BT Academy coach alleges owner lied about Europe tour: ‘Sold people dreams that have turned into nightmares’
"We discovered that the return flight was reserved but it was never confirmed, and we actually flew out with singles," coach Jessie James Julius tells Robert Marawa.
soccer ball / Pixabay: AnnRos
947’s Robert Marawa speaks with BT Football Academy Coach Jessie James Julius, who is stranded with the group in Europe.
Listen below:
Twenty-five young players (13 to 18) and three coaches from Cape Town’s BT Academy Football are stranded in Lisbon following a football tour to Spain.
They were participating in an international tournament in San Sebastian, but on the day they were scheduled to return, the team discovered they had no return flights booked.
South Africans rallied behind the stranded team, and enough money was raised to bring them home.
RELATED: BT Football Academy group stuck in Portugal set to return to CT by Sunday
Julius says he is eternally grateful to South Africa for its support.
He alleges that, despite academy owner Brandon Timmy’s public comments, he has done nothing to assist the stranded team.
“The owner of this academy is nowhere to be found. He goes on air and takes interviews and continues to lie, and tries to cover his reputation.”
– Jessie James Julius, coach – BT Football Academy
“This is the management team of this academy, which was once promising, but now has sold people dreams that have turned into nightmares.”
– Jessie James Julius, coach – BT Football Academy
He says they travelled in two groups and were given their return ticket information from the academy at Cape Town International Airport.
The turmoil of delays began when it was time to check in for the return flights.
“We were told that it would be sorted out in an hour… An hour became two, two hours became three, and then it became a day… We commuted back via coach, a bus, from San Sebastian to Madrid on Tuesday (15 July). We were then told that we would fly out when we got to Madrid. The same issue ensued… It became another day.”
– Jessie James Julius, coach – BT Football Academy
“When we looked at the documents [again], we then discovered that the return flight was reserved, but it was never confirmed and we actually flew out with singles.”
– Jessie James Julius, coach – BT Football Academy
The coaches took matters into their own hands and went to the embassy in Spain, which contacted the owner.
Julius alleges that Timmy told the embassy that the tour required government sponsorship, and when Timmy wanted to book return flights, the prices were hiked.
“These families have slaved away since last year when they were made aware of this opportunity… to raise funds… the entire experience cost them R50,000… and it included return flights… If we do the math, 35 kids at R50,000, that brings you an average of about R1.7 million.”
– Jessie James Julius, coach – BT Football Academy
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the discussion.