With your indulgence, I retell part of Schultz’s story as told by his dear friend, colleague and club mate Bro’ Andrew ‘Wire’ Bosman
We note with sadness the tragic death of American basketball superstar Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and others in a helicopter crash. Our condolences go out to their families and fans the world over.
Here at home we too are in ‘after tears’ mode as well, following the burial of the Buccaneers matriarch Mma Irvin Khoza at the weekend, as well as our own Bro’ Bobby ‘Locke’ Shultz of Leeds United FC fame.
With your indulgence, I retell part of Schultz’s story as told by his dear friend, colleague and club mate Bro’ Andrew ‘Wire’ Bosman. The story intersects with so many others that we broached here before.
One of the revelations was that the Schultz’s family are Free-Staters from Matlhomola in Bloemfontein. I would not have guessed that seeing that Schultz was a fixture of Galeshewe.
Schultz and his late wife Nobantu have pride of place in the local cemetery here now.
Some interesting information for the football historians from Bosman is that before he met Schultz he (Bosman) was a member of Dalton Brothers. The clubhouse was the late Scara Lawrence’s house in Matopo street. The club’s boardroom was Lawrence’s neatly carpeted motor garage, with built-in wooden cupboards to boot.
Later at Dalton, Bosman, Schultz and others, led an exodus from Dalton over some dispute.
They were backed by Shareez Kazi, son of Ali, patron of a prominent family operating businesses in Corless road in Galeshewe.
Coincidentally, a faded press picture of Leeds that Bosman had in a drawer has the following players standing in a single row at Masenkeng (King George’s closed ground in Lang street): A Faber, R Watson, A Malefo, I Tukakhomo, W Hannie, B Schultz, A Bosman, A Matile, A Lloyd, E Monatlala, E Lawrence and E Bayad (as manager).
Bosman says the team struggled to find a ground to play. In the end, they found an empty space at what is now the Galeshewe Day Hospital.
The team struggled to get registered too by the local football association which was run by teacher-cum-shopkeeper Wilphacious Mapahaka.
A plan was made and Leeds was accepted.
But then they ran foul of the late Bethuel Morolo who headed the SA National Football Association (Sanfa). Morolo objected to Leeds’ registration because the team was racially mixed.
They instead opted to affiliate with the Coloured professional football league which operated from Fordsburg in Johannesburg. Things went exceedingly well over there and they became superstars.
Bosman’s career later ticked upwards again. Leeds’ club manager Shareez Kazi arranged for them to play against Kaizer XI. Chiefs frontman Ewert Nene spotted Bosman at that match.
Next thing Bosman was in the rising Amakhosi XI as a regular alongside the likes of Kaizer Motaung, Ten Ten Nzimande, Computer Lamola, Banks Setlhodi, Ratha Mokgoatleng, Gerald Dlamini with Eliakim Pro Khumalo as trainer-coach. Then Motaung went abroad and left professional teacher Clarence Mlokoti in charge.
Bosman stayed at Nene’s place while at Kaizer XI for 18 months. His mother became worried about his whereabouts, as he had left unceremoniously without goodbyes to family and friends. In point of fact, the store keys of his workplace were still with him when he landed in Joburg. He came back and rejoined Schultz at Leeds.
Back home Leeds soldiered on profitably with Bobby Shultz still the go-to man in-between the sticks. However, age caught up with Bosman and many of his teammates. More legal troubles also awaited the club because of its indifference to race. Luckily this wrap recorded their exploits faithfully through Lenny Himson and later Ike Tukakhomo.
During the interview, Bosman pauses to ask: Where is Ike?
Tukakhomo predeceased Schultz in late 2019.
Salang.
