Gor Mahia hooligans put blemish on KPL Finale

In what had promised to be a tense and exciting final kick of the Tusker-sponsored KPL, there just had to be some people hell-bent on spoiling the party. Well, the script got flipped on this last day and for some fans it was too much to bear. And true not everyone emerges tops but surely its not an excuse to take it out on perceived rivals or innocent citizenry.

AFC Leopards v/s Gor Mahia earlier this year - Image via www.michezoafrika.com

First things first though, we condemn the actions of those Gor Mahia fans who damaged property and other movables on Saturday after their final game against Thika United. Your actions led to the prolonged chaos and unnecessary tragedies to innocent by-standers who had absolutely nothing to do with the game. 

Secondly and this is where we still believe KPL officials still turn a blind eye and deal with Gor Mahia club with kid gloves, condemnation and punishment should come in HARD. The club has its share of troubled matches and this past season was no exception. There was some semblance of punishment but KPL and Sports Stadia officials bulked down at some point due to shrinking revenues. But what good does it do when a single club's fans threaten an entire league's future just because of some few bad elements? If points have to be docked or games played in empty stadia, so be it...ili iwe funzo!

Third, many ardent Gor Mahia fans are quick to excuse themselves and say that those causing problems are thugs and not anyone associated with the club. But isn't it a familiar trend, draw or lose a crucial game and some form of chaos comes from the proceedings of post-game activities? Out of 16 teams in the Kenya Premier League, which club has the highest incidence of fan trouble, riots, property damage etc? The record speaks for itself, season in, season out.

Fourth, internally the club's officials have to ensure they identify and weed out elements who keep repeating these unnecessary activities. In leagues such as the South American and European leagues, hooligans have been identified by respective clubs officials and blacklisted by security organs who share these across borders. Though not entirely weeded out, clubs which deviate from a semblance of order are heavily punished and thus officials have decided to be pro-active unlike their counterparts here.

Fifth, for once we agreed with FKF officials who had advised for the game to be moved to Kasarani Stadium on Thika Road ( good god it didn't happen, otherwise the renovated grounds would have been defaced ...maybe.... But Gor officials pleaded with KPL and SuperSport for the game to remain at City Stadium. Except for the artificial turf that was installed, those grounds are not fit for a game of such magnitude. Nairobi City Council (will it exist as is or does it change to County of Nairobi???)or whoever is in charge of the grounds needs to close for a year or so, make proper sitting spaces, proper security arrangements and lighting(floodlights), parking lots and access points and move those hawkers surrounding the stadium. And any day it hosts such a match have proper security systems and traffic regulation.

Sixth it is tragic that the very same political elite that seek to identify with the club do not condemn and make the bad elements stand out when they cause such destruction. Let's not lie but the club gets its largest followership from one of the Kenyan communities but that doesn't mean it doesn't have other fans from other communities. Thus the politicians may go easy on the Gor 'fans' for the fear of antagonizing a valuable voting bloc asset. That our politicians have perfected the smoke and mirror acts has also pervaded our sports scene and it's something we will either learn to live with and suffer for it or deal with it before it takes our football back to the doldrums.

Seventh, sections of the media have not been active enough in condemning and/or calling those charged to take more responsibility on such activities. We have heard that some sports editorials are compromised before stories are aired either for fear of reprieve from sports administrators who 'grease' those in the take with freebies, tickets or accreditation to international events. These are elements who are putting our sports scene in serious doubts. What happened to the proverbial 'voice of reason'? For those of you who think hooliganism is a way of sport, then we should stop humouring ourselves that we are helping the game. Hooliganism and its associated acts is bad for any sport and should be rooted out of Kenyan sport before it develops strong roots. It's interesting that a game like rugby which is known to associate with toughness and rugged players and who's majority of fans indulge in alcohol but are some of the most disciplined and gentle ones you'll ever come across. Maybe there is something we can learn from our rugby counterparts.

Oh and by the way Gor Mahia is facing AFC Leopards in an FKF Cup in a few days time, wonder what shall pan out of this derby? 

