Wits Football Stadium renamed after legendary administrator
Its main grandstand is now named after Ronnie Schloss who is described as having been honoured for his lifelong commitment to the Wits Football Club and the sport in South Africa.
The main grandstand at the Wits Football Stadium has been renamed after former Wits football player, administrator and life president of the PSL, Professor Ronnie Schloss.
In a renaming ceremony to honour Prof. Schloss, who is seen as a true legend in the South African football history, where he was instrumental in playing a major transformative role, he was honoured by members of Wits University, his former colleagues, and leaders in the national football community. The application to rename the stand after Prof. Schloss was made by Kabungo Mubanga from Wits Sports Administration.
Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, vice-chancellor and principal of Wits University, said the Ronnie Schloss stand serves as a beacon of inspiration to all of us who pass through its gates. “Let it stand as a testament to the transformative impact that one individual with dedication and determination, kindness and love for this university and this country can achieve,” he described.
Prof. Schloss started his career at Wits Football Club as a student in 1962, in an environment where rugby and cricket were the dominant sports at the University. With his passion for the sport, he quickly rose to become secretary and then chairman of the club, and with a vision of transformation set a new course for the club.
A famous anecdote being told is when, after lacking an official coach, and with the club’s finances being in dire straits in 1962, Wits was scheduled to play Bloemfontein Celtic in the National Football League (NFL).
Prof. Schloss, then a young quantity surveying student, recalled that at the time, the situation for the club was so bad, that he had to go into the Wits canteen and ask students to sign up for the game, with a promise of a train trip to Bloemfontein. The team pitched up in a variety of footwear and was thrashed 17–0. That game, however, was the start of his career, and for Wits to become a force in South African soccer.
At the event, a plaque and the new name of the Ronnie Schloss stand was unveiled. The stand will undergo renovation as part of the upgrading of the Wits Anglo American Digital Dome, which is situated right next to the stand.
Related Article: African Rainbow Minerals sponsors R20m into research at Wits
