Short description
Inspired by the preparations for the 2010 World Cup, Richard Jones journeyed from the Cape to Johannesburg searching for the heart of South African football.
Long description
Inspired by the preparations for the 2010 World Cup, Richard Jones journeyed from the Cape to Johannesburg searching for the heart of South African football. Along the way he discovered corrupt referees, the brutal destruction of the District 6 League, football murders and the misplaced fanaticism of the Mandela United Football Club. He also met the many incredible personalities who form the beating heart of football in South Africa, including the woman running Soweto's only lesbian football team, the man who helped to establish the Robben Island league, the Head of the Premier League, the No. 1 Ladies football coach in Limpopo - who each, for different reasons, exemplified the spirit and joy within the game in South Africa. In Rainbows for Goalposts, Jones tells the remarkable and stirring story of his quest, which led him to encounter the inspirational Dangerous Darkies FC, sit alongside Chiefs and Pirates on the terraces, unearth the birthplace of The Peoples' League, witness a Celtic riot in the Free State, dodge bullets in the steaming semi-tropical forests of Port St. Johns, and stumble across the rainbow goalposts of the Transkei.