For those wishing to engage in further literature you can read this link here on Soccer Violence in South America's Argentina. You can also check this on Hooliganism in the UK. We sampled the following Twitter comments and views on the post-match activities; {and the views contained therein are not in any way endorsements or approval of this blog's views and as such should be treated independent of the same}

@AKenyanGirl If #KOTs can make a stand against MPigs, we can and should do the same to #GorMahia. Say no to terror and murder in the name of football

@mmurumba Love for football can never be justified by hooliganism. #GorMahia shouldn't be allowed to participate in #TPL if they can't accept defeat. ‏

@LukoyeAtwoli #GorMahia fans who make political statements (Gor, Obama, Raila), then complain when violence is blamed on ALL these are being disingenuous

@‏LarryMadowo I'm ashamed to be a #GorMahia fan. Which doofus supporters cannot accept a loss without violence? Plonkers still stuck in the Stone Age, nkt

@MauriYambo Leaders who bask in #GorMahia's glory days but 'hide' when hooligans flood the streets R doing us all a disservice. Time 4 serious man-talk!

@4lifestan A lot have been said concerning the #Gor eventful day, but if the end justifies the means, the club have a lot to ponder on a serious note.

@doreenapollos: Then you see juvenile #Gor fans posting rude tweets in defence,not knowing that rude attitude isn't helping but stamping the hooligan's view ‏

@pmusesya If @robertalai wasn't a #Gor fan, he would be tweefing and condemning and leading a movement against them...oh well, (shrugs) ‏

@suehlawrie This #Gor issue is about thugs and criminals who CHOOSE to attend Gor matches. It does not mean they are Gor fans. Fans respect their clubs.

@mosemogeni It doesn't matter how big or small the club is, if ur fans are criminals, bring them to justice. #Gor ‏

@kachwanya Football is awesome and at the end of week people get something to be excited about but at the end of the day..it is just a game..

Kenya Premier League...finally of Age?

One year short of marking its 10th anniversary since it was formed the highest professional league for the game of football has seen what may be its best season so far.

KPL Logo - courtesy of www.kpl.co.ke

And in 2012....
The 2012 season started with the new office running Football Kenya Federation after years of bickering and court proceedings finally gave way to a compromise agreement. The warring factions of Football Kenya Limited and Kenya Football Federation each contested the elections with other favoured contenders.Sam Nyamweya and his retinue started by stating they would not interfere with the Kenya Premier League, more out of fear of losing out TV rights and sponsorship from SuperSport than any good intentions.
With that KPL CEO Jaco Oguda and Co. set about to look for corporate sponsorship as well as ensuring that clubs in the league maintained a certain level of professionalism. Up until this season, the league had not secured a title corporate sponsor making operations at the KPL offices and wider mandate a challenging task. Interestingly many clubs in the league have managed to attract big money with the likes of AFC Leopards, Gor Mahia, Sofapaka and Thika United among others getting 3-5 year commitments from Kenyan corporate firms. And by a stroke of luck the former big teams who have yet to win the revamped KPL have performed fairly well with both AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia fighting to the last match hoping to be crowned winners. Reigning champs Tusker FC have also an outside chance of picking the silverware again dependent on the top 2 teams faltering.

SuperSport's influence and other clubs' rise
With these clubs along with mid-level teams such as Thika United, Sony Sugar, Chemelil Sugar making fairly good performances, the media sponsors SuperSport have ensured that the wider audience not able to attend the games in the various stadia get a snippet of the action - Remember SuperSport have made the biggest investment into the KPL through securing exclusive media rights. The SuperSport honchos signed an initial 3-year contract in 2008, before extending it to 5 years in 2010 to end in 2015.
In its first year of coverage, SuperSport screened 22 games which has risen by 300% to 90 games shown on SuperSport including a channel launched in 2011 specifically targeted to the region, SS9 EA. In addition to this local media personnel have been trained on live coverage, camera, web among other technical aspects of the trade.
Back to the league, in its 9 years since 2003, the Premier League has seen different teams emerge as new kids on the block with Ulinzi FC ( largely associated with Kenya's Defense Forces) win the title 4 times (from 2003-5 and 2010), Tusker FC 2 times (2007 and 2011), Sony Sugar in 2006 and Sofapaka 2009. This has helped the League get wider appeal with each of these clubs getting its own followers. Still these clubs have not attracted the number of fans that traditional teams have seen for their games but it's a work in progress.

