Derby rakes in record K27 million
Saturday’s Blantyre derby between Be Forward Wanderers and Big Bullets grossed a domestic club record of K26.8 million at Kamuzu Stadium, but teams are not happy to pocket just K5.6 million each.
Gate management outsourced firm Fellowship Association of Malawi (Fama) general secretary Japhet Majekete confirmed that the proceeds were unprecedented for a Super League match.
Both clubs’ take-home totalled K11.2 million with the rest K15.6 million — as per gate collections’ government policy— going into pockets of stakeholders such as ground owners and the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports (K5.6 million).
Government’s sports policy implementation arm, Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS), Football Association of Malawi (FAM) and Super League of Malawi (Sulom) shared K5.6 million and the remainder was allowances for the police, stewards, First Aid and self-styled club supervisors.
The stakeholders’ cut is represented by gate collections policy stipulating that from matches, each club should get 25 percent from the net, with 25 percent going to ground owners also after other deductions. FAM and Sulom get 10 percent each from the net.
With the stadium bursting to its seams and some fans unable to enter, a ticket for the open terraces was sold at K1 000 each, K3 000 for two covered stands, K2 000 MBC stand whereas the VIP was pegged at K5 000. About K3 million was realised from the covered, MBC and the VIP where free entries are common.
Majekete felt the amount could have been more, “but a good number of the fans found their way in illegally with some jumping over the fence and others breaking a gate. Nonetheless, it is still a record for a local match. We deployed trustworthy cashiers and sealed some loopholes.”
Bullets vