Chronicle Editor
Lovemore Dube
ZIFA Southern Region League spokesman Blessing Mbwanda has urged Division One and Two clubs to acquire or build their own facilities.
He said in the event of promotion it would be sad for loyal fans who started with most of these clubs when they were small social teams to lose out to bigger towns and cities for venues.
“In line with Fifa club licensing and the growth of the soccer industry to big business, clubs need to have their own facilities, invest in players and build their profile into a bankable entity in a competitive world.
“In as much as there are expectations to have clubs own or play at better facilities, money is a challenge, as administrators we get caught up in between idealism and reality. Reality dictates we promote football being played, idealism says not until the standards are okay. We try to be humane and promote football being played,” said Mbwanda on Friday.
He gave an example of Talen Vision who tried to have their own facility at Esigodini but got stuck along the way.
Mbwanda said that is the way to go for the clubs, to own their own facilities and make money from hire.
The venue list for Zifa Southern Region clubs makes an exciting reading as to their readiness to play in the Castle Lager Premiership in light of the venues.
Most clubs appear not ready for promotion within the next five years as they lack a simple basic club licensing.
They do not have suitable stadia or grounds to play on once promoted. Without suitable fields their loyal fans are left stranded as the teams have to look elsewhere meaning they will be playing away from home every weekend which also affects the team’s performance on the field.
They are made to play on unfamiliar terrain and have no chance for a home town decision though in professional leagues it does not get to that. Victoria Falls City who were due to host Zebra Revolution yesterday at Chinotimba Stadium, were they to be promoted to the Premiership tomorrow, they would not have a facility ready to play host to matches.
For the city council sprucing up the facility ahead of other services would probably not possible. People need a functional water and sewer system, roads and clinics that benefit the community and business.
Yet in the long run, an improved Chinotimba Stadium can play host to other events and bring more people to the Falls promoting both domestic and sports tourism.
ZPC (Hwange) who appear to be getting closer to banishing a 35-year wait for Premiership football may find themselves having to talk to Hwange Colliery over Hwange Stadium. The likelihood of Nengasha Stadium being prioritised by Hwange Local Board looks slim.
Their own Chakona Stadium poses a health hazard when the smoke from the power station is released. More so the Ingagula Township (JTL) will soon be deserted to allow power station expansion which would chew into the facility ZPC Hwange has used for over three decades. Their option would not disadvantage them as the Colliery Stadium is at the centre of the town and most of their local boys played there as they were developing.
Some years back, Bulawayo Chiefs were intent on moving to the border town of Plumtree made popular in football by Black Horrors the 1979 Chibuku Trophy 2-0 losing semi-finalists to Caps United. With players like Onias Musana, Grey Ncube, Richard Ndlovu and Lemmy Mnenekwa, the team showed so much promise and Dingumuzi Stadium a facility that cannot take over 1 500 people was their slaughtering pen.
Mainline who campaign in the Zifa Southern Region and have consistently been a top eight club, use the facility as their home.
When Chiefs wanted to relocate they were offered some land on the Zimnyama Road end as Dingumuzi has no latitude for improvement as there is no space.
The community will live to rue the council’s decision not to give one of its sons Lucky Mkhosana land for a sports complex that would have put the town on the map. Yesterday Mainline played host to Zimbabwe Saints.
So many Division One clubs to beat the congestion in facilities use White City Stadium B Arena. It has no changing rooms and ablution facilities for fans are few and besides, it is just a warm up extension for athletics across the path from the main White City another venue.
White City has a small pitch and an uneven playing surface that can be fixed to give Bulawayo an alternative venue to Barbourfields and Luveve. Jordan Sinott use a small business field in Filabusi for their Zifa Southern Region Division One matches.
Players change in the open with referees. No ablution facilities, dressing rooms or terracing. Building a stadium would require the gold miners around the centre to in their corporate responsibility programmes donate towards the facility to ensure Talen Vision who use the Filabusi Primary School would not use Gwanda’s Phelandaba Stadium or Mandava Stadium in Zvishavane should they get promoted someday.
However, Phelandaba Stadium would have challenges in meeting the PSL and First Instance Board criteria. Bulawayo would be another alternative but would that be fair for the Movern of Filabusi residents.
Indlovu Iyanyathela, one of the oldest clubs in the city uses a field outside Mzilikazi (Brady) Barracks as its home ground. It can pass for a rural school or village pitch with trees, some with thorns around and no single building. Perhaps it serves the team well without ambition of promotion but at their disposal would be Luveve Stadium should they be promoted.
The question then is with Premiership football gobbling over a million dollars a year, how many of these underpaying clubs would stand the PSL financial heat? None have ever bothered to improve even their village fields.
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