Newly promoted Super Division side Kabwe Warriors says it will rename Railway Stadium as the Godfrey ‘Ucar’ Chitalu stadium in recognition of his 107 goal feat.
Club chairman Andrew Kamanga said in a statement that the executive had also decided to erect a statue in honour of Chitalu to coincide with the club’s celebrations of 50 years of existence.
“As part of our club’s programme to celebrate 50 years of existence, the executive has already taken the decision to rename its home ground, Railway Ground, after its record goal scorer, to be known as the Godfrey ‘Ucar’ Chitalu 107 Stadium,” Kamanga stated.
“Also, a statue of him is to be erected at the stadium and t-shirts bearing Chitalu’s name and ‘107 goals’ are to be printed to help raise funds for the club and for his surviving family, some of whom continue to be avid supporters of KWF.”
The former Kabwe Warriors and national team great has hit global headlines recently after Barcelona and Argentine Lionel Messi star reportedly set a world record after beating German Gerhard Muller’s record 85 goals scored in 1972.
However the Zambian community have risen to challenge that record saying the Kabwe Warriors great hold the world record with 107 scored in the 1972 season.
Below is the full statement
Press Statement from Kabwe Warriors FC:
40 yrs on, Godfrey ‘Ucar’ Chitalu’s 107 Goals Get Global Attention
The Executive Committee of Kabwe Warriors Football Club (KWFC) has followed with keen interest the on-going debate about whether the 107 goals scored in the 1972 season by its striker, the peerless Godfrey ‘Ucar’ Chitalu (now deceased) should be recognised as a world record by world football authority FIFA.
To begin with, KWFC, its generous and faithful sponsors Zambia Railways and its fans are delighted that this debate is happening at this time as it coincides with the club’s 50th anniversary of its founding, for which plans are at an advanced stage to celebrate the milestone.
This year also marks 40 years since Godfrey Chitalu scored the 107 goals that have now ignited this very interesting global debate about whether he should now be recognized as the world record holder for the most goals scored in a calendar year.
While there has never been any debate about the legitimacy of Chitalu’s 107 goals in Zambian football, an achievement for which he was duly awarded by the FAZ at the end of the same season, KWFC is grateful to FAZ and the thousands of fans who are now championing the campaign for FIFA to recognise the feat as a world record.
For the record, it is not as though FIFA has been totally unaware of Godfrey Chitalu’s record. In 1982, FIFA did award him, along with other notable international stars, for his contribution to the promotion of the world’s number one sport, at a ceremony held in France.
We are therefore confident that the FAZ, armed with all the statistical evidence needed to press the case for Chitalu’s 107 goals, will do its best to ensure that justice is done.
As a club, KWFC has worked assiduously to safeguard its history and we are happy the Chitalu has now received international recognition whether FIFA accepts the record or not. While Chitalu holds a special place in the hearts of Zambian soccer fans, it is particularly heartening that support for him to be awarded the record for his 107 goals has come from all over the globe.
There is no debate about the fact that there are now a few millions more people out there who now know about him, about Kabwe Warriors and about Zambia than did a week ago.
As part of our club’s programme to celebrate 50 years of existence, the executive has already taken the decision to rename its home ground, Railway Ground, after its record goal scorer, to be known as the Godfrey ‘Ucar’ Chitalu 107 Stadium. Also, a statue of him is to be erected at the stadium and t-shirts bearing Chitalu’s name and ‘107 goals’ are to be printed to help raise funds for the club and for his surviving family, some of whom continue to be avid supporters of KWF.
It is to be appreciated that during the days Chitalu was at the peak of his game, football was not as commercialised as it is today and, like most of his generation, he played for the love of the sport as well as honour for the country. It is amazing that 20 years after his death, his name has potential marketing power and it is only right that this value should accrue to his family and Kabwe Warriors Football Club.
In this regard, KWFC would like to warn that it is aware that a merchandising line bearing the name Chitalu and ‘107’ goals has gone online and that this is in breach of the rights that are currently held by the club and the Chitalu family. Our lawyers in London have been advised to look into the matter.
