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IOL News
2 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
BT Academy coaches resign after Spain fiasco
BT Academy coaches Jesse Julius, Clayton Levendal, Keeno Damons and Jayvin Chrisholm have resigned after their harrowing experience being stranded in Spain without return flight tickets. Image: Facebook The soccer coaches of BT Academy, who were praised for their performance at a tournament in Spain and for supporting the players after they were left stranded without return flights, have officially resigned from the academy. A group of 38, including an under-14 team, an under-19 team, and a girls team, travelled to Spain to participate in the Donosti Cup 2025. The teams performed well and the trip went smoothly, until the final day. When it was time to return home, they discovered that their return flights had not been booked by the organisers, despite each person having paid R50 000 for what was meant to be an all-expenses-paid trip. In a statement reflecting on the ordeal, the four coaches wrote: 'To Brandon Timmy: we are nothing like you. You tried to break us. You failed to pay us. You abandoned us. But in the end, all you did was bring us closer together. We are coaches with integrity, honour, principles, and honesty. The very things you lack. "The brotherhood you tried to destroy is now stronger than ever: an unshakable force of unity forged through adversity. We won the hearts of the nation not through deception or silence, but through our courage to do what you didn't have the backbone to do - stand up, speak out, and protect the children and families you left behind. 'We are emotionally scarred, yes, but we are not broken. And we will not fail the children, the parents, or the people who believed in us, the way you failed them all.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The coaches also thanked everyone who helped bring them home. 'We write to you as the coaches of the former BT Academy, not just to thank you, but to honour the nation that stood up when Brandon Timmy turned away. When we were left stranded in a foreign country, abandoned, unpaid, and emotionally broken, it wasn't Brandon Timmy that came to our rescue. It was you. The people of South Africa, and even strangers from across the globe, who opened their hearts, their hands, and their homes to bring us back. "From those who gave despite having little, to those who sent messages of hope and solidarity every day. You carried us when we were at our lowest. Because of the generous, fearless spirit of South Africans and our global allies, we rise, not with anger, but with resolve, dignity, and truth. This is not the end.' Soccer coach Keeno Damons, who had been with BT Academy for three years, confirmed they had all resigned and submitted formal resignation letters. 'You can't work for someone you can't trust. The fact that he did what he did to all of us, the coaches, the players and the parents. Reality is kicking in for me. Brandon, Jayvin and I had a good relationship. To just throw that away is not easy for me. I have so many questions. What was going through his mind when he did this? It's heartbreaking. I feel betrayed,' he said. The sister of one of the coaches who was allegedly dismissed by BT Academy while in Portugal for speaking out about what was happening, said he is still owed over R70 000. 'It all started when they landed in Spain, there was no transport. They were stuck at the airport for a while. Jesse found transport to take them to the (accommodation); he paid R70 000 and BT paid R40 000,' she said. She added that, along with the other coaches, her brother had also contributed towards food for the group, but he was yet to be reimbursed. 'I tried my best to keep them in good spirits. I'm ecstatic that he is back, these past few days felt like months. It still feels so unreal.' BT Academy did not respond to requests for comment by deadline. Cape Times
IOL News
2 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
BT Academy coaches resign after Spain fiasco
BT Academy coaches Jesse Julius, Clayton Levendal, Keeno Damons and Jayvin Chrisholm have resigned after their harrowing experience being stranded in Spain without return flight tickets. Image: Facebook The soccer coaches of BT Academy, who were praised for their performance at a tournament in Spain and for supporting the players after they were left stranded without return flights, have officially resigned from the academy. A group of 38, including an under-14 team, an under-19 team, and a girls team, travelled to Spain to participate in the Donosti Cup 2025. The teams performed well and the trip went smoothly, until the final day. When it was time to return home, they discovered that their return flights had not been booked by the organisers, despite each person having paid R50 000 for what was meant to be an all-expenses-paid trip. In a statement reflecting on the ordeal, the four coaches wrote: 'To Brandon Timmy: we are nothing like you. You tried to break us. You failed to pay us. You abandoned us. But in the end, all you did was bring us closer together. We are coaches with integrity, honour, principles, and honesty. The very things you lack. "The brotherhood you tried to destroy is now stronger than ever: an unshakable force of unity forged through adversity. We won the hearts of the nation not through deception or silence, but through our courage to do what you didn't have the backbone to do - stand up, speak out, and protect the children and families you left behind. 