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The more things change, the more they remain the same in one important way or the other at Highlanders.
Tradition, and it has always been, the cornerstone of every institution. From the way Highlanders fans sing, dance, to the way footballers and coaches prepare for a game, that has all made the club what it is today. That is what has made the club a religion of some sort.

However, in recent years, the club had departed from some norms that had made the institution a marvel of the world. Gone were the days when die hard Highlanders fans would go to the stadium as early as 11AM, yet the main kick off would be at 3pm, just to spend the whole Sunday at Emagumeni following all the club’s junior structures taking turns on the pitch.

That was one tradition that Highlanders were known for. And because of that, more and more fans were lured into the stadium because they would be more for the entry fee charged, and the benefits that go to the budding youngsters given the platform at the ceremonial home of football in Bulawayo would be massive.

It did not need a rocket scientist to tell who would be the next goalkeeper, or main striker or defender when first team players leave or retire because fans knew who was next in line by simply following the progress of their junior players from watching them playing in curtain raiser matches.

But for some strange reasons, juniors were banished from playing at Barbourfields, and the effect was that fans and juniors no longer grew together, there was no more bond and when the youngsters decided to sign up for another team once they qualify for first team football, they would not feel like they have betrayed anyone because they had never played before their fans anyway. No sense of belonging whatsoever!

They would have never experienced that electric atmosphere, and even if they stay and get a chance to prove themselves in the first team, they start off slow because of stage fright. They will be no different from a player signed from Harare and coming to play for Highlanders for the first time.

Having juniors curtain raise for the first team, and having the women’s team have the earliest kick off, was part of the tradition at Highlanders, supposedly broken along the way because of mistrust among the leadership at various levels.

That kind of tradition was as good as the tradition of having the senior team play in stripes-black and white. When the team does not have stripes, that zebra lining, some fans feel they are not watching Highlanders, in fact, it’s like watching Italian giants Juventus in blue!

Nonetheless, the leadership at Highlanders has finally seen it fit to go back to tradition, and perhaps the gods will finally smile at them. In announcing that gate charges have been reduced for the cheapest ticket from $5 to $3, club treasurer Jerry Sibanda said juniors will be curtain raisers in most home matches this season. And more interestingly, fans will get to see their reserve side in action, and players who would not have made it to the playing squad that week will be given game time with reserves, and that is how football should be run.

“We want fans to come in their numbers to cheer the club. The season has just started and we are reverting to the $3 charge so that they can afford it,” said Sibanda.

He said over the years they had noted that many soccer fans were coming to stadia late because there was no entertainment prior to the main game and with effect from tomorrow in their match against Shabanie, they would have at least two curtain-raisers.

“We will have our juniors playing at 11am. We implore our fans to come and watch budding talent. At 1PM all players that would not have made it to the first team will play a yet to be confirmed opponent so that they stay match fit and also for fans to get used to some of the stars. Besides, the boys will get to know the home crowd. It is our hope that with entertainment, fans will get in as early as 11am to ease the pressure we tend to encounter towards 3PM,” said Sibanda.

All yesteryear greats like the late Adam Ndlovu, Mercedes Sibanda and Ronnie Jowa, living legends Madinda Ndlovu, Peter Ndlovu, Godfrey Paradza, Willard Khumalo and Mpumelelo Dzowa were given seals of approval in curtain-raiser matches. The crowd which would have known them while they were growing up tended to be softer on days when form eluded them.

This was because fans would have developed a bond with the players from the time they were Under-14 to the time they break into the first team. Even if one such player is off form, fans would still believe in what they saw in the past and we often hear them saying “ah lokhuyana kuyadlala uzakubona next week” (that boy can play, you will see him next week).

As the league enters Week Two, Highlanders coach Kelvin Kaindu will be away in the UK, attending coaching studies, something that had started to get in between the skin of the club’s faithfuls until club chairman Peter Dube announced that this was his second last trip.

Many fans are of the view that had he been available in all matches last season, the club would have won the title. He missed two crucial games at the delicate stages of the competition, against Motor Action and the club dropped two points, and was to miss another blood and thunder against Harare City and Bosso lost all three points.

Had they won either of the two, or at least drawn both of them, they would have been crowd champions as they finished the season tied on points with champions Dynamos, but got silver medals because of inferior goal difference.

“Kaindu will be leaving for his studies on Friday. After this trip he will have one final one which will be graduation. He is expected to present a paper on Tuesday and if all goes well he should be flying back to Africa on Wednesday. We expect that he will be in Bulawayo by Friday next week in time for our next game,” said Dube.

In his absence Mathe and Peter Nkomo will be in charge. Kaindu was away last week only joining the team last Friday ahead of the Saturday match against Chapungu. Highlanders drew 0-0 and will be hoping to stop Shabanie on their tracks following a 3-1 win over visiting Triangle on Sunday.

Mathe is no stranger to sitting on the bench and bellowing instructions from the touchline as he was in control when Highlanders beat FC Platinum 1-0 in a friendly match in February. He was also in charge when they beat  Harare City in the semi final of the Bob Super Cup before losing on penalties to FC Platinum in the semifinal of the Independence Cup. He has also won another game on penalties to Chapungu in the Cephas Msipa Charity Cup semis, but he would take delight in that this is a league game and no penalty shoot-outs.

He has been his own man in the past at Zimbabwe Saints and Chicken Inn, and thus he was roped in to assist Kaindu bearing in mind that the Zambian will miss some matches and his assistant would remain in charge.

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