Sell your Soul
In the 2012 season, finally the League did secure title sponsorship with Tusker, EABL's flagship brand with a 3-year contract worth KSh. 170 million. Though widely celebrated across the country, its our belief that the KPL officials sold themselves cheap in the rush to obtaining the deal. Our thinking is informed by the fact that there were other suitors willing to associate with the game both in the drink brands and a few telcos whose balance sheets would only spot a slight blip. Again, the KPL officials are still learning the ropes of relating and associating with the corporate types in the country who still view sport as a recreational activity.
Another deal signed in the 2012 season, saw Puma secure the deal for supplying footballs to the clubs in the league. The deal is worth KSh.10 million though no real monetary value is attached to the deal, yet again raising concern of who negotiates these deals for KPL.
By now, those charged with seeking sponsorship and long-term deals for the League should ensure they argue their case and seek better deals for the game. They should also see even if the deals do not fully come with monetary benefits, the KPL secures some form of commitment from corporate firms that will see investment in the game.

Future Prospects
And as the 2012 season comes to a close, there are lots of areas that need to be worked on. These include the following;

Club management vis-a-vis KPL Agenda
Many clubs in the KPL are still run by officials who's agenda is not entirely in the interest of the club or game.  There are also many charlatans in town seeking to run clubs while they can't run a household to save their souls. In times to come, KPL should ensure that clubs adhere to a certain code of ethics when it comes to management and financial aspects. It will be in the best interests that a club's promotion to the top flight comes with a certain sense of responsibility and accountability. Oh by the way, KPL books for the last 3 years should also in the public domain for those in the game to know what and how the League is run.

Security and Discipline
This is still a sticking point in many league games. This is especially the case for the big games among traditional foes. Though KPL puts the liability and responsibility on the clubs, it ought to wield wider influence and consult with security experts on how to manage crowds and game situations. The Disciplinary Committee should also come down heavily on any club or fans who display intolerance and commit repeat offences relating to crowd trouble and harassment of fans. This will make it attractive for the uninitiated fans and also traditional ones who are yet to step back in stadia to make that move. They should also vet security apparatus who's personnel at times work in cahoots with the fans to either smuggle in illegal stuff or use fake tickets to enter various venues.
The same should be reciprocated by players on the pitch. Many a times we have seen footballers question the decisions made by the referees and some even result to physically abusing the officials. These incidences should become a rarity if KPL thoroughly and regularly trains the centre field officials along with club representatives.

Venues
Talking of venues, though it's not KPL's main concern to build infrastructure, they should impress upon local and regional authorities to make invest more in better infrastructure in the stadia, parking lots, training grounds and youth centres. In the upcoming system of county governance, those that seek to engage the youth and related activities will have a lead in attracting viable investments. We have seen many a housing projects come up with golfing estates, but it sure would also help if they had training grounds for football and other outdoor games. The same would be great for youth centres.

Financial and Legal Expertise
Though the KPL has officials who are experts in these fields, they need to engage more hands in both departments for the League to be able to develop strong and stringent mechanisms for clubs and those with the interest of the game to operate. Sponsorship deals secured on the cheap should become last resort not options explored and hastily signed. There also need to be consultations with those in the professions to provide training in sports finance and sports law.

Club Youth system
Famous clubs have made it a priority to invest in their youth development programs. It should be of urgency since many clubs are starting to attract talent from lower rung clubs but the reservoirs are not enough. The system will not only ensure continuity for the clubs but also see former and retiring footballers engaged in their favoured club activities instead of wasting away in destitution, drug abuse and alcoholism. It has worked in developed leagues such as Spain, Germany, Holland and now England. Investing in the club's youth will also see a better national team from the under 12 all the way to the senior side for Harambee Stars.

And this is looking forward to a better league in 2013 and coming years...and raise a glass to the winners of the 2012 season !