'We are emotionally scarred, yes, but we are not broken. And we will not fail the children, the parents, or the people who believed in us, the way you failed them all.' The coaches also thanked everyone who helped bring them home. 'We write to you as the coaches of the former BT Academy, not just to thank you, but to honour the nation that stood up when Brandon Timmy turned away. When we were left stranded in a foreign country, abandoned, unpaid, and emotionally broken, it wasn't Brandon Timmy that came to our rescue. It was you. The people of South Africa, and even strangers from across the globe, who opened their hearts, their hands, and their homes to bring us back. "From those who gave despite having little, to those who sent messages of hope and solidarity every day. You carried us when we were at our lowest. Because of the generous, fearless spirit of South Africans and our global allies, we rise, not with anger, but with resolve, dignity, and truth. This is not the end.' Soccer coach Keeno Damons, who had been with BT Academy for three years, confirmed they had all resigned and submitted formal resignation letters. 'You can't work for someone you can't trust. The fact that he did what he did to all of us, the coaches, the players and the parents. Reality is kicking in for me. Brandon, Jayvin and I had a good relationship. To just throw that away is not easy for me. I have so many questions. What was going through his mind when he did this? It's heartbreaking. I feel betrayed,' he said. The sister of one of the coaches who was allegedly dismissed by BT Academy while in Portugal for speaking out about what was happening, said he is still owed over R70 000. 'It all started when they landed in Spain, there was no transport. They were stuck at the airport for a while. Jesse found transport to take them to the (accommodation); he paid R70 000 and BT paid R40 000,' she said. She added that, along with the other coaches, her brother had also contributed towards food for the group, but he was yet to be reimbursed. 'I tried my best to keep them in good spirits. I'm ecstatic that he is back, these past few days felt like months. It still feels so unreal.' BT Academy did not respond to requests for comment by deadline. Cape Times
IOL News
6 days ago
- IOL News
'I just want to hug him': Mother's joy as son returns from stranded soccer trip in Spain
FAMILY and friends celebrate the return of the BT Football Academy soccer team at the Cape Town International Airport. Image: Ian Landsberg/Independent Newspapers A mother has shared her excitement of finally seeing her son on Thursday who is among the 25 aspiring soccer stars left stranded in Spain. Dominique Charles from Bellville told the Cape Argus her son, Michael Duminy, 17, is expected to land on South African soil on Thursday afternoon, She has not seen him since July 6. Charles said her son was one of the teenagers who helped the coaches with supervising the others. 'I cannot wait, I do not know how to describe it. It is just a matter of seeing him and wanting to hug him,' she said. 'I cannot thank everyone enough, whether it was through prayer, financial, emotional or mental support, it was a tough time. 'Thank God for making it happen.' Charles said she managed to raise the R48 500 for her son after he was selected to be part of the Donosti Cup 2025 and that she was horrified when she learnt her son and others were stranded. She also managed to secure another R15 000 a week ago. Return flights for the group were apparently not booked after BT Academy claimed their visa appointments were delayed and prices of the tickets increased. 'I was told there isn't enough money and that another R15 000 was needed,' she said. 'That was last Thursday. "I had to borrow the money from different people because what bank is going to give you that kind of money immediately? I still need to pay that back. "This has been a learning curve for everyone. 'I just want to thank the people of Spain also for their hospitality, if it had not been for Tracey Lange and everyone who helped, I don't know what we would have done. According to travel experts, the visa and ticket oversight should have been flagged during the departure process. Most countries, including South Africa, require proof of onward or return travel as a condition of entry and departure - especially when minors are involved. An issued flight ticket refers to a paid, confirmed airline booking that includes all details of the journey. However, an issued one-way ticket cannot be used as a return ticket, unless specifically purchased as a round-trip fare with both outbound and inbound segments. Without such proof, passengers risk being denied entry or even deported from foreign countries. Local radio personality Tracy Lange stepped in to help. She contacted travel agent Melisha Moodley of Travel Direct, who in turn teamed up with Ceu Dia, another travel consultant. Together, they launched a rescue mission to bring the children home through emergency fundraising and donations. Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel. Cape Argus
IOL News
7 days ago
- IOL News
How did 25 Cape Town teens leave SA on one-way tickets to Europe?
