Andrew
Arthur Choga
Football fans around the country voted with their wallets to stay away from matches during the just-ended Premier Soccer League (PSL) season.
The local top flight does not have a television rights package in place, and the corporate sponsorship for the league is US$1.13 million per season for the league and the Chibuku Super Cup.
For most clubs, this is the only real revenue they will get that is not generated by the club’s ownership structure and partners.
During the same season, clubs regularly recorded attendances of fewer than 100 fans, and, in Zimbabwe, the home team takes 100 percent of the gate takings for each game.
However, the home team also pays for ground rent, match officials, security services, water, electricity, a ticket levy, a Sports Commission levy and a Zimbabwe Football Association levy.
The club must also pay the cashiers who sell tickets. These payments should, ordinarily, be made with the proceeds from the gate takings.
Once the club is unable to meet these costs, the match is a financial loss.
Fans drive the football machine; they are a great source of atmosphere, and they motivate the players.
There are many instances where players speak lovingly of the impact of the roar of the fans on their performance.
There will always be debate about the strength of the English Premier League from a football performance perspective.
There is no question, however, of the English Premier League’s strength as a commercial powerhouse and as a fan experience both in the physical stadium and on television.
The Daily Mail says this of clubs in the English Premier League.
“Chelsea are the biggest earners from match-going fans in the Premier League, making more than £1 600 in tickets, merchandise and food and drink from every supporter at Stamford Bridge each season,” according to a new analysis for Sportsmail.
The study by the University of Liverpool revealed that Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs all make more than £1 500 per fan each season, while Manchester United earn £1 488 and Manchester City take around £1 000 per fan.
When you consider that these fans turn up in their thousands, then the picture becomes clearer.
Our local league is not going to hit these figures any time soon, but it can begin to make changes to move in the right direction.
Last week, we spoke to football fans and gleaned their thoughts on how to make the game better for the fans.
Venues
Football venues should be attractive and welcoming to all ages.
With the exception of Mandava and Baobab Stadium in the PSL last season, most grounds were purely functional and were set up for teams to turn up, play and leave.
While they are closed for renovations, Harare’s Rufaro and Gwanzura stopped looking good many years ago.
The dull concrete structures make it feel like one is walking into a construction site and not a place where they can expect to have fun for the next few hours.
Local authorities, football authorities, fans and sponsors must come together and discuss how to configure the venue spaces to make the grounds more pleasant and welcoming.
No first-time football fan is going to walk into the grounds, “just to see what it feels like”.
Ablutions
Once inside the stadium, brave fans have to navigate ablution facilities from hell.
In some cases, there is no water on match days, and people end up relieving themselves further and further from the actual toilet until they are literally doing so in the corridors.
The thought of these facilities is enough to stop some people from even trying to go to watch a football match.
Refreshments
The cricket grounds are famous for their bars, and for the food that is available for fans.
For football fans, however, it is the ice cream person and some guys with peanuts, whose shelf life is questionable.
Once upon a time, some women would set up stalls and braai stands somewhere in the stadiums, and fans would enjoy various types of food.
Now, with a stream of urine shooting from the stands, it has become a hard hat area.
Stakeholders need to shape the stadiums into leisure spaces.
The image of football as the poor cousin who lives in poverty has to change.
Globally, football has asserted its dominance as a financially viable sport, which brings substantial incomes and great lifestyles to many.
According to Iterpro, Tottenham Hotspur is believed to generate around £800 000 per game from food sales alone at their stadium.
The strategy to manage the food and drinks sales should involve the stadium owners, the clubs, the fans and the potential service providers.
The sooner every part of the ecosystem appreciates the business angles to what they are doing, the better it will be for them all, and the more enjoyable it will be for the fans.
Safety
Football grounds have gained notoriety for being unsafe and inhospitable spaces populated by drunken louts with foul mouths.
There is a lot of work that needs to be done to change this image.
Football has to reach out to families and younger people.
These have the capacity to bring in revenue and expand the fan base of the clubs.
As long as the teams themselves are happy with their 20 fans, then it will be fine.
If not, they can work with their core fan base to become ambassadors of the club who help bring new fans to the team, and to matches.
Parking and access to public transport
A frequently asked question is: How do I get to the ground?
There is always a terror of limited parking and poor access to some of the facilities.
Cars being broken into while the owner watches the game, and general traffic and access issues combine to make a visit to the ground unbearable.
There is a famous race course in Harare, far from the homes of most punters, but on key race days, the place is packed and people find their way there.
There is room for engagement with transport operators, the police, local authorities and the race course management for a discussion on what works well.
Football leaders should take time to pick what works from cricket, rugby, horse racing and other sports, then build it into the football strategy. That way, the fans will have plenty to celebrate, the clubs will see a change in their bottom line and the players can enjoy an improved lifestyle, thanks to the game they love.
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