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Raymond Jaravaza
Highlanders have once again raised concern at the measly amount the club deposits into its coffers with a larger chunk of the gate takings made from Barbourfields Stadium gobbled by third parties.
For the umpteenth time club chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede has raised his ire at institutions that include national football mother body a�� Zifa a��, the Premier Soccer League and the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) for pocketing a huge slice of the gate takings at the expense of football clubs.
Bosso grossed $44 759 for the epic battle against Harare giants Dynamos.
But only 44 percent of the gate takings, amounting to $20 185,25 found their way into the Bosso bank account.
Zifa and SRC each claimed six percent getting $2 692,54.
Because Barbourfields Stadium is owned by the Bulawayo City Council, the local municipality claimed 20 percent for stadium use which is about $8 971,80.
The PSL then claimed 10 percent of what was left after the above institutions had deducted their share.
Next in line were the police. The security details took $2 700 for the 200 police officers that were deployed for arguably the biggest game of the 2016 Premiership season.
The police charge at a rate per hour and spend about five hours at Barbourfields prior and post match.
a�?Looking at the figures that were deducted by third parties, Highlanders is left with barely nothing. The main actors in the pitch, the players who bring together the thousands of supporters into Barbourfields are left with nothing.
a�?We are left with a headache of paying our players winning bonuses and taking care of other expenses when clearly the larger chunk of the gate takings goes somewhere else.
a�?Something has to be done to address such issues,a�� said CEO Gumede.
The respected football administrator said he had in the past raised the issue with Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa and Minister of Sports and Recreation Makhosini Hlongwane.
a�?They have both promised to look into it and we are still waiting for a response. Ita��s not an issue that affects Highlanders only but all football teams,a�? he said.
At least 13 514 fans paid to watch the blockbuster match last Sunday.
Online Reporter