Are Community Clubs in Kenya basket cases?

Once again the arguments about football clubs in Kenya in particular the community clubs v/s 'corporate-sponsored' clubs are back again (see earlier post here). It's a bit of concern now especially with the taxman breathing down the neck of all and sundry. It is quite tragic that most of the community clubs enjoy a huge fan-base ( but have not been able to monetise and marshal these numbers to reflect well commercially..)

While some officials of the clubs read mischief and malice, in the end what the taxman wants, s/he gets! It is also very clear that most of the club officials have not put in place proper mechanisms for running a club.
Issues like;

• annual financial statements;
• player contracts and players' welfare; 
• commercial and business plans ( add the marketing bit in there);
• communication and PR strategy 

among other important documents. They should not also blame other sources for their ineptitude and incompetency.

While the KPL has been making slow progress on some fronts, it is of fundamental importance that clubs set these issues right to avoid what we're seeing currently.
It is also important that the KPL officials avoid being held at ransom by club officials who stifle developments such as has been the banned-but-soon-lifted proclamations regarding hooliganism.
Some have blamed the security personnel for not getting it right, but we already have over-stretched these people with current security scares in the country.
Clubs must revamp their mode of operations from societies ( as one official was quoted saying in the Press) to proper commercial and business outfits.

Sports is not charity anymore and KPL ought to spell this out for participating clubs. A benchmark of financial resources should be in place for at least 1 year. This will show that the club is capable of paying its players, management and other technical staff, merchandise and training facilities among others. Penalties should be in place for those who fail to meet the thresh-hold.

Early this season, KPL decided to do an audit of football venues across the country. It is also prudent for them to do the same for financial records of the clubs.Related to this, there is an interesting report done by AfriCog detailing football mismanagement in Kenya. Check the link here.

Back to the community clubs, various countries have tried these models of operation and succeeded so it is not excuse enough for the poor management practices currently witnessed. Clubs such as Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa), Atletico Bilbao , Barcelona (both from Spain), Boca Juniors (Argentina) as well as Borussia Dortmund to name a few.  A few quick tips;

1. Establish a limited company before selling shares - this can be either to the general public or restricted to a certain number ( say 1 share worth KSh.50,000 etc);
2. Get a wealthy benefactor and get him/her to manage the club as one of his entities - this is yet to catch on in Kenya but is prominent in Europe moreso England. Any Katumbis, Khozas or Abramovichs in Kenya?
3. Secure major sponsorship deals with leading companies - this is a tricky one since most companies have what they call a need for ROI thus cannot justify putting money where they might not get value for it;
4. Secure a large fan-base ( preferably regional or national) and this will be lucrative to both individual or corporate investors ( tragedy is if they are an unruly and emotional lot, they often end up being a curse instead) and finally
5. Perform, perform and perform! Without good results, any club is as good as dead.

SIDE-NOTE:

In researching for this piece, some interesting links came up such as this one on the top clubs in Africa as done by CAF in December 2012. It's interesting to note that even though the Democratic Republic of Congo has a troubled economy, their football clubs have performed well in the continent. Here's a snippet of the rankings- number in brackets represents FIFA Club World rankings;

1. (67) Al-Ahly - Egypt  - estimated revenue of $36.09 million (in 2008)

2. (146) Esperance Sportive - $5.71 million 

3. (147) Zamalek - Egypt - $26.8 million

4. (176) Tout Puissant Mazembe aka TP Mazembe - DRC - $15 ( in 2013)

5. (190) Asante Kotoko - Ghana 

Kenya's Clubs;

45. Gor Mahia (Pos.604)

79. AFC Leopards (Pos.893)

88. Tusker FC (Pos.954)

Additional info on the post can be found from the following links;
Top 5 African millionaire football club owners
For TP Mazembe...the future looks bright
Worlds Top 5 Fan-owned Soccer teams
CAF Club & World Rankings - 2012
Richest Football Clubs in Africa by Revenues - 2008

Kenya Premier League becomes Tusker Premier League, Really???

After a couple of months of haggling and boardroom meetings, Kenya's Premier League found a suitor in the name of Tusker - EABL's flagship beer brand. Analysts may look at it and say that it's a major boost to the professional football game in Kenya, but as usual we have the skeptics who think otherwise.
First, the KSh. 170 million deal signed is for a 3-year period meaning a little under KSh. 60 million per year - a fairly modest figure for a 16 club league ( approx KSh. 3.75 million per club if its shared equally among them).

