Robben island football book

The prisoner robben island the dark years the long. Origins of south africas world cup found in its infamous prison. It was established by the department of arts and culture in 1997. An inmates soccer league at robben island provided relief from monotony. Historic robben island and nelson mandelas prison and. Robben island tours and times things to do in cape town. Since 1997 it has been a museum and a heritage site. Nelson mandela spent 27 years imprisoned on robben island, 18 of those in solitary confinement, and the former president of south africa, jacob zuma, was a player on one of the eight teams in the.

Little, brown and company 1994 reprinted with permission of the publisher. In a new weekly series looking at how football brings people together. An interesting and fascinating book about south africa and apartheid in relation to sport specially football on the prison island, robben island. Robben island sits about four and a half miles off cape town in the cold, treacherous waters of the atlantic. This summer nelson mandela returned to robben island, where he was imprisoned for 18 years, to mark his 89th birthday and watch a. Every week from 1964 to 1967, a prisoner, a different one every time as punishments often followed such impunity, would make an. Collins has bought world rights in the story of a group of political prisoners in apartheidera south africa who formed a football league in. In a situation that sought to undermine us, it gave us hope.

Robben island the dark years book excerpt from chapter 61 of mandelas autobiography long walk to freedom c. During 1966 english football enjoyed a momentous year. This book provides great insight into the harsh treatment the prisoners of robben island were subjected too and how football gave them hope. Entrance to robben island prison, robben island museum. The busload of tourists on robben island grew quiet as yasien mohamed, our 63yearold guide, gestured to a bleak limestone quarry on the side of the road. Visiting the island is a sobering experience, which begins at the modern nelson mandela gateway to robben island, an impressive embarkation center that doubles as a conference center. Robben island museum rim is a public entity responsible for managing, maintaining, presenting, developing and marketing robben island as a national estate and world heritage site. Former robben island inmate nelson mandela noted in the documentary fifa. Since the city was founded back in the 17th century, this.

It was also a significant moment for football in south africa and in particular for the inmates of robben island. In the prison library, isaacs found a book of rules issued by fifa. Apartheid and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Football on robben island soccers role in the fight. The author does a remarkable job of describing the creation of the robben island makana football league. Robben island is at the core of south africas rich history and culture. Somehow we found a fifa book there and played according to fifa rules. Football was a popular and highly competitive sport among prisoners, who formed their own league with a. The teams were divided by peoples political groups. It is the extraordinary tale of how thousands of political prisoners on robben island formed the makana football association mfa and used soccer not only to. But the makana football association was a way of uniting all of us.

Former robben island inmates highlight role of football in prison life. The tiny island located just off of the coast of cape town is home to a large amount of history and tells the story of nelson mandelas captivity and subsequent freedom which became iconic for the democracy of south africa. This summer nelson mandela returned to robben island, where he was imprisoned for. Robben islands political prisoners used soccer as a way. When he was allowed to tell it, sitotos tale of makana fa the association formed by the prisoners with its own rule book, qualified referees. There were days when if one group was angry, there would be no game.

In the first of two programs, robin basselin and steve myersco look at the way these prisoners started playing football. Arriving at robben island with cape town in the background. Table mountain is visible from the two remnant soccer fields at the former prison, a. It was a training and defence station in world war ii 19391945 and a hospital for people with leprosy, and the mentally and chronically ill 18461931. Makana football association was a sporting body formed by political prisoners on robben island, south africa who organised football leagues for fellow inmates. The inmates of robben island managed to convince the powers that be to allow them to play soccer one day a week, giving themselves a selfmade lifepreserver to keep their sanity and their spirits up. Origins of south africas world cup found in its infamous. Former robben island inmates highlight role of football in. Formed in 1966, the association ran a league until 1973, adhering strictly to the laws of the game, the fifa rulebook being one of the few books in the prison library.