Parker calls out ageism in SA football

In South African football, once you tip over into the 30s, it simply means you are nearing the twilight of your career and teams are quick to discard players.

This does not sit well with Bernard Parker, who is of the view that footballers should be judged on what they bring to the table and that age should not be a factor. Parker recently joined TS Galaxy on the back of 10 seasons with Kaizer Chiefs.

“What I believe is that we are quick to judge when it comes to age. But it is better to judge someone on their performance than their age because that’s fair,” said Parker.

“In Europe, players are judged on their performance and what they bring to the club. The other players who are coming through also become inspired by the senior players because the senior players give them good guidance,” he added, before he revealed how the move to The Rockets came about.

“The chairman(Tim Sukazi) gave me a call and he was surprised that I still did not have a team. He explained how he valued me and how much of an influence I would bring to the team. I have good and bad memories playing against TS Galaxy.”

The 36-year-old made reference to big name players like 40-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has scored close to 200 goals since turning 30 and played a major role in guiding Italian side AC Milan to domestic success. Parker believes that players like himself, Sibusiso Vilakazi (32), Lindokuhle Mbatha (37) and Vuyo Mere (38) will help turn Galaxy into a force this season.

“I was one of the elite players and I am still an elite player, because I can only be judged on my performance. Across Europe, players who are over the age of 35 are still valued. Zlatan went to AC Milan and helped them win the Serie A after 20 years. Thiago Silva went to Chelsea and is still a key player in their defence and he helped them win the Uefa Champions League,” said Parker.

“These players are celebrated and are appreciated because they are judged on what they give on a day to day basis and I think it is only fair that we can also be judged like that. It will make the up-and-coming players grow, because they play without guidance and three years later they are nowhere to be found.

“It is only fair if we build young talent properly because they will mature faster around senior players,” he concluded.