by TINTSWALO BALOYI
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – BY drawing their latest game of the DStv Premiership, Swallows FC have broken an almost decade-long draws record in the elite league.
In the process, The Birds have exceeded their own draws record set in the first Premiership league 20 years ago.
Swallows, in their debut return to the topflight, on Tuesday drew their 18th league game of the 2020/21 season when they played out a goalless encounter against visiting Stellenbosch FC at the Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto.
This has intensified sentiment prevailing in the local game that the Dube Birds are merely pitching up on game day just to avoid defeat.
By that result on Tuesday, coach Brandon-Tutter’s Swallows have outdone the now-defunct Santos and SuperSport United as the local Premiership’s draw kings per season.
The two former league champions drew 17 times in a single campaign.
Santos and SuperSport United attained that unenviable record that in the 2005/06 and 2012/13 respectively.
Meanwhile, the 18th draw by Swallows easily exceeds their previous record of 14 draws, attained at the 2000/01 Premiership.
Then, they finished 15th out of an elite league that still featured 18 teams.
To highlight the dropping standards of the league, the 14 draws Swallows accumulated that season saw them fight relegation, but this season they are calmly perched on fifth, with a mathematical possibility of finishing as high as second.
Santos finished eighth and SuperSport United finished sixth in the seasons they ended with the then-record number of draws.
Meanwhile, Swallows, despite their newly-set draws record, are not the undisputed draw kings of the local Premiership.
That title jointly belongs to Bloemfontein Celtic, Kaizer Chiefs, Maritzburg United, Santos and SuperSport United.
They all have finished with the highest number of draws (3) since the advent of the Premiership in 1996/97.
Swallows, who have won eight times and lost once, can still break their own draws record this season with two games remaining, away to AmaZulu on June 2 and at home to Baroka on the 5th.
– CAJ News