happiness ChikwanhaEllina Mhlanga
Sports Reporter
ARMY side Cranborne Bullets are set to engage the ZIFA grounds inspection committee to expedite plans for the refurbishment of Rudhaka Stadium in Marondera where they are set to play their home games when local Premiership football resumes.
The club’s chairperson, Douglas Gwite, said having engaged the ground owners Marondera Municipality a few months ago, they are now pursuing the ZIFA First Instance Board on the adjustments that need to be made.
The stadium was last used for Premiership games about a decade ago and the move by the army side is positive in terms of spreading the game outside major cities like Harare and Bulawayo.
Gwite said they are hoping to have finalised the deal between them and Marondera Municipality by the end of September.
“We engaged them and then they agreed. So what is left is to engage the ZIFA committee that do inspections, so that they make adjustments needed for the stadium.
“Generally there are no much conditions because what we are having is like, Cranborne Bullets is like a team from 2 Brigade, which has got its provincial headquarters here in Marondera.
“So we are taking advantage of that it’s a formation which they are sponsoring within their province. So basically I think they are willing to support us . . . But we haven’t actually agreed on terms on how we are going to do it.
“But normally like the councils have been charging like 20 percent, 15 percent for the gate-takings so in principal I think basically that is what we will be following. I think by end of September we should have finalised everything,” Gwite said.
Gwite also said the move is key for the side considering small teams have been struggling to attract huge crowds at their matches in Harare where they have to compete with big clubs such as Dynamos and CAPS United.
He believes moving to Marondera will help them establish a better fan base although he noted that it may not bring instant rewards due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which may see matches being played behind closed doors if local football returns.
“It was so important because what you find, like small teams have not been able to attract a number of supporters, so if we go to Marondera it’s like we are opening a new base. At least we can have a better support base there than playing in Harare.
“But now with the Covid-19 pandemic, maybe everything falls away but in the long run it will be a benefit,” Gwite said.
The Premiership newcomers have had to wait a bit longer before they have a feel of the top-flight league due to the coronavirus scourge which saw the kick-off for the 2020 season suspended. And it’s still uncertain whether the league will take off before the end of the year or not.
Some of the areas that need upgrading at Rudhaka include sitting bays, playing turf, ablution facilities, drainage system, doping, press, medical and changing rooms if the stadium is to be given the greenlight to host top-flight games by the ZIFA First Instance Board.
Online Reporter