Manning Rangers
Full nameManning Rangers Football Club
Nickname(s)The Mighty Maulers
Founded1928 (1928)
Dissolved2006 (2006)
GroundChatsworth Stadium (The Den), Durban
Capacity22,000

Manning Rangers is a South African football club based in Durban. The side is best remembered as the Champions of the inaugural season of South Africa's Premier Soccer League.

History

The club was founded in 1928 by GR Naidoo who, as well as administering the club, played as its goalkeeper and was later a referee. In the mid-1960s, the club entered the professional ranks under the auspices of the South African Soccer League. In 1985, the club moved its base from Curries Fountain to Chatsworth. The club entered the 1st Division of the National Soccer League (NSL) in 1991.

In 2006, the club declared bankruptcy. The Fidentia Group purchased the club in 2007, renaming it Fidentia Rangers before moving the club from Durban to Cape Town as Ikapa Sporting.[1]

The club was reformed and as of 2023 plays in the amateur leagues.[2]

1996/1997 season

In the inaugural 1996/97 season of the Premier Soccer League, the unfancied Maulers then under the leadership of chairman Kaycee Reddy, stunned everybody with a fairy tale season and managed an impressive 23–5–6 record finishing top of the table with 74 points and becoming champions ahead bigger clubs such as the Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.[3]

The club remained in the Premier Soccer League for several seasons. In 1998/99 the team represented South Africa in the CAF Champions League losing out to eventual winners ASEC Abidjan of Cote d'Ivoire.[4]

They were coached by Gordon Igesund.

Notable players

  • South Africa Mark Davies Most appearances for the club.
  • South Africa Simon Makhubela Most goals for the club.
  • South Africa Keryn Jordan Most goals in a season for the club with 22.
  • Zimbabwe Innocent Chikoya Most games in a single season with 43
  • Zimbabwe Gilbert Mushangazhike Zimbabwean international striker.
  • Zimbabwe Bruce Grobbelaar Zimbabwean international goalkeeper, coach 2004–05.
  • South Africa George Koumantarakis South African internationalist and 1995 Title winner.
  • South Africa Neil Tovey African Cup of Nations winning Bafana Bafana captain.
  • Mozambique Paulito Mozambican international.
  • Liberia Anthony Tokpah Liberian international goalkeeper.
  • South Africa Selvanathan Reddy Manning Rangers F.C Striker.

Major honours

  • PSL Champions 1996/97[5]
  • Osman Spice Works Cup 1985
  • FPL Knockout Winners 1979, 89
  • Coca-Cola Shield 1977

References

  1. ↑ KickOff. "Ex-Fidentia Rangers' players win case". KickOff. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  2. ↑ nikitachiniah (6 September 2021). "Manning Rangers prepare for the new season". Rising Sun Newspapers. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  3. ↑ "South Africa 1996/97". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  4. ↑ "Davies was cult figure for Rangers". Retrieved 15 September 2023 – via PressReader.
  5. ↑ "From Manning Rangers to Sundowns — all the PSL winners in 25 years". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
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