Secondly, this is the second time EABL is making an offer for the title sponsors for the Kenyan top football league. In 2001 they withdrew after football wrangles and mismanagement from football officials running the now defunct KFF were the order of the day. It is 2012 and this has not changed drastically after only recently the Vice Chair Sammy Shollei was suspended for making public claims of corruption and poor managerial decisions. We shall also remember the cancelled deal between Safaricom and FKF ( in the Sakata Ball junior tournament).
Though KPL is not entirely run by FKF, FKF still calls the shots on matters football in Kenya. They have been trying to get their noses in ( like they did with the whole fiasco of accreditation for media houses and journalists for the 2012 season). They may not been in on the servings yet but they're not far from it too. Once Nyamweya and his minions are able to wrestle the league from SuperSport-led Jack Oguda, we can be sure it won't be business as usual more like business unusual...

Third, EABL has been managing a club that is in the KPL , Tusker FC - reigning champions of the league. The club recently sacked its manager Sammy 'Pumzo' Omollo  and has been having a bad patch after being eliminated at the CECAFA Club Championships held in Dar in July and August this year. This relationship of the club and its 'sponsors' need be outlined clearly to avoid any conflict of interest.

Fourth, the EABL is also sponsoring the national team Harambee Stars with the sponsors hoping for a World Cup qualification - a bit far-fetched if you ask us. This is because with the expected hire of a foreign coach, the wage bill of the management team will go throw the roof at the expense of the team's meagre resources. For the longest time, whenever the players go for national duty, they're never paid in time - be it their allowances or refunds for air tickets. What will change with this sponsorship?

Fifth, EABL is a beer company and they have been challenging the legality of the oft-quoted Mututho Laws - which prescribe against the consumption of beer during the day/working hours and at certain public locations. The same goes for under-age drinking. We all know that the Kenyan football fans are a fragile lot especially in the derbies which don't always end up well. Put alcohol in the mix, and can't imagine what would happen next.
How shall EABL hope to overcome these challenges? Maybe through its soft drink brand ( which would have been quite a coup by the way, Alvaro Premier League especially for share-of-throat that they have been trying to fight with soft drinks). This is something FKF and KPL ought to have considered when approaching potential suitors.

Talking of suitors, it has been said in the grapevine that there were other companies which were also approached but when they raised the issues of management and proper financial outlays, these were not easily availed. It would also have been interesting to see a separate sponsor from the national team to the national league.

But being still at times teething era, the Kenyan football scene has lots to learn from other African leagues and more advanced ones across the world. In Ghana for example, Globacom International ( mobile company) sponsors the Ghanaian League for approx. KSh.180 million per year! Points to ponder right there!



{Guest Post by Football Pundit Ansell M}

CECAFA Club Championships - Can Tusker FC save Kenya's dismal performance?

The biggest club championship tournament in East & Central Africa starts in 2 days in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania's commercial capital. Kenya's representative Tusker FC who are the current KPL leaders and also reigning champs of the same league will be hoping to save the country's dismal performance in regional and continental assignments.

Coincidentally the last time Kenya won this Cup - aptly named Kagame Cup ( as the Rwandan President puts his money where his mouth is...)- Tusker FC were the club, that's 2008. And if their current form is anything to go by, this year they can challenge the Tanzanian clubs , Simba and Yanga FC who played out an all-Tanzanian final last year in the same venue.

But upsetting the form-book will not be easy as the crowds attending Tanzanian matches have seen surging numbers to the tens of thousands and in the case of the two fierce rivals in Simba and Yanga - a crowd that could easily top to a hundred thousand.
The CECAFA Sec-General one Nicholas Musonye- who runs a tight ship - has been able to ensure that the club championships and also the Senior Challenge Cup are not without corporate support and hence not pushed into oblivion. He's the envy of many sports federations many especially in Kenya still struggle to manage their affairs without wrangles and internal fights.
Sadly though, even after trying to be all-inclusive, there are still handicaps where clubs from states such as Eritrea will not make it. This is due to the notoriously tight-fisted regime which makes citizens want to leave the country at the slightest excuse.
All in all the 11-team tournament is bound to keep East & Central African football enthusiasts entertained and rooting for their favourite teams.

