Bay Stars was a

semi-professional Semi-professional sports are sports in which athletes are not participating on a full-time basis, but still receive some payment. Semi-professionals are not amateur because they receive regular payment from their team, but generally at a consid ...

South African football (soccer) club based in the city of

Port Elizabeth Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...

that played in the

SAFA Second Division The ABC Motsepe League, previously known as the Vodacom League between 1998 and 2012, was founded in 1998 as the current Second Division and the overall third tier of South African football. The competition is regulated by SAFA, and until 2012 ...

. The club was set up in 2011, after purchasing the

franchise of Bay Academy. Bay Academy's parent club,

Bay United Bay United was a South African professional association football, football (soccer) club based first in the city of Port Elizabeth and later Polokwane. It played in the South African Premier Division and National First Division. The club came in ...

, had been sold and moved to Polokwane, leaving

without a professional football club. The club spent both years of its existence in the third tier of South African football. During the 2011–12 season, the league was known as the Vodacom League, during the 2012–13 season, it was known as the SAFA Second Division. Following the 2012–13 season, the club's Second Division franchise was sold, and became Morning Stars. The SAFA Regional League franchise was sold later in the off season, and became Motherwell Academy.

Ownership

Bay Stars was owned by local businessmen Yusuf Adams and Tony Lovegrove, in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality. In 2013, the club's SAFA second division franchise was sold to the municipality's deputy mayor, Chippa Ngcolomba, whobegan the process changing the club's name to Morning Stars. Tony Lovegrove ran the club as its managing director, while Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University ran the club's academy team.

Home stadium

The senior team played its

matches at the

Gelvandale Stadium Gelvandale Stadium is a multi-use stadium located in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The stadium is equipped with an athletics track, football pitch and floodlights. It is currently used mostly as a community sports ground, and by local amateur fo ...

. The academy team played its SAFA Regional League matches at the Missionvale Campus of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

Honours

Vodacom League The ABC Motsepe League, previously known as the Vodacom League between 1998 and 2012, was founded in 1998 as the current Second Division and the overall third tier of South African football. The competition is regulated by SAFA, and until 2012 ...

: 3rd (Eastern Cape stream) : 2011–12 *

: 2nd (Eastern Cape stream) :

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

* SAFA Regional League: 2nd (Nelson Mandela Bay stream) :

–

Club records

Senior team

: : 2011–12 – 3rd (Eastern Cape stream) :

– 2nd (Eastern Cape stream) * Nedbank Cup: :

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

–

Qualification Play-offs :

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

–

Qualification Play-offs

Academy team

* SAFA Regional League: :

– 2nd (Nelson Manedla Bay stream)

Former coaches

* Graham Harrison: 2011 – 2012 * Mark Harrison: 2012 – 2013 * Mark Tommy: 2013 * Urban de Kock: 2013 – * Caretaker coach

Former captains

* Niven Kops 2011-2012,Romano Scott 2012-2013

Player of the year

* Leroy van Rensburg 2011–12

References

{{reflist

External links

Bay Stars official websiteOfficial Facebook page
Association football clubs established in 2011 Former SAFA Second Division clubs Soccer clubs in Gqeberha 2011 establishments in South Africa 2013 disestablishments in South Africa Phoenix clubs (association football)