AFTER last season’s bad campaign for Butterworth team Thunderbirds Ladies spent almost half a season fighting to escape relegation in Hollywoodbets Super League. Coach Thembalethu Apleni’s ladies last week returned to the training ground to prepare for upcoming season.
Last season Thunderbirds Ladies finished their league campaign sitting at the bottom, in position 14 in Hollywoodbets Super League, and it was the first time coach Apleni’s team had produced a poor performance like this, as they usually finish inside the top 10 bracket of teams, since they joined the division.
Now, the Butterworth team have returned to Walter Sisulu University’s Bika Campus training ground for pre-season training from Monday to Friday, and they are also searching for talented players who can assist the team in the 2024 season.
Club management have issued an invitation to all interested players that can make a meaningful contribution to the team, to visit the WSU Bika Campus during their training sessions and players must bring their birth certificate or identity document, and their own kit.
The training sessions of Thunderbirds Ladies start at 14:00 in the afternoon from Monday to Friday, and everyone is welcome to come and be assessed by the technical team, to see whether they can fit into the structure of the team, and playing style.
The search for players follows after Sasol League side Executive Ladies’ five players were loaned to help the Butterworth team last season and have returned to their parent team, and all those players will be replaced.
As things stand, the Butterworth team is also looking to reinforce their squad in every department, to avoid fighting relegation again this season.
The 2024 season is expected to be more interesting than before, as the Eastern Cape will be represented by three teams since the inception or formation of Hollywoodbets Super League, so it means in terms of the local economy, the province will benefit when teams visit University of Fort Hare FC, City Lads FC from Gqeberha, and Thunderbirds Ladies.
It also means ladies’ football around the province will get an opportunity to develop more, particularly in Alice town, Butterworth and Gqeberha, and Eastern Cape teams are expected to work hard and challenge for the league title as they are not in the division to add numbers.
Some of the fixtures when Hollywoodbets Super League starts next month on March 2: Apleni’s team will visit newcomers Lindelani Ladies’ FC from KwaZulu Natal, University of Fort Hare FC will host TUT Matsatsantsa FC, and City Lads FC will visit Richmond United.
After struggling last season, Apleni made a promise that they will work hard to avoid fighting relegation again.