Interesting Facts:

• Kenyan clubs have won the most trophies - 15 ;
• Kenyan clubs have made to the Finals - 22 times - the highest after Tanzania's 19 times); 
• AFC Leopards & Tusker FC have each won the Cup - 5 times ( Leopards won it 3 times consecutively 1982,83,84);
• George 'Blackberry' Odhiambo - a Kenyan striker shall be appearing for Azam FC - a Tanzanian club;
• Sammy Omollo appeared for Tusker FC (then Kenya Breweries in 1990-92 missing out winning the CUp in 1989);
• Pres. Paul Kagame will be bankrolling the tournament for the 10th consecutive year to the tune of US$60,000 per tournament for the winner's prize money;

 

Top 5 Kenya's Football Clubs Social Media Ranking

Over the last week, there was a survey being conducted on Kenya's listed companies and their use of social media. Along the same lines, we had a discussion with a pal about Kenyan sporting scene and the lack or minimal use of the social media space. While social media has exploded onto the scene in the last 3-5 years, local sports organisations and clubs are yet to realise the potent that this platform has.
A quick survey on online presence, visibility and regular updates and information regarding the clubs' activities leaves a lot to be desired. Kenyan social media enthusiasts take up your roles and make this year a winning one for Kenyan sport on social media.

Tweep, can we play ball? image courtesy of www.flickr.com

This ranking was done on Facebook and Twitter which are the biggest social media platforms currently. Our non-scientific survey is based on clubs' official pages, fan pages and 'likes' as well as official Twitter handles (or pages) and fans too. Since most clubs do not have an official page and even when they do, there are other duplicated ones, we shall aggregate each of these to the nearest 100th person/like( NB: These was as of 17th February 2012 based on Internet findings);

1. Gor Mahia - An estimated 59,500 Likes on various Facebook pages. These range from official pages to fan pages to others like 'Gor Mahia is not a club, its a lifestyle, but do we say?' Their web-page's www.gormahia.net - this site aggregates info on the club from other news sites and is quite basic. No links to Facebook or Twitter accounts. There are 3 Twitter pages linked to Gor Mahia @GOR_MAHIA - 108 followers, @Gor_MahiaFC - 99 followers and @Onegreenfamily - 289 followers bringing total to 596 followers. 
2. AFC Leopards - An estimated 18,300 Likes on various Facebook pages also has wide range such as ' AFC Leopards Facebook Branch'. The club has a website www.afcleopards.net which is quite interactive. The site has a link to the Facebook and Twitter accounts and also has YouTube channel linked to SmartTV which went burst a few weeks ago. The club also has 4 different Twitter handles @afcleopards_SC - 316 followers, @afcleopards - 272 followers, @ingweleopards (fans page) - 628 followers and @AFC_Leopards - 43 followers totalling 1259 followers. 
3. Sofapaka FC - with an estimated 5,100 Likes on Facebook pages, batoto ba Mungu's football club is 3rd most visible club on social media. The club's website www.sofapaka.com is also quite well-done and frequently updated. It also has Twitter page @SOFAPAKA with 98 followers and another unofficial one @Sofapaka_Kenya with 79 followers - 177 in total
4. Ulinzi Stars FC - is at number 4 of the social media savvy football clubs. It has 2835 Likes on its Facebook page. Its Twitter handle is @UlinziStarsFC with 234 followers. It is without a website despite being one of the biggest clubs in the country and having a wide followership not just in the army ranks but with ordinary football fans.
5. Mathare United FC - carries the top 5 of the football clubs on social media. It has a modest 2800 Likes on Facebook. The club has a website www.mathareunitedFC.co.ke which needs a bit of sprucing to meet the current season's set-up and corporate identity. You can also access their details via www.mysakenya.org which is the parent company under which Mathare United FC was borne. Its Twitter handle @MathareunitedFC has 313 followers.

Do you Like what you see? - Image courtesy of www.facebook.com

Take Outs:

A lot of work needs to be done to these among other clubs which are featuring in the Kenyan Premier League. The League is also rapidly engaging with social media enthusiasts and fans alike and revamped its website at www.kpl.co.ke and also has a Twitter handle @KenyaPremierLg with 1,568 followers & 676 Likes on its Facebook page.

• Constant review and regular updates are a must in social media where as they say, it's not a monologue but an exchange of ideas between the clubs/management and the fans.
• Competitive brand offers can be made every so often to increase visibility and have a sense of ownership to the followers and fans alike - e.g. AFC Leopards did engage some of its fans last season online and even managed to book flight tickets to a local game in Mombasa - brand loyalty anyone?
• Instant feedback on ways to improve the clubs' fortunes - from suggested playmakers to colours of the team, club management can use social media to have fans engage them instantly.
• Sponsorships - many a clubs internationally have had sponsors who are willing to look beyond the usual streams of revenue to engage and entice users. Social media platforms can supplement to such campaigns and ensure sponsors have a wider audience and measurable means of showing success rate of the campaigns.

