More Than Just a Game: Football V Apartheid

by Chuck Korr, Marvin Close

'It is amazing to think that a game that people take for granted all around the world, was the very same game that gave a group of prisoners sanity - and in a way, gave us the resolve to carry on the struggle'. Anthony Suze, Robben Island Prisoner This is the astonishing story of how a unique group of political prisoners and freedom fighters found a sense of dignity in one of the ugliest hellholes on Robben Island. Despite all odds and regular torture, beatings and daily backbreaking hard labour, these extraordinary men turned soccer into an active force in the struggle for freedom. For nearly 20 years, the political prisoners on Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was infamously incarcerated, somehow found the energy, spirit and resolve to organise a 1400 prisoner-strong, eight club football league which was played with strict adherence to FIFA rules. The prisoners themselves represented a broad array of political beliefs and backgrounds, yet football became an impassioned and unified symbol of resistance against apartheid.They refused to let their own political differences sway their devotion to the sport, which allowed them to organise and maintain leadership right under the noses of their captors. This league not only provided sanctuary and respite from the prisoners' cruel surroundings, it kept their minds active and many credit it with keeping them alive. More Than Just a Game chronicles their story, the politics of the time, the extraordinary characters, their heroism and the thrilling matches themselves.

Genres: Sports, Football, Nonfiction, History, Soccer, Politics, Africa

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[David Campton · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have any interest in football, politics, and/or South Africa, or indeed if you have any passing interest in what sustains the human spirit in the face of adversity, this is well worth a read. It tells the story of the less famous prisoners on Robben Island, and how sport in general and football in particular, became a unifying factor in the lives of the prisoners, helping to shape them for the new South Africa to come. It is especially interesting that they used FIFA's rules as a rigorous framework for their endeavours, looking to the international governing body as a model of good practice in sportsmanship and fairness... its a shame FIFA now is seen as a byword for corruption and cronyism (including the way that they behaved re the contracts, sponsorship and economic impact on South Africa re the 2010 World Cup). The author betrays his academic origins in the style of writing, but this slightly detached approach does serve to free it of any cloying sentimentality... An excellent read.

[Malcolm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robben Island, just off the coast of Cape Town, may be seen as the Guantanamo Bay of the 1960 and 1970s – a detention centre used indiscriminately, and based in repressive legislation and state practices. Unlike Guantanamo, however, many of its now former inmates are important figures in South Africa and global figures (think, Nelson Mandela, Jacob Zuma, and others). During the apartheid years we knew quite a lot about Robben Island, since the fall of apartheid more has come to light – the repression, the difficulties experienced by the political prisoners, and so forth.

This book takes us into new territory, exploring the way that football (as in soccer) became an important aspect of social existence, maintenance of dignity, and political organising and training. For the most part well presented, Korr & Close bring complementary skills to the project, the book is a useful reminder that there is much more to sport than Saturday afternoons at the park, and that there is much more to struggles for liberation that the hard end of politics.

The book could be better, though: much is quite properly made of the differences between the factions in the liberation struggle and the way football brought them into cooperation against a common foe, and it would have helped to have had some of the distinctions explained. An enquiring reader is probably left wondering just how and why the African National congress and the Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania differed, or how it was that the new, post-Soweto rising batch of inmates, influenced by Black Consciousness Movement of Azania thinking, differed from both the ANC & the PAC – aside from the age and experience issues Korr & Close raise. One glaring error hit me – on p 111 they state that by 1970 ""whites-only apartheid South African teams were now excluded from international competition in every sport"". However, they miss the one team sport that really mattered – rugby union – where whites-only teams played internationally representative matches until the mid 1980s, were never explelled from the International Rugby Board, and were readmitted to full international competition in 1989. It may seem picky, but it is a key issue in the global boycott of apartheid sport.

Minor quibbles aside, this is an extremely good, accessible addition to our understandings of sport and of the struggle against apartheid.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book examines the little known story of the Makana Football Association, which was founded and run—along with its composite clubs, referees union, and other related bodies—by political prisoners on South Africa's infamous apartheid-era prison, Robben Island. As the book explains, the MFA came out of the inmates' desire not only for moments of respite from the toil and terror of prison life, but more so from their determination to stake a claim for their humanity in the face of a regime that considered them sub-human. More Than Just a Game provides many wonderful details of the effort that went into creating this full-fledged football league within the constraints of a maximum security prison, and makes the point that the MFA played an incubating role in the transition to a new, post-apartheid South Africa—both by sharpening the talents of some of the country's future leaders and by providing a space where political factionalism took second seat to sport.

