 | This article's lead section may be too long. (September 2024) |
| Nickname(s) | "The Rabbits" , "Up The Rabbits" , "Amadlebe" |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1972 |
| Dissolved | 1986 and 2008 |
| Stadium | Sinaba Stadium |
| Capacity | 25,000 |
| Owner | Shepherds Sporting Group |
| Chairman | Nkateko Khoza |
| Website | www.uptherabbits.com |
Benoni United Football Club is a South African Football club based in Daveyton, Benoni east of Johannesburg in the City of Ekurhuleni formerly known as the East Rand. The club is nicknamed The Rabbits which comes from the City of Benoni being known as the city of Rabbits being home to one of the worlds oldest rabbit sanctuaries the Bunny Park.[1]
Now in its fourth iteration and rebirth the club plays its home games at Sinaba Stadium.
The club was initially founded in 1915 by a group of amateur players. Due to apartheid laws became a whites only club with the launch of the NFL in 1959. The club would merge with Brakpan United and Springs United to form East Rand United in 1963 but the merger did not last long and when the club decided to return to the whites only NFL a breakaway group led by Mickey Bookholoane began talks to form a new Benoni United which would be nicknamed the Rabbits to differentiate it from the original Benoni United. To succeed Mickey invited local Doctors and businessmen to join forces and fund the club, the group elected Dr Harrison Motlana as the founding Chairman and Mickey as the Secretary[2]
The club reached its peak between 1976 and 1977 where it finished 2nd in the league and lost in the final of the BP Top 8 Cup against Orlando Pirates.
In the 1980's Kwikot[3] announces the Naming Sponsorship of Benoni United and the Club is known as Kwikot Benoni for a brief period.
- ^ "Home - The History of the Bunny Park". The Bunny Park.
- ^ "motlana true rabbit". SowetanLIVE. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ https://www.kwikot.com/