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Cape Town City targeting '20 000 to 30 000'

Cape Town - Cape Town City FC owner John Comitis is looking at bringing in between "20 000 and 30 000" spectators to watch his new club play PSL fixtures at the Cape Town Stadium in 2016/17. 

It seems like an extremely high number given the crowd attendance challenges that have plagued PSL clubs in the modern era, but Comitis is confident that his plan can achieve the numbers.

In co-operation with SAFA, Comitis is identifying amateur football clubs from in and around Cape Town and looking to integrate them into the Cape Town City FC lifestyle.

The idea is to get players of those football clubs - from juniors through to seniors - into the stadium to watch Cape Town City.

Comitis was vocal at the team unveiling on Wednesday about his desire to make this a football club for all of the people of Cape Town.

Of course, money plays as big a part as anything in a football club's success.

Comitis drew on Chippa United's relocation from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, saying he never wanted to be in that situation but that he understood the financial sense of the decision.

"I don’t want to be in that position. Obviously with mass participation and bums on seats, that is the easiest way to do that because everybody wants to be a part of that," he said.

"When we’re seeing 20 000 and 30 000 people at the stadium then corporates will be queuing; sponsors want to put their name on your shirt and then it’s easy.

"The hard work is to make the decisions now for the people that have the tools in their hands to unlock the value, and that’s what I think is needed now."

Part of the work that needed to be done now was putting a side out onto the field that could compete. 

"You have to first focus on getting the team right. Your first Rands and cents have to stabilise that," he said.

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