Soccer
Tshabalala family put offer to buy BFN Celtic─── 13:02 Tue, 08 Jul 2014
Lee Khotlele
Bloemfontein - The prominent Free State businessman and Roses United owner, Max Tshabalala, has confirmed his family has made a legal and formal offer to buy the Premier Soccer League team, Bloemfontein Celtic.
The deal, worth a reported amount of R45 million rand, is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks, and Tshabalala said the management had accepted their offer.
“Tshabalala family has put an offer to buy Celtic. We’re just awaiting Celtic to come back to us with a response,” Tshabalala confirmed to OFM Sport.
"All I can say at the moment is that there are some documents we’re waiting for from Celtic. We’ve got to respect the process.”
“We thank the Augousti family for giving us the opportunity to put in an offer and also recognising it. It means a lot to us.”
The Roses boss emphasised that it is only his family involved in this deal. He also said the decision to buy the Siwelele was influenced highly by the history he has with the team.
"Celtic has a rich history in South African soccer, and that is why the Tshabalala family has decided to make an offer to buy it."
“I personally have a history with the team. I’ve played for Celtic Colts and was the chairman of the team during Petrus Molemela’s era, so I took an opportunity to buy the club,” added Tshabalala.
The former Celtic Chairman has assured those associated with the Green and White outfit and the supporters that the club would not be going elsewhere, putting an end to rumours suggesting the new owner would move the Bloemfontein side outside the City of Roses.
“The team was started in Bloemfontein, and it belongs here. The team will remain here, and that is the reason we made an offer, to make sure that the team will remain in Bloemfontein."
“We‘ve made a deal and we’re showing the Bloemfontein people that the team must stay here, so we’ll make sure it stays where it belongs."
Celtic was formed in 1969 under the name Mangaung United FC. In 1984, Molemela bought the club and renamed it Bloemfontein Celtic.
However, Molemela, sold the club to the current owner, Jimmy Augousti in 2001, in a deal said to be worth R600 000, but on condition he would not sell it to people outside Mangaung.
Celtic Chief Executive Khumbulani Konco has once again denied rumours that Phunya Sele Sele is on sale, adding that he had never heard the news linking Tshabalala to Celtic.
