Motor action legacy revisited

Fungai Muderere
THE mere scene of Eric and Elizabeth Rosen dressed in the red, black and yellow colours of Motor Action FC, and waving to the performing Mighty Bullsaï¿½ï¿½ brass band at Rufaro Stadium, Barbourfields or National Sports Stadium, will remain one of the most colourful and unforgettable visions in Zimbabwean football.

In that regard, the late Eric and his wife will go down in history as the most colourful couple ever to have graced not only the Zimbabwean football scene, but Zimbabwean sports as a whole.

The now defunct Motor Action competed in the countryaï¿½ï¿½s Premier Soccer League for 14 years, from 2000 before its collapse due to financial problems.

While thereaï¿½ï¿½s no need for any biblical Solomonic wisdom for the countryaï¿½ï¿½s football enthusiasts to realise that the couple sacrificed a lot of time and resources to the local game, Elizabeth speaks about some of the challenges they faced in football administration, chief among them being poor match officiating.

aï¿½?Mr Rosen brought a lot of light to the Motor Action FC family, we funded the club and we are one of the first clubs to become professional. We have so many memories, as we travelled a lot as a team. We won the PSL championship in 2010 and we also won the BancABC cup in 2011. The major challenge that we faced was poor match officiating,aï¿½? said Elizabeth in reference to her experience during the time she was involved with the league.

Also, clinching the countryaï¿½ï¿½s 2005 Silver Jubilee Independence Trophy and NetOne Cup in 2009, helped rank Motor Action as one of the great clubs in the new millennium.

In 2011, they made their maiden Caf Champions League appearance which was coupled with a Mbada Diamonds Cup final appearance that saw them participating in the Caf Confederations Cup the following year.

Asked on the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League official Facebook page that if she was to bounce back to football administration which areas was she going to change, Elizabeth said: aï¿½?Football administrators should be dedicated to the game of football. They should show and know that it is important for clubs to attract corporate sponsorship.aï¿½?

A football fanatic, together with his wife, the late Eric died at a time they were in the process of establishing a football academy at Motor Action Sports Club in Harare.

Widely regarded as Ericaï¿½ï¿½s right hand man, former Motor Action chief of protocol Simion Jamanda, who worked together with the Rosen family throughout the teamaï¿½ï¿½s run said:

aï¿½?Such football administrators are hard to come by. They sacrificed all their wealth to furthering the game. They bankrolled the team and introduced professionalism and I donaï¿½ï¿½t remember players getting their salaries at the stadium, but they would be paid through the right channels aï¿½ï¿½ at the bank. The fact that Eric died while in a process of establishing an academy means itaï¿½ï¿½s a blow to the young children, who were going to enrol there.aï¿½?

What a refreshing wave of professionalism that defined the Mighty Bulls!

Motor Action are praised for discovering and supporting two Zimbabwe Soccer Stars of the Year aï¿½ï¿½ Clement Matawu in 2006 and Charles Sibanda in 2010.

The club produced a number of nimble footed players that include Prince Matore, Marlon Jani and Musa Mguni.

The Mighty Bulls discovered Matore in the dusty streets of Chegutu while turning out for Chegutu Pirates and gave him a chance showcase his football skills.

Matawu, who has made it into the Soccer Stars of the Year calendar for the record breaking five times, currently turns out for Chicken Inn where Matore is assistant coach to Joey Antipas.

Interestingly, Antipas and Matore, who won the 2015 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title as coaches of Chicken Inn, also first made their mark at Motor Action when they won the league title with the club in 2010.