia, the current leaders, faced a minor setback as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Old Parks. Lastly, Sandton Warriors beat 4-1 Florida.

Drunken Pandas’ departure from the league marks a significant shift in the current season’s dynamics. Their exit, after competing in merely two matches against Old Parks and Old Parks 2, forces a strategic reshuffle. These matches will now be regarded as null and void. Flying Eagles FC will step into their slot.

Flying Eagles FC’s ground are at Laerskool Culembeeck Primary School.

To accommodate this change, a revised fixture calendar has been prepared. Teams that previously played against Drunken Pandas will now engage in double headers with the Flying Eagles FC. This adjustment ensures a balanced and full schedule.

Please review the updated fixture calendar attached for a detailed overview of the revised matchups and dates.

Best wishes for 2024 to you all from the committee. Trusting that everyone had a rest and got fit during the break “like you should have”?

The committee had a meeting with the RCLFA towards the end of ‘23 to discuss ways in which we can become more compliant with SAFA and the league needed certain SAFA requirements from us as The Gauteng RCLFA Vets Masters.

Herewith the following

1. I urgently need the name of the club admin representative, contact details, email address and copy of ID E MAILED through to me nic@rushsoccer.co.za please for the leagues records and MY SAFA communication.
2. ⁠Mandatory Player Cards – Going forward as from the 24th January, no player will be permitted to play without a valid SAFA/RCLFA player card
3. ⁠Each card will cost R20
4. ⁠Each club needs to request from their members a photo showing the face and a copy of the corresponding ID to go with it the ID photo.
5. ⁠The responsible person of the club must ensure that all the members taking part in the league are loaded onto MY SAFA (please contact Greg Green – Secretary RCLFA on how to log in) and registered before kick off of the 2nd game of the season I.e. 24th January 2024. Greg’s email: office@rclfa.com & cell 062 299 2041
6. ⁠Any player without a valid, authentic players card will not be permitted to play. Please bear in mind, if you have an existing card from another club, the system will flag it, delay registration and a clearance letter will be requested from your previous club that the player is in good standing and free to leave the previous club. The completion of this process can only be done by THE RCLFA and not THE CLUB.
7. ⁠Once all the info has been loaded, a leverage arch FILE must be compiled and handed over to Olaf (Panorama FC) for safe keeping by the Vets Masters League.
8. ⁠Finally, we would like to wish Mike from Drunken Pandas well. Unfortunately they have withdrawn from the league and have been replaced by Flying Eagles FC Vets, Mpho, who play out of Culembeeck Primary School/ Roodepoort.
9. ⁠That’s all for now, the log will be updated and we good to commence on Wednesday, 17th.
10. ⁠Please remember, to confirm your games with your opponents and contact Cliff (ref convener) to card your 2 officials per game.
11. ⁠The fees per Ref will remain unchanged at R250 per official until further notice which must be paid before kick off at each game .