“No Youth No Future” is branded in bold letters on the Ajax Cape Town mini-busses parked in the parking-lot at Ikamva. Granwald Scott is living proof of how seriously Ajax Cape Town takes this motto. Entering the Ajax youth academy as a young boy, he has shown how youth becomes the future, excelling as the current PSL Captain.That’s Cape Town chatted with him recently at Ikamva – Ajax Cape Town’s training grounds.

Ajax Cape Town PSL Captain - "Scotty"

How did you get into Football and end up at Ajax CT?

I was 9 years old at Wingfield Primary – and the teacher saw me play, and chose me to play in the U11 school side. I played U11 at Kensington AFC – And it was at Kensington, in the annual U15 Tournament, that Ajax Cape Town saw me playing. I was only 12 yrs old at the time. They invited me for trials but I didn’t make it. I went to a couple of other trials (in Johannesburg and at Hellenic FC) then came back to Ajax Cape Town for trials. I was chosen to play for the U15 at the age of 13.

Wow – so you’ve been here from the beginning?

Yes, since I was a youngster and only a year after Ajax CT was formed.

Was playing for the PSL always a dream for you?

No! Only when I got to Ajax Cape Town did I start following football. In these circles people talk about soccer all the time – and so it became a reality, watching the PSL players I realised that it was a possibility for me. Up until that time I told people I wanted to become a carpenter, like my uncle. (Granwald laughs)

And did you ever dream you would  be chosen as Captain?

Not by a long shot. I was surprized at being chosen, at my age and also there are players around me that I feel deserve it more but obviously Coach and the technical team around him saw something in me and chose me. It’s a challenge and taking on the responsibility makes me a better person, not just on the field, but also outside football.

How has being captain changed life outside of Ajax Cape Town?

When you’re young, you expect things to go your way; you’re selfish. I feel like a parent now, needing to look after my peers. And I’ve matured as a family man, too, making decisions for my family that show more maturity.

As part of the team – how do you feel the responsibility of being captain?

At first I think I took it a bit too hard on myself. The team wasn’t doing too well, and as captain I took it all on my shoulders, and I think it affected my performance. But after talking to some of the coaches and some of the guys, they said that being Captain should enhance my performance, not hinder it. Now I’m playing my own game again, and hope to be noticed again…

Where to from here? What are your dreams now and for the future?

Firstly, to stay injury free. I’m working on that with the medical team. I’d like to play all the games now, because I’ve missed a few, due to injury. I’d like to make the Bafana call-up again, and get an opportunity to go overseas by end of the season.

What message do you have for the Ajax Cape Town fans?

They must please stay loyal to the club, and support us. We always give our best for them, and appreciate them at matches. Even though our performances aren’t always up to scratch, we appreciate them staying behind us and rallying behind us.

That’s Cape Town feels privileged to have spoken with one of Cape Town’s young stars. We will be watching his football career with pride and excitement.

Scotty

November 19^th was a scorcher. It was the first day that officially felt like Summer in Cape Town. It was the perfect day to attend the Summer Festival at Jordan Winery, and That’s Cape Town headed out for a lazy day of festivities and games.

Jordan Winery feels like it’s in the country, although it is only 45 minutes from the city. The long, winding dirt-road trailing away from the main road into Stellenbosch leads visitors through some of the most picturesque vineyards and farms. It is almost an Alice in Wonderland type experience; the further along the dirt road and into the hills we get, the further away the city with its hustle and bustle seems.

But being off the beaten track does not mean that Jordan is unknown, or unpopular. With award-winning chef George Jardine at the helm of the Jordan Restaurant, and husband and wife team, Kathy and Gary Jordan crafting the wines, this family-run farm has a winning formula.

To be able to visit and experience it first-hand was truly exciting. Upon arriving and checking out the programme for the day, the cellar tour with Kathy seemed the obvious choice for us. And we were wowed!  It was the most informative and fascinating cellar tour we have ever been on! Kathy’s humble approach to sharing a bit of what they do and how they started just revealed the passion with which the Jordans work. This couple’s desire to share of their craft and knowledge was unbelievable.

After the tour (and tasting of the latest Chardonnay from a couple of barrels), it was time to indulge in some of the foodie delights on offer. George Jardine told us that he’d been baking since the crack of dawn, preparing food for his Willowtree Market. His food displays the exact same passion that the Jordans possess for winemaking. It’s easy to see why the combination is a vibrant one.

The Willow-tree Market

Sitting under a tree, drinking the Jordan Outlier Sauvignon Blanc (2009) and feasting on mussels and sour-dough bread dipped into the coconut milk; fresh lemon; ginger; garlic and lemon-grass broth – it was difficult to believe that we could get any nearer to a perfect celebration of the arrival of Summer.

The Hof’s recent visit to the Mother City was clearly a great experience for him, if his Tweets about him abseiling down Table Mountain are anything to go by… And he is just one of many celebrities who has visited and fallen in love with Cape Town.

What do they love about this city? What keeps them coming back? We’ve listened to interviews and searched through social media sites to compile a list of things celebrities love about Cape Town.

David Hasselhof conquering Table Mountain

1. The People – it’s official: our friendliness, our customer service, and our love of the ‘Cape Town life’ keeps them coming back. James Blunt recently mentioned in an interview that he has made friends in Cape Town, who he will come back and visit.

2. The Lifestyle – We approach life differently, in Cape Town, to the rest of the country. Grabbing the opportunity whenever the weather plays along, we appreciate the natural beauty around us by heading up, out, or into nature. We work to enjoy life, we don’t live to work.

3. Attractions – Within a 100km radius of the CBD, a tourist can visit and enjoy any of a number of mountains; wine farms; olive farms; fruit farms; beautiful beaches; nature reserves; and, as if all of this is not enough, even the tip of Africa!

4. Diversity – No town or suburb of the greater Cape Town area has the same look or feel as another. Fish Hoek is completely different to Camp’s Bay. And Camp’s Bay is completely different to Hout Bay. And Hout Bay is different to Strand. The list goes on… Each area has it’s own flavour which adds to the diversity of any visitor’s experience.

5. Food – There’s a reason why most of the restaurants on Eat Out’s Top 10 list are found in and around the Mother City – we are passionate about eating and we demand high quality, sensual culinary experiences… and our chefs deliver.

There it is – That’s Cape Town’s  Top 5 reasons why celebrities love our city. Do you feel something is missing from the list?

Image from Photobucket.