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Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
FIFA regional instructor for administration and management Kennedy Ndebele believes consistency in running football clubs is key to their success.Speaking after the weekend’s Castle Lager Premier Soccer League club administrators’ workshop held at Mandel Training Centre in Harare, Ndebele who is also the Premiership chief executive officer, said there was room for clubs to improve in their day-to-day operations.
In line with the Fifa Club licensing pre-requisite, each club is supposed to employ a chief executive officer, managing director or administrator who will be in charge of running the club to make it a profitable and viable institution.
Of the 16 Premiership clubs, only Triangle FC were not represented at the workshop that also dealt with event management and laws of the game, among other topics.
“This is the first time that we have held a workshop with the club administrators who are responsible with daily activities of the clubs.
The participants went through the preliminary understanding of the laws of the game, standard statutes of the game, competition principles, events management, football medicine and how to create systems so that they comply with the Fifa club licensing.
“What will be key in making sure that clubs fully comply with the requirements of Fifa Club Licensing will be to maintain consistency within our club administration. This means that the administrators that we imparted knowledge to will have to implement what they have been taught as well as be kept within club structures so that we don’t keep repeating the same things,” said Ndebele.
Fifa referees’ instructor Wilfred Mukuna and Edward Chagonda who is part of Zifa’s medical sub-committee were some of the facilitators at the workshop.
The key issue in events management that administrators covered was the control of the gates.
The league is encouraging clubs to be strict on the gates as they try to maximise on gate takings and administrators have to make sure that only accredited people get free access into stadia.
Also topical at the meeting was the registration of 35 players per team which meant that clubs’ wage bill gobbled most of their income.
“Obviously if you look at the budgets that clubs have for a year they are difficult to sustain under our economic conditions and hence the reason to re-strategise so that we protect the football industry. May be if reviews are made and we have standard salaries and sign-on fees, then that may cushion clubs a little.
“We have clubs that took knocks and are extinct after leaving PSL. Had they made feasible budgets, then they could still be playing in the lower leagues or even bounced back into topflight action. Actually it doesn’t make sense to have a big squad, pay high salaries while some of the players are not even playing at all. This is unfair to both the clubs and the players who don’t develop,” said Ndebele.
He said plans are also underway to have workshops for coaches so that they understand the need of downsizing their squads for developmental purposes.
The league will also hold similar workshops with the board of governors who formulate policies which are implemented by administrators and the media who are the watchdogs.
Ndebele believes equipping the media with the demands of Fifa club licensing will help whip clubs into line if they deviate from implementing the policies.
Clubs that participated at the weekend workshop:
Bantu Rovers (Rosa Chekure), Black Rhinos (Major Wellington Mabikinye), Buffaloes (Arnold Gatsi), Caps United (Morton Dodzo), Chapungu (Chikwira), Chicken Inn (Tapiwa Marime), Chiredzi (George Dliwayo), Dynamos (Chikomo), FC Platinum (Joseph Mususa), Harare City (Evaristo Mukumba), Highlanders (Ndumiso Gumede), How Mine (Raerburn Ndebele), Hwange (Khumbulani Mbano), Shabanie Mine (Phithias Shoko), Triangle (not represented), ZPC Kariba (Kuweri Kwiyeri).
derick.khumalo