At times, the book is a bit simplistic in its analysis, but it is nonetheless an enjoyable read. One closes its covers with a sense of admiration for the determination of these political prisoners and sportsmen to assert their human worth and organizing power in a system that went to great lengths to debase them and render them powerless.

Note: You don't need to be a fan of football to enjoy this book.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, best book I've read in my whole entire life!
More Than Just A Game, is a book which inspired me to think of soccer in a different way. Look beyond than just thinking of it as a sport. I also discovered what it meant to other people. Personally, I love the game of soccer, but before reading this book I never really realize how much you could learn of playing a simple game of soccer. Soccer can teach you many things about yourselve and the world around you.Soccer can teach you how to respect others in and outside the field. Respect is very important in this world because if you don't have any respect for your peers you will not recieve any respect from them either.

I was also influenced to teach a class to younger kids in my school and teach them how soccer can be more than just a sport. It can be a sport that can show you how to be respectful to all your teamates, but also to all your classmates during school. I can also show you how to become more responsible in life. Being responsible about bring cleats and water to a soccer practice; to being responsible for bringing your books to school everyday.

This book has definitlly influenced my live in a very positive way.

[Beau Laufer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was by far the best book I’ve read. When i first picked up the book i wasn't really sure what to expect but after reading a couple chapters i was hooked. More Than Just A Game, is a book that not only changed my way of looking at soccer but also showed me it was way more than just a sport. Soccer has always been a huge influence in my life and has taught me several of lessons. Reading this book has opened my eyes on how most of the world views soccer.

This book was not only about soccer but also politics, racism, South Africa, apartheid, and most of all adversity. It tells a story of political prisoners on Robben Island from all different backgrounds united together to protest. Beginning in 1964, they requested the right to play soccer during their exercise periods. Denied repeatedly, they risked beatings and food deprivation by repeating their request for three years. Finally granted this right, the prisoners banded together to form a multi-tiered, pro-level league that ran for more than two decades. This was their story and struggle against apartheid.

I gave this book 5 stars because i learned so many things and also was very inspired.

[Jorgen Lundgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and fascinating book about south Africa and apartheid in relation to sport specially football on the prison island, Robben Island.

'sports is a way of building character, of teaching proper values, of finding ways to persevere in the worst of conditions'.

'sports is way of alleviating the distress and frustrating conditions which our community is always faced with'.

It will be no surprise to the reader of this book that all those quotes come from the writings of prisoners on Robben Island between 1964 and 1977. The value and joy of sport made it an antidote to much of what the island was supposed to inflict on the prisoners. The men seized on sport as something that they could exploit for themselvs-but this could only have been the case if they had come to the island with notions of what made sport special.

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book "More Than Just a Game" by "Chuck Korr" was a very good and enticing book, especially for being a non-fiction book (which is always harder to get through for me). This book tells an inspiring story and makes me realize that with unity and a cool head you can accomplish anything. It also helps me understand that even if you think your situation is bad, there is someone out there that has it a lot worse, and you cannot take the things you love for granted.

The book "More Than Just a Game" was about a terrible prison called Robben island, which is a prison in South Africa. This prison had terrible conditions and was brutal to its prisoners, who were almost all only guilty of standing up to an extremely racist government. The prisoners knew that they would not be able to survive a long grueling treatment there without some sort of outlet to help get them through their time. So, even though they had many different opinions, they all showed one unified front, and were able to win better conditions, and most importantly, football. They continued to fight for their league and for the freedom of their country, and they really showed that they were good strong people, even in the face of an unfair law system and terrible prison conditions. This was a good book that I definitely recommend it.

I would definitely recommend this book and say that it is worth the read. I will admit that it gets a little slow at times and is a little bit long, but I would still recommend it. It showed me that you can't take for granted the things you love, like sports. I actually felt I could relate a little (not a lot) about the feeling of having your sports taken away, because that same thing happened to me last spring, and almost happened again this fall. Because of COVID, my sports were nearly taken away. In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book, and suggest that you read it.

[Sarthak Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential read for understanding the power of sport in a country torn apart by racism and xenophobia, and an island where the boundaries for civility and humanity were frequently blurred. I've read better written books in terms of literary aesthetics, but this one is important for the story it tells.

[John Kidman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful follow up read for me after The Changi Brownlow.

[Lewis Scorgie · Rating 3 out of 5]

captivating story. really did not enjoy the style of writing. recommend nonetheless.