These are but a few points which Kenyan clubs and sports management specialists can learn from. Finally let's look at the top 5 Football Social Media League as of December 2011;

1. Barcelona-25,359,311 Facebook fans(27,030,540 Likes); 2,316,765 Twitter followers = 25,676,076 fans
2. Real Madrid-22,182,985 Facebook fans( 24,876,778 Likes);2,872,018 Twitter followers = 25,055,003 fans
3. Manchester United-20,269,260 fans (22,598,283 Likes); 102,773 Twitter followers= 20,269,200 fans
4. Arsenal - 8,155,842 fans (8,989,136 Likes); 1,061,636 Twitter followers = 9,217,478 fans
5. Chelsea - 7,885,970 fans (8,704,028 Likes); 501,375 Twitter followers = 8,387,345 fans

This shows you the power of social media. It's free and its waiting for you, just LOG ON & GET GOING! 

Kenyan Club Football - Faltering at many levels

Over the weekend, besides the Kenyan Premier League fixtures, two of Kenya's clubs were representing the country in the continental club championships - Tusker FC at home to Rwanda's Armee Patriotique Rwandese (APR) FC ( first leg of Round 1 of CAF Champions League) while Gor Mahia was away in Maputo Mozambique to Ferroviaro de Maputo. ( first leg of Round 1 CAF Confederations Cup)
Homeboys Tusker could only afford a 0-0 draw which makes their work hard going to Kigali a few days time. Not taking advantage of the home crowd and wasting chances to at least secure a goal will most likely cost the club any continental exposure. They must pray that they can get their skills up and find winning ways in the return match. A scoring draw will safely see them through thanks to an away-goal advantage.

K'Ogalo as Gor Mahia's fondly known to its fans on the other hand saw 3-0 past their own net to Ferroviaro which will require some real inspiration to cancel out and eventually beat to qualify. For the longest time I have said that the team lacks technical skills and this was exposed once again on this game. It must also be remembered that their win last year of FKL's Cup after seeing passage as one of the best losers. That was never resolved & FKL's oversight might cost the country a place on the continent's other major club championship.
Listening to the club chairman's seek to make comparison to last year's Sofapaka's miraculous mauling of Egyptian opposition was stretching it a bit too far. As one may remember, the political and social situation in Egypt was very unstable and still is thus the lack of inspiration for the players and clubs. The Egyptian national team missed the Africa Cup of Nations despite having been reigning champions early this year.
All's not lost though cos as they say 90min is a lifetime in any football game and again, Gor Mahia has one of the largest following in the country and are likely to sermon those strengths to add their 12th man in the return match.
The bonuses promised by their sponsors should also seek to inspire the players - as is expected in an election year, many a politician will seek to support such club exploits if only for some political mileage, take advantage!
We wish both clubs all the best in their respective return matches!

Kenya Premier League 2012 Season comes alive...

For you the Kenyan football fan, the action is back on Kenyan pitches, this time with bigger and better oomph than ever.  Flurry of activity has been going on in the changing rooms as well as the technical benches for most of the teams. This year's league retains the 16 team set up (though the lower previously known as Nationwide League now named Kenya Division One attracts 2 Zones Western & Eastern each with 16 teams).
New sides promoted include Muhoroni Youth who make a debut while Oserian (Fastac) make a comeback after being on the lower rungs for a few years. Dropping off were the 2 Coastal teams, Bandari and Congo United, which prompted a call by business leaders in Mombasa & Coastal region to rally around bringing back glory to the region's teams.
Also one club City Stars changed names to Daima Stars after securing sponsorship from Daima Milk. From the transfer market, the following's the top spendings Clubs & players;

1. AFC Leopards - KSh. 835,000
2. Gor Mahia - KSh. 670,000
3. Ulinzi Stars - KSh. 420,000
4. Tusker FC - KSh. 260,000
5. Oserian - KSh.100,000

Most Expensive Players;

1. Eric Masika  - KSh. 450,000 ( from Gor Mahia to AFC Leopards)
2. Ivo Mapunda - KSh. 200,000 ( from Bandari to Gor Mahia)
3. Kevin Amwayi - KSh. 200,000( from Western Stima to Ulinzi Stars)
4. Wycliffe Ochono - KSh. 200,000 (from Gor Mahia to Ulinzi Stars)
5. Abbasi Kiwalabye -KSh. 190,000 ( from Chemelil Sugar to AFC Leopards)
6. Victor Ochieng - KSh. 190,000 ( from Chemelil Sugar to AFC Leopards)
7. Hugo Nzangu - KSh. 150,000 ( from Sony Sugar to Gor Mahia)
8. Patrick Kagogo - KSh.100,000 (from Sofapaka to Tusker)
9. Peter Juma - KSh. 80,000 (from Karuturi Sports to Gor Mahia)
10. Luke Ochieng - KSh. 75,000 ( from KCB to Tusker)

It shall be interesting to see which club's spending has been justified and which one was a waste of the monies. Also there has been less buzz around corporate sponsors coming on board as most of those who had penned contracts had done 2-3 years/seasons.

