Why the Benoni Derby is (in)famous and what to expect on game day

It’s the one fixture that injured players hope to be recovered in time for.

It’s one of the few times where you see people on the sidelines that have otherwise never been to a club football game.

It’s that match when the club’s bar orders surplus stock.

It’s that encounter where you are guaranteed to hear more than one dirty expletive.

It’s the clash that is punted on national radio by 5fm sports jock and proud Benonian Duran Collett.

It’s the Benoni Derby and boy, oh boy, it’s going to be entertaining!

It’s that time again – the Benoni Derby will be played this weekend (Saturday, May 30).

The football derby played between Benoni Northerns and Old Bens has become famous (or infamous) not just for the intense and competitive nature of the football on display, but by the sheer number of people who arrive in abundance to cheer on their respective teams.

This is the first derby that will be played in front of Benoni Northerns’ newly-revamped “The Scimitar” bar and beer garden (with upstairs balcony), so expect hundreds of thirsty and chirpy spectators come game day.

On the football front, it’s unpredictable.

Since the first derby of the season, a night ELFA Super Cup fixture played under lights on Northerns’ “C-Field” on April 22 (that ended 4-1 in favour of the hosts and eliminated Old Bens from the competition), things on the playing field have somewhat changed.

Northerns lost their star striker Brogan Shrimpton (who scored an excellent brace in that April derby encounter) to the Muskegon Risers Soccer Club, in Michigan, in the US of A, where he has been an instant hit.

Following the departure of the blitz quick goal-scoring forward Northerns coach Jannie van den Berg has struggled to find a striker capable of filling Shrimpton’s boots.

His absence has been truly evident in terms of both goals scored and wins for Northerns in recent games.

Since Shrimpton left the team has only managed one win in their last six games (a total of five goals scored).

In fact, the team was top of the table before a five game losing streak started at home to Highlands Park on May 2.

Shrimpton’s loss has been coupled with injuries to key players particularly in defence where Van den Berg lost the experienced central partnership of Nkululeko Gungqisa and Warren Vogel as well as deep-lying midfielder and captain Wade Marshall.

This has forced the coach to promote a number of u-17 players into the first team set-up (which bodes well for the future, but not for immediate success).

For coach Raymond Cloete and his Old Bens team there has been significant improvement on the pitch since they were (as he described post-match) “bulldozed off the park” by Shrimpton and company in the cup derby match.

While waiting to speak to Coach Cloete after the derby loss I overheard how disappointed the Old Bens players were to have been outplayed on the night and how much they wanted to bounce back.

And since then there has definitely been marked improvement.

Of the six matches that Cloete’s team has played the team has won three, drawn one and lost two in the ELFA Super League.

The coach introduced video analysis of matches after the derby defeat and this has seemingly played a big role in the better performances of his players.

He has also placed more emphasis on controlling the middle of the park and distribution to his wingers.

Where Van den Berg has lacked a clinical finisher in recent matches, Cloete has enjoyed the opposite with striker Bilal Hajee Mohammed a revelation for Old Bens.

His 12 strikes this season have been invaluable and he will certainly be Bens’ go-to man up front on Saturday, however, he was virtually non-existent in that April defeat against their arch-rivals and that could be a concern for the Bens coach.

After this weekend’s results Bens leapfrogged Northerns (now eighth) to seventh on the league table courtesy of a superior goal difference (with a game in hand).

Fortunes have certainly changed for both clubs since that chilly night in April and this has definitely made for an interesting build-up to this Saturday’s derby.

Who do you think will claim the bragging rights on derby day?

* NOTE: The Benoni City Times’ Twitter handle @benonicitytimes will be live Tweeting the action from the #BenoniDerby.

LG