[Gerald Sinstadt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I need to declare an interest here. For a decade during the period covered by this book I was contributing to a couple of sports programmes emanating from the BBC's World Service studios. I felt strongly about South Africa's abominable apartheid regime and, within BBC editorial limits, spoke out against it when I could. I also withdrew from the opportunity to ghost a book for a South African golfer on the same grounds. So it won't seem surprising that I found inspirational the story of how football had a liberating effect on the inmates of Robben Island - liberating in spirit if not in terms of physical boundaries. For its political message, More than Just a Game deserves to be widely read.

That said, I hope I may be permitted a criticism or two. Chuck Korr, the prime mover of the book and the docudrama that preceded it, is an American professor who claims to be "familiar with the development of team sports in Britain." No doubt that is true but the Professor still writes like an observer of football from the outside rather than one who has the game in his blood. Crucially, he makes much of the assertion that the Makana Football Association organised the game in the prison "in strict accordance with FIFA rules." Had they done so The Atlantic Raiders Affair, which gets a 28-page chapter to itself, would never have escalated into a cause célèbre. With the underdogs leading in a Cup game, there was prolonged barracking and dissent over disputed decisions. Whereupon the referee "stormed off the pitch. A new match official was hastily brought on. In the chaos that ensued, it was never clear who had appointed the referee or even if he was qualified."

Professor Korr seems not to understand - or if he does, fails to mention it - that a travesty of football discipline had occurred. FIFA rules require games to be played under the Laws of Association Football. That would have resulted in the game being officially abandoned by the referee when he "stormed off the pitch". Subsequently, it would have been dealt with by the appropriate disciplinary body. Similarly, the author reports instances of spectators entering the pitch in an attempt to deal with a perceived error, of teams lodging complaints about refereeing decisions, and teams requesting changes to referees' appointments. At no point is it suggested that this was anything other than "in strict accordance with FIFA rules."

As a tribute to the triumph of the human spirit over vile oppression, this story needed to be told. It just seems a pity that, for the part played by the game of football, it has been told by an American professor who writes like a professor.

[Joe Tullio · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit, I was excited about this book until I saw that it included an introduction by Sepp Blatter, the odious kleptocrat who orchestrated an unprecedented corruption scandal that likely resulted in consecutive World Cups for Russia and Qatar (and not the US or England). I was prepared to read it as some sort of indirect rationale for FIFA’s hegemony over world football.

In fact, the book does tell an interesting story about the introduction, organization, and persistence of football leagues within the prison population of Robben Island. The writing is not particularly challenging, and the narrative is told in a straightforward, documentary-style way that facilitates easy reading but rates somewhat low on drama and engagement. There is good scholarship here, and the main characters are given enough depth that we see them as unique, individual personalities in an interplay of prisoners, blocks, wardens, and outside human rights agencies.

The book’s ultimate thesis is that the prisoners’ ability to navigate both the power dynamics of Robben Island’s prison system and the politics of prisoner cliques was organizational training for the rise of the ANC and the repeal of Apartheid. Strange as it sounds, it feels entirely believable, as the prisoners go to surprising bureaucratic lengths to lay ground rules for leagues, establish team memberships, keep records of results, and obtain increasing degrees of legitimacy through equipment, uniforms, and facilities. Famous figures such as Jacob Zuma make appearances on occasion, and we even get to learn what became of the less famous figures that were nevertheless key to the success of the league. Fellow prisoner Nelson Mandela did not seem to participate in the league, and so only warrants a few mentions as a major leadership figure who took appreciative notice of the league’s efforts.

While the writing itself could have been better, and I found myself getting bogged down in some of the minutiae of the league’s organization, there were some great stories that really did speak to the political savvy and unity that was so needed to later pull off a national revolution. It’s a quick read that football fans and casual history buffs should appreciate.

[Nathan Brooker]

More Than Just A Game is an enlightening non fiction story about how a group of political prisoners and freedom seekers come together to play football. This story is known for being "The most important football story ever told". I would have to definitely agree. The plot of this book is based in Robben Island, a prison island in South Africa where Nelson Mandela was famously prisoned.

After a group of prisoners placed in jail for numerous political reasons, they put there own views and beliefs behind and came together to share their love for football. Prisoners stuck on Robben Island spent their days being beaten, tortured, and doing hard labour. Football was the escape to make their life on the island much more bearable. At first, it started with the prisoners playing football in the yards, but they needed more. The men who loved football requested to elect leaders and create a league. After, countless attempts of requesting, the men finally succeeded. The true passion of football brought the persistent out of the prisoners even though they were stuck in hell. After years of organisation, Robben Island had over a thousand men playing football with 8 separated leagues on FIFA regulated pitches. I found it absolutely amazing that the love of football could bring men from totally different backgrounds to side together to fight against the apartheid and achieve such a great victory.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone with a strong passion for football. This true story really shows how much the sport can do. More than just entertain, more than just to make money, but to in some cases save people from very dark places and help them to reach the highest potential and achieve many great things in life.