‘Richest’ Football Clubs– Top 5 in Kenya Premier League (UPDATED)

Midway through the season we take another look at the Kenyan football clubs and what we could say is their modest worth. This is because most of the clubs have held their books so tightly and secretively and there is such fluidity in the financial situation that the only way we have sourced this information is through media reports and respective club websites (albeit where they provide minimal details) {NB: TV revenues and advertising revenues from SuperSport NOT accounted for, along with bonuses}

1. AFC LEOPARDS – this is unexpected but this is helped in large by the club’s recent media deal with Smart TV which will ensure the club has dedicated media coverage from games to behind the scenes, to archived material through Ingwe TV. This makes it the first club in Kenya to have a dedicated channel comparable to European clubs. It has also launched a magazine hoping to attract advertising revenue and engage readers. There is the KShs.15 million deal with Mumias Sugar signed in February as well as the AAR health insurance deal worth KShs.1.5 million. { There is the 60 million 3-year TV deal match-day ticketing and merchandising worth about KShs.2 million}

Estimated Worth: KShs.98.5 million

2. GOR MAHIA FC – this is Kenya’s most successful and talked about club. It is also has quite some history though much of the aura around it is both mythical and too hyped. Landing a huge sponsorship worth KShs. 38 million just before the start of the season, the club also has the fastest selling jerseys as well as healthy match-day attendance. On average there are between 5000-10,000 fans attending each game whichever day of the week. {From 2-year sponsorship deal; average attendance of 7500 each paying KShs.100 for 30 games; along with merchandising}

Estimated Worth: KShs. 60 million

3. MATHARE UNITED – this club has been a darling of many corporate firms and had topped our earlier List. This is in sponsorship deals worth about KShs.30 million that the club has attracted from corporate such as Kenya Data Networks (KDN), Real Insurance among others. It also has benefactors through its chairperson Bob Munro who influences not just the club but KPL as well.

Estimated Worth: KShs. 52.5 million

4. SOFAPAKA FC – the season had started with much promise and the club looked headed for continental glory and the bounty that comes along with it but this ended last weekend. Having secured sponsorship from Portland Cement, the club has firmly rooted itself atop of the league and also has some following of sorts from its many fans.

Estimated Worth: KShs. 36.75 million

5. THIKA UNITED – it is the largest club coming from Central Kenya and has the support of milk processing firm Brookside Milk worth around KShs. 15 million. Couple this with the merchandising and other minor sponsorship deals, the club is surely among the top earners in the country.

Estimated Worth: KShs. 30.5 million

We shall be reviewing this at the end of the season and see what changes shall be made. By then too the relevant financial bodies and sports marketing and business agencies will have been consulted and more conclusive figures released. The future of the Kenyan football game surely has some positive developments amidst the difficulties in administration.

KPL 2010-11 season has started and came in fast. For some of the clubs, it is a great start and others have been laying the necessary groundwork for their season onslaught. Besides recruiting and changing their technical management, some clubs have also sought to boost their financials in a bid to attract the best of talent. We take a look at some of the clubs that maybe regarded as ‘rich’ – and we use this term in loosely since their financials are shrouded in secrecy, and most have not accounted for their match-day revenues and ticketing revenues. Others are also not clear on their sponsorship packages. Here are the estimates;

Mathare United FC – having started out as an outreach programme for youth in the Nairobi slum of Mathare, they have become a regular feature in the Kenya Premier League since moving up 6 years ago. They have also produced some of the best Kenyan footballing talent represented by their best example so far, Dennis Oliech. Under the leadership of Mr. Bob Munro (one among the brains behind the Kenya Premier League and heavily influences football agenda in the country), the club has managed to lure corporate sponsorship to the tune of US$ 437,500 (approx. KShs. 30 million) in the last 2 years. Their other sources of merchandising and ticketing are not clearly outlined but this wouldn’t be more than 10 % of total revenues. Add in the KPL/SuperSport TV airing bonuses and yearly grant of about US$7,000.

(Estimated Total Revenue: US$ 478,500; for 2010-11)

AFC Leopards FC – this is strictly by the sponsorship figure of approx US$187,500 announced early February 2011 from Mumias Sugar. They also got sponsorship from health service provider Africa Air Rescue (AAR) to the tune of US$ 18750. Last season, the club had secured under controversial circumstances some US$ 3750 (about KShs.300,000). The club also has a fairly tidy following but has not been able to translate this to good performances on the pitch much to the chagrin of their faithful. If they do find their winning ways, they are bound to reap big on the ticketing and merchandising. They may also need to resolve their management issues which might affect revenue inflows.

