Fan apathy worries PSL

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE Premier Soccer League has expressed concern over the low attendance figures at its matches. High gate charges have been blamed for that and the PSL has called on clubs to review the charges downwards in order to bring back the fans. The league said crowds added excitement to the game that in turn attracts sponsors.

Most clubs have of late been requesting the league to approve the increase in gate charges with the minimum charge being $5 for the rest of the ground while the VIP charges have been pegged at $15.

Premier Soccer League chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele said while clubs could be benefiting from the increase, it is the owners of the game, the fans that have been hard hit.

“Clubs are applying on a weekly basis to increase their gate charges and as a league we have realised low attendances because of that. It is therefore clearly not the best way to go because the figures show us that,” said Ndebele.

He said traditionally clubs have applied for an increase when playing crowd pullers like Highlanders, Dynamos or Caps United but now it’s almost every game.

“Some games will be live on television but you still find clubs applying to charge $5 minimum entry fee resulting in many people watching the games in pubs.

“Clubs should seriously consider the increases which are working against them,” said Ndebele.
He said the issue was likely to be topical at their mid year review meeting.

Ndebele said a quick comparison of the 2012 and this year’s Highlanders and Caps United figures showed a decline of over 4 000 fans while the Hwange game this year attracted just over 3 200 paying fans.

“As a league it’s our assumption that clubs have marketing committees instead of burdening already financially hit supporters.
“An increase must move with demand for the product, for instance a game between Dynamos and Caps United will obviously be in high demand as well as Highlanders and any of the two Harare sides. Our belief is that clubs must not just rely on gate charges as a source of revenue,” said the league’s head of secretariat.

“The recently appointed Absa Premiership chief executive officer Brand de Villiers was quoted as saying that his biggest and immediate task was to bring fans back to the terraces.

“We all know that South African clubs are heavily funded but fans’ absence has been their Achilles heel despite all the money. Let us also bring our fans back to the terraces,” said Ndebele.

Highlanders chairman Peter Dube said as a club the new charges have greatly benefited them but did not rule out a downward review, depending on the situation.

“If with fewer fans we are getting more money than when there are many fans so be it. Financially it has really helped us but we are not ruling out a review of the charges downwards, we will certainly do that but it will depend on the situation,” said Dube.

The Highlanders chairman said getting revenue from other sources had over the years failed.
With the economic meltdown soccer clubs have not been the only affected institutions, other sporting disciplines and ways of life have suffered as well.