I would highly recomend this books

[Beorn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I took a bit of a punt on this book as while I'm not overly interested in football, I thought that it would be an interesting juxtaposition of the sport onto a political dimension.
To a certain extent that is the occasionally the case here but it is far more of an intense close-up look at the running of the Makana FA - the football administration the prisoners of Robben Island set up.

I expected a situation that would keep the political aspect as an important element of the story but what I found was that the vast majority of the latter two-thirds of the book are hard staring at the minutiae and detail of the running of the FA with little or no mention of the outside political climate or the prisoners interactions with it.

In other words, this would be ideal reading for someone who is obsessive about football and/or works in the profession and has an interest in the administrative way clubs and leagues are run.
Anyone looking for an interesting apartheid South Africa book as far as politics go would be well advised to look elsewhere.

Starts off interesting but soon descends into tedium.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a great story, there's no doubt about that. I'm not sure this particular telling quite does it justice though. I found it a bit dry and wishy-washy. I read it immediately after Jonathan Wilson's meticulously detailed chronicle of Hungarian football, 'The Names Heard Long Ago', and in comparison this seemed a bit thin on detail, with significant events and changes often glossed over in a couple of paragraphs. To be fair to the author, he probably had to rely heavily on anecdotal evidence rather than written documentation so maybe I'm being harsh. I'm glad I read it anyway as it's a story that should be heard.

[Hardeep · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, and a great time to read it... This book talks about another side to Robben Island- an island off the coast of Cape Town which housed political prisoners of the apartheid regime. While all I have heard/read about Robben Island has revolved around the trying conditions and its most famed prisoner (Mandela)- this book talks about a lot of "not-famous" prisoners and how they banded together around sport, soccer in particular, to keep spirits up and overcome factionalism. Highly recommended!

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meticulously researched, this is the best kind of sports book - one that links the value of the game to the wider culture and its impacts. The men imprisoned on Robben Island held their sanity, dignity, and hearts by playing soccer, but it wasn't pretty or easy or simple. Although the book does not focus on the results of the end of Apartheid, it showcases how the men who later became leaders of South Africa learned humility, compromise, and passion through collective action for a beloved game.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would recommend reading "More Than Just a Game" as a companion book to "Playing the Enemy" (made into the move "Invictus"). Both shed light on the role of sports during and after apartheid.

Having had the opportunity to visit Robben Island--a desolate and hardscrabble place--I was able to visualize the events in the book more clearly. The organization that the prisoners put into sports was rewarding in and of itself, but also a metaphor for their struggle to overcome oppression.

[Deborah LaRoche · Rating 4 out of 5]

If ever you needed proof that the human spirit can overcome incredible adversity, odds, and prejudice, this book is it. I will admit to getting bogged down in some of the long explanations of FIFA regulations, but since arguing the logistics of these details kept men from losing their ever-loving minds during long hours in a rock quarry while imprisoned on Robben Island, I shan't complain to loudly.

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compelling era in African history illustrating the importance of sport in human social interactions. Provided a new sense of the infamous Robben Island and how the men imprisoned there survived as well as planned for a new South Afica.

[Lance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intersting description of how South African soccer league started among Apartheid prisoners (and how that translated into how they ran the government years later), but got bogged down in some uninteresting details.

[Molique Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I think this is a good book for anyone whose interested In the sport such as football it shows how much a sport can impact someones life none the less change how you feel about the game it's self.

[Annaelle Allez L'OL!!! · Rating 4 out of 5]

more a biography cause i felt like the story wasnt personal enough but written more in a matter of fact way! But The story was really good and sad.. thanks to football, they were able to survive their stay in prison.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read even for non-sports fans that covers politics, sports, prison, apartheid, and personal relationships.

Interesting how many people gained skills through the sports league that came in handy in later life.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and very unusual history of apartheid from the point of view of the Robben Island prisoners who set up and ran football and rugby leagues, as well as their own summer Olympics, all through some clever manipulation of the authorities and some good old-fashioned peaceful protesting!

[Jason Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great book that I believe if you are a soccer fan or just a plain history fan you will enjoy it.

[Danny Knobler · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible story, told very well. Interesting for anyone who has enjoyed the World Cup, or even anyone who hasn't.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never really learned much about apartheid South Africa, so this book was quite the eye-opener for me. Don't skip the epilogue or the story about how the book came to be. Both are very interesting.

[Brian Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent account of the struggles these men faced during Apartheid.