Santos FC
Full nameEngen Santos Football Club
Nickname(s)The People's Team
Founded1982 (1982)
GroundPoplar Avenue, Thornton, Cape Town
Capacity1,000
ChairmanGoolam Allie
CoachFarouk Abrahams
LeagueABC Motsepe League
2022–233rd
WebsiteClub website
old logo (−2003)
old logo (2003–2011)

Santos Football Club or simply Santos is a South African professional soccer club based in the Lansdowne,[1] a suburb of the city of Cape Town. It plays in the SAFA Second Division.[2]

History

The club was established in Heideveld on the Cape Flats in 1982 and was originally known as Lightbodys Santos FC, after its sponsor. During apartheid, it was renowned for the insistence on non-racial inclusivity, hence its nickname "The People's Team".

They played in the Federation Professional League (FPL), the only truly non-racial football body in the country from 1982 to 1990. They won the championship in 1983/4/6/7/8/90 before joining the National Soccer League.

The NSL became the PSL in 1996, with Santos earning promotion to the new league for the 1997–98 season. Santos tasted their first success in the new format of the league in 2001–02 when they surprisingly won the title under the mentorship of Gordon Igesund. This side featured players like Edries Burton, Andre Arendse, Musa Otieno and the club's all-time top goalscorer Jean-Marc Ithier. With the title win Santos became the first – and to date the only – team that was not a founder-member of the PSL to win the league.

They were also crowned Bob Save Super Bowl winners in 2001 and BP Top 8 winners in 2002.

Santos were relegated from the PSL at the end of the 2011–12 season for the first time in the club's history. After finishing 15th in the league they entered the 2011–12 PSL Playoff Tournament where they were pitted against Chippa United and Thanda Royal Zulu. Heading into their final playoff game Santos needed a win over Chippa United to maintain their PSL status but they were defeated 4–3 and subsequently relegated, with Chippa United taking their place in the PSL.[3]

Santos were relegated from the National First Division at the end of the 2016–17 season. The club now plays in the Western Cape ABC Motsepe League.

Notable former coaches

Honours

International

Club records

  • Most starts: South Africa Edries Burton 409
  • Most goals: Mauritius Jean-Marc Ithier 70
  • Most capped player: Kenya Musa Otieno
  • Most starts in a season: South Africa Cassiem Mohamed 44 (1993)
  • Most goals in a season: South Africa Duncan Crowie 19 (1991)
  • Record victory: 6–0 v Intercity Aces (6/3/99, Bob Save Super Bowl); vs Beau West City (26 February 2005, Absa Cup); vs Cemforce FC (12/3/05, Absa Cup); vs Island FC (11/3/06, Absa Cup)
  • Record defeat: 1–7 v Mamelodi Sundowns (19 August 1998, PSL)

Premier Soccer League record

Notes

  1. ↑ Fourth oldest club tournament, organized by the Indian Association and played between Indian clubs and other invited ones.

References

  1. ↑ "South Africa's Santos too good for Mahindra United". Rediff.com. 29 February 2008. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  2. ↑ Naicker, Myron (4 March 2019). "Martin Moonsamy's mission to groom the next Indian football stars". www.iol.co.za. Cape Town: Independent Online (South Africa). Sunday Tribune. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "Chippa promoted, Santos relegated". MTNFootball.com. 30 June 2012. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  4. ↑ "It's official - Santos are PSL champs". Independent Online. 24 April 2002. Archived from the original on 30 June 2023.
  5. ↑ Somnath Sengupta (1 August 2011). "The Glorious History of IFA Shield". Retrieved 10 July 2018.
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