Make a date with your favourite club and for more info check www.kpl.co.ke for more updates. 

Sofapaka - So Close Yet So Far

Batoto ba Mungu loosely translated to children of God has been a nice catchphrase for the Kenyan football club as they have seemingly conquered African clubs in the CAF Confederations Cup.

Sofapaka FC - courtesy of www.sofapaka.com

But just like life, luck runs out even to the luckiest of them. And yesterday, the only surviving Kenyan club team in the continental challenge valiantly fought a battle but lost the war, 4-3 on aggregate. Thus far we salute their efforts.
But going back to the heart of the matter, when shall Kenyan clubs start sharing in the spoils of the continental largesse? The last time Kenyan clubs came close to continental glory was in the 1990s when then Kenya Breweries (now Tusker FC) played in the Finals of the Cup Winners Cup (Mandela Cup) against DC Motema Pembe in 1994 - previously only Gor Mahia had won the Cup in 1987.
Once Kenyan football elections date is confirmed and the winners announced, one of the issues at hand for them to address is the continued absence and how we can end this soon. Our hope is that the very faces and hands that have been 'managing' the current rot shall not be anywhere near this new phase in the game. But if FIFA elections are anything to go by, we might be stuck with some of these characters longer than we need. Mr. Minister please stop mincing your words and make good your threats.
As for now, we need to quickly forget this year's near-success and strive to move our clubs in continental challenge(s) to more respectable positions. Mr. Kalekwa share your experience with the rest of KPL teams and 2011-12 should be a more successful year. Back to the drawing boards, football people!

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? 

KPL & Gor Mahia fans: Take control before you lose football fans’ credibility

The weekend saw the start of the 2011-12 Kenya Premier League after a well-deserved break. A look at most the fixtures scheduled for the first 2 days looked more or less like foregone conclusions - except for the Mathare United v/s Sofapaka & AFC Leopards v/sTusker FC fixtures.

Our interest though is in a fixture that most pundits had given to favourite Gor Mahia – who enjoy fanatical following from their fans. It was against newly promoted but without corporate sponsor, (Posta) Rangers.

Come the start of the match and you would have been wrong to think the other way round. By the half-time break, Rangers were 2-0 up and deservedly so. Into the 82^nd minute, they crown an unassailable lead and the Gor Mahia fans who were all along taunting the female linesperson start throwing missiles into the pitch. Soon one of the barriers is down & they are running into the pitch.

For the safety of the players, the referee calls off the game and the police are called in and as usually happens when they come in throw tear-gas to disperse the rowdy fans.

Last year, the Gor Mahia fans were among the most flamboyant and loyal fans following their team towns such as Thika, Naivasha and Nakuru. They are among the loudest and most organized of fans for any football team playing in the KPL. But they can also lose their cool and control at the first signs of a loss. Last year they forced other clubs fans all sorts of taunts at times even snatching their tools of trade. During a late match-up between Gor and AFC Leopards, we all remember what happened though more blame would go the Sports Stadia Management Board, security and ticketing arrangements.

Hooligans (because at best that’s what we would describe the game), have been known to cost many leagues across the world their attraction. The English, Italian and Spanish have been some of the more prominent ones and have come up with stringent measures to ensure the rule of the game is observed on the pitch and off it.

Fans in this part of the world had deserted the stadiums but with last year’s lure they came back in small trickles before coming back in bigger droves towards the end of the League. Over the break many clubs have registered official fans clubs and you can find them in social media channels for your favourite club.

But they too must learn the rules of the game and unfortunately the very club(s) they support suffer first. Our suggestion once investigations are finalized( hope hastily), is first dock points (between 5-9) of course losing the game they disrupted, play 2-3 ‘home’ games without fans and also pay a cash penalty. This will ensure club officials are able to manage the fans, isolate and discipline the unruly ones.

KPL also needs to buttress the security arrangements available in the stadiums. From what happened on Saturday, the melee would have had severe casualties and the stadium would once again stare upon another ban from either CAF or FIFA.

Officiating also needs to be raised a notch higher. The charade of referees and linesmen giving contentious decisions will only incense fans who look for the slightest provocation. We have not had the best of officials coming from our country but this can be changed this season.

All in all, why should a whole League be held ransom by a group of fans from a single club?