(Estimated Total Revenue: US$ 233,875; for 2010-11)

Thika United – the most popular side from Central Kenya has the support of one of Kenya’s food processing firm’s -  Brookside Limited’s funds to back its operations. Though not fully confirmed, the amount for the past season was approx. US$ 187,500 (and US$ 37,500 had been promised for top 3 finish which never happened). The club had also signed a kit sponsorship with Umbro between 2003-6 but no details of financials passing hands. The club has some followership in the town of origin and records good crowds both at home and away.

(Estimated Total Revenue: US$ 206,250; for 2010-11)

Sofapaka FC – this club made history in the 2008-9, coming through from the lower rung of the Nationwide League and winning the KPL title only its debut season. It has been able to become a feature in the last 2 seasons, thanks in part to their eccentric Elly Kalekwa – who’s also Chair of the KPL. They secured 3-year sponsorship from EA Portland Cement worth approx. US$ 150,000. They won the 2009 title securing US $ 19,000 in the process. They also won the SuperSport/DSTV Super Cup –the season’s curtain-raiser earning US$ 9375. Add another measly US$ 1250 for winning the Kenya Cup (Kenya’s equivalent of the FA Cup) and TV rights and merchandising as well as matchday revenues.

(Estimated Total Rev: US$ 197,587.50; for 2010-11) 

Ulinzi Stars – the army outfit is mainly made up of servicemen serving in the Kenyan Army. They have a disciplined side which surprised everyone last season to take top honours. Enjoying financial support mainly from the Kenya Army (in extension through the Defense Ministry – Govt of Kenya), the club winnings make up most of their revenues. Their loss to Zamalek means their earning power at continental championships is all but over. For winning the title, they got US$ 19,000 (KShs. 1.5 million), along with US$ 7000 (approx. KShs.0.6mill) as KPL mandatory pay-out for TV and media rights. They have not attracted any corporate sponsor though.

(Estimated Total Rev: US$ 52,000; for 2010-11)

Other Notable Mentions;

Gor Mahia FC – this is the club with the largest and most passionate (and also once in awhile unruly) fan base. Though unsubstantiated, 'Sirikal' as they often refer themselves as are said to have earned US$ 13,482.5(about KShs. 1.0786 million) from merchandising alone last season. They have not managed to secure a corporate sponsor even with an able management team, but there are reports that this may soon change. They also attract good match-day collections across the spectrum for home and away games.

Tusker FC – the club has enjoyed a sweet-sour relationship with the brand it represents Tusker. The mother company of Tusker EABL has been cutting down on sports sponsorship and the club was among those affected. The support though is still there but no figures have been declared. The team has managed respectable positions and last year finished 3^rd from the top.

KCB FC – this is another corporate club which has the support of Kenya Commercial Bank through its KCB Sports Sponsorship – the wing which supports sports sponsorship for the firm. It is also not confirmed how much they secure annually though KCB Sports reports over US$ 250,000 ( KShs. 20 million) for the different sports disciplines – basketball, rallying, rugby and volleyball.

Karuturi Sports – the club was previously known as Sher Agencies and is among those that graduated from the Nationwide League in 2002-03. The club is fully owned by Karuturi flowers which is 100% owned by the Indian Karuturi company. No figures are available for scrutiny.

Nairobi City Stars – the club has its base in the outskirts of the city, in another slum Kawangare (which also gives it its previous names, Kawangare Stars and World Hope FC). It has some connection with former Kenyan football hero Musa Otieno, through Musa Otieno Foundation. Last year it had been rumoured to secure corporate sponsorship from Orange Telkom but the deal seems to have fallen off the rails. 

From the figures, there is great potential for clubs which have been performing consistently. If a club such as Gor Mahia can achieve a tidy figure from merchandising, the clubs can exploit this with the right focus and business acumen. It is also to be seen how the TV rights can be enhanced though still tightly controlled by SuperSport/DSTv. The clubs also need to raise their performances at the local, regional and continental level. This will guarantee greater followers from the local and maybe across the borders. Why can't we have our own SA's Orlando Pirates, Ghana's Hearts of Oaks, or DRC's TP Mazembe?