Other plans in the celebratory programme are:
– to honour some of the players who are still alive and were involved with the club from its early days; the likes of Edward Musonda, Richard Stephenson, Sebastian Mutale Ngungu, Sanford Mvula, Godfrey Mpula, Ernest Katongo, Bonface Simutowe and Peter Nyongani. These all played with Godfrey Chitalu.
– to put out a magazine giving the history of the club and all the players who have so proudly worn the blue-and-white shirt from the 1960s right through to the current squad and given the club and the town of Kabwe such a special place in the history of Zambian football.
Issued by:
Andrew N. Kamanga – Chairman, Kabwe Warriors football Club
Kabwe Warriors To Honour Zambia’s Greatest Player of All Time – Godfrey ‘Ucar’ Chitalu added by Staffreporter on
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Splendid idea!But avail the magazine through out Zed, we are their for it!
Why now, and not earlier? Shame!
our point exactly “why now?” would we be wrong to say if messi hadnt broken mueller’s record our own Ucar would not have been honored?
rox to answer your question the chairman in his statement said by that time FOOTBALL WAS NOT COMMERCIALISED HAS ITS NOWDAYS.RACISM was high talk of samuel matete a zambian athelet LOT MWALE THE BOXER LITTLE OR NOTHING IS BN SAID ABT LOCALY OR INTERNATIONALY THEREFORE DOT GET SURPRISE IT HAS IMAGED THIS TIME
The answer to Rox’s question is very simple and I think you try to avoid it. “Because Messi supposedly broke the so called world record” – That’s the answer. When did football get commercialized? When did the oppression and racism end? So why aren’t we talking about the other great people Zambia has had? It was just all started by Messi’s glory. Oh and by the way Messi scored 2 more last night! I rest my case.
Awaken from slumber,Ba faz rename football house to either Liwewe house or Gabon house.
Rox. You have said it all.
Way to go Kabwe Warriors, better late than never!!! We shall wait for the t/shirts.
Ths is wat u nided 2do a long tym ago.We nid 2honour our own legendz n nt hop th wrld honours thm 4us.
Zambia’s greatest player of all time to be immortalised great idea whose time is right. Let’s do it together.
For the benefit of those who were not there and we did not miss them then, the nick name “Ucar” originates from poweful Ucar Batteries that powered our small blue, green, black, red, box radios as Dennis Liwewe run his commentaries. Ucar Batteries never died easily.
I thought eventually the makers of Ucar batteries the US company Union Carbide later sponsored Geoffrey or gave out a token sum to KWFC I am not sure but someone can clarify?
I wish to suggest that all football clubs in Zambia start an in house sports magazine as KWFC is trying to do. Lets get the history of our football clubs going. Ba City of Lusaka what do you think?
!!LA,LA,LA,LA,LALALAAAAAA!!!!
Great News to honour Ba Ucar..memories of the goal King in Moscow are fresh and guess what???….I was just in Grade 5 when Godfrey was to scorer at the 1980 Olympics
That’s probably old type of football not modern soccer. Wake up guys.
Misula yenu ba FIFA, we shall honour our own.
Asante Kotoko in recent years had run seasons unbeaten. Did Fifa recognize? But when Manu or Baryern go unbeaten for 32 games – that is news. In short my World covers every country and their only covers Europe, America and Japan. Hence the concept “Pink Floyd on World Tour” when in fact he has gone from US, Canada and 3 countries Europe. Hell – Leta akajilijili tunwine po!
IM NOT HAPPY THAT AS ZAMBIANS WE IGNORED THIS FEET AND WE FAILED TO CAPITALISE AND HAVE A BRAND OR CHITALU NAME GLOBALISE.
TWASENSELA LULYA BWAILA.
THE EFFORTS THOUGH NEED TO BE CHAMPIONED BY FAZ NOW NOT WARRIORS, IT HAS BECOME A NATIONAL ISSUE.
one soccer one family
y now? to everything there is a season.we should be proud tht we are part of the generation tht can fight for our own achievements.our elders never pushed for this record to be recognised but you and me are here to put the record straight so tht our great grand chldrn will have the correct data. atleast we shld be proud of ourselves.