Kick-off appetiser: PSL unveils fans’ first strategy

Lovemore Dube
THE Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League will this year have a fans’ first approach with a view of making the match day experience more exciting.

To this end, they have challenged Castle Lager Premier Soccer League clubs to have curtain raisers to entertain fans before the main match at 3pm.

Acting PSL chief executive officer Rodwell Thabe confirmed this in an interview with Zimpapers Sports Hub yesterday.

He said curtain-raisers and the sale of alcohol will be among the activities to entice fans to come early and also the selling of alcoholic beverages will be the clubs’ ways of raising funds.

Curtain raisers featuring respective PSL clubs he said were key in the development of juniors. This allows them to play before their crowds and develop to be appreciated as they go through their grooming.

Big clubs used to feature their age-group teams from Under-14, 16, 18 and reserve teams on the same menu but in the last 20 years a few teams have retained curtain raisers. This has left fans to come in a flood just before kickoff and creating mayhem by the turnstiles and many would be drunk.

Before curtain-raisers were stopped in Bulawayo, there was less violence at matches.

“The rationale behind curtain-raisers to be a consistent feature, is to promote youth development so that they get inspiration from the occasion, they learn to play before their crowds,” said Thabe.

He said this was deliberately for the players.

“More importantly, it is meant for the fans, in 2025, we are putting fans, it’s one of the strategies, we want them to come early.

“Our aim is to keep fans entertained so that they can consume our products, buy alcoholic drinks and create revenue for the clubs before kick-off,” said Thabe.

The PSL has since 2022 said clubs can sell alcohol at stadia provided they go through the right certification processes that involve stadia owners, liquor licensing board and health departments.

There have been worries that cans and bottles may be used as missiles hence the call for plastic tumblers.

Clubs are losing a lot of revenue by not being allowed to sell stuff at matches and being skinned alive by tuckshop owners who pay local authorities for the day’s use with the club getting nothing.

Clubs are also hit by failure to advertise on match day on the pitch’s perimeter because of an agreement with a third party that does not bring crowds to stadia.

Many players have in the past been known to have been driven from each age group by fans who would have given a thumbs up that it is about time the boy is promoted.

Among some good examples is Peter Ndlovu, Highlanders’ juniors’ wonderkid who would feature for the Under-16s, 18s, and reserve side on the same day and still have energy for a cameo role with the first team.

Many players nowadays collapse before the big home crowd because they have never played a curtain-raiser before.

Thabe said congestion on some match venues had seen local authorities and football administration limiting the facility to just one game.