How did 25 schoolchildren from Cape Town found themselves stranded in Europe after travelling to Spain on one-way tickets for an international soccer tournament? A group of 25 schoolchildren from Cape Town were left stranded in Europe after travelling to Spain on one-way tickets for an international soccer tournament - with no confirmed return flight home. The young players, aged between 13 and 18, represented BT Football Academy, a Cape Town-based youth development club, at the Donosti Cup 2025 in San Sebastián, Spain. While they were scheduled to return home on July 15, it was soon discovered that their tickets only covered the outbound journey. This left the children stranded in Portugal, reportedly with no food, accommodation, or funds to secure their return to South Africa. This left many of us wondering how exactly this happened The tickets were allegedly booked by the club's founder, Brandon Timmy, who is said to have purchased the one-way flights at Cape Town International airport. Timmy also operates his own travel company, BT Travel - which means that he has knowledge of loopholes in the system that most travellers are not aware of. While Timmy and his wife returned to South Africa on their return tickets, the children were left behind in Europe, prompting concerns and confusion over how such a trip was allowed to proceed without proper travel documentation.
IOL News
7 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
'COACHES WERE STRESSED'
A BT Football Academy team captain says he 'knew something was wrong' when cub coaches became visibly stressed out. Chad Harper is one of the lucky boys who recently returned from a tour to Spain where some of his teammates remain stranded after a fiasco that is affecting at least 19 more families. The group of 14 to 19-year-olds and their coaches had participated in the Donosti Cup 2025 in Spain. They were told the total fee was R48 500. This was meant to include everything: kits, bags, food, transport, accommodation, and flights. Everything went well, until the day they were set to return on 16 July, when they learned they were not going home because their return flights had not been booked. BT Academy has cited delayed visa appointments as the reason it failed to book return flights in time, leading to unaffordable prices and leaving the group of 38 stranded. Chad says he knew that dinge het skeef geloop the moment they got to Madrid. The original plan was to visit Real Madrid's iconic Santiago Bernabeu Stadium which never happened as the hours flew by. Chad explained: 'Coaches had to buy supper with their own money and cook for us past 10pm. We ate and then went to sleep. 'The next day, the coaches were clearly stressed. As the team captain, they pulled me aside and explained that 'We might not be leaving tonight'. They didn't want to go into detail. My teammates were frustrated.' Eventually they were kicked out of the hotel. The coaches then approached the embassy. He added: 'One coach pulled me aside again, saying, 'We need to keep the kids calm.' I had to help keep up the morale of the team. Players started getting frustrated. Eventually, the coaches returned. 'On Thursday, a message went out to parents saying an additional R15 000 was needed for us to come home. That wasn't part of the contract. I was stressed, not just for myself but for the other kids.' BT have said: 'Please understand that we are working around the clock to find solutions to bring all players back home as soon as possible.' South Africans have come together to try and help, including the Tracey Lange Cares (TLC) initiative with a travel agent onboard to facilitate the return of the group. The travel agent can be reached via: [email protected]
