Record crowd

Service providers smiled all the way to the bank after cashing in on the Highlanders-Dynamos Castle Lager Premier Soccer League encounter.

Matches involving Highlanders and Dynamos have always been the cash cow for the service providers, other clubs and stakeholders who include vendors and transporters.

The much awaited “Battle of Zimbabwe Part One” saw 25 957 people paying to watch the epic battle which ended in a 1-1 draw.

This was the biggest crowd that the league has recorded in the first half of the season.

The last time Highlanders had a huge crowd was in 2006, the year they last won the championship.

The game against Dynamos attracted 26 400 paying people to watch with the Caps United tie which was played in May 2006 attracting 33 800 spectators.

In 2007 there were 20 790 people for the Dynamos game at Barbourfields, 19 580 the following year and the numbers dropped in 2009 where 12 000 fans paid for the clash of the giants.

The following season the number increased to 15 000 and last year there were 16 000 people for the tie.

Highlanders’ fine form that has seen them go for 15 games without losing has restored confidence in their supporters as evidenced by the turnout for their home matches which is improving each week.

On Sunday, people came from all walks of life with some motorists leaving their vehicles at Mzilikazi High School while others are said to have left them near the Caltex Garage in Mzilikazi which is along Luveve Road.

In an interview yesterday, the Highlanders treasurer Odiel Nkomo said they had a 91 percent increase in terms of spectators who turned up at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.

On Sunday Bosso grossed $104 445 but service providers gobbled most of the funds leaving the financially stricken club with only $40 500.

The Bulawayo City Council took their share of $20 885 with security that is the police and private company gobbling $9 800 while the PSL got $9 200 including Zifa’s $1 044.

The Sport and Recreation Commission’s six percent saw the governing body’s share of the pie being $6 200.

“The attendance levels surpassed our projection because we were looking at having 20 000 people paying from the rest of the ground but we had 21 000. There were 1 055 people who paid to get into the VIP tribune with 2 800 making their way to the wings.

“As a club we thank the supporters for coming in their numbers and we hope they continue doing this. It is these kind of numbers that show that Highlanders is a big brand and this is what sponsors want to see,” said Nkomo.

Highlanders’ last home match against Caps United attracted 13 601 spectators with 8 101 fans watching the Harare City game.

In their first match of the season where Bosso beat Blue Rangers, 4 000 people paid to watch that encounter and the number increased to 5 100 when they beat Hardbody 5-3.

The huge turnout at Highlanders matches is surely a thumbs up to the chairman Peter Dube, coach Kelvin Kaindu and this year’s acquisitions who include Masimba Mambare, Atlast Musasa, Beavan Chikaka, Milton Ncube, Bheki Ncube and old players Eric Mudzingwa and Bruce Kangwa who are playing with renewed vigour in new roles.

After their 3-1 wins against FC Platinum and Black Mambas, the hype to watch Bosso intensified with followers beginning to sniff the return of glory days to the club that last won the league title in 2006.

Bosso had 6 936 people paying to watch their 3-0 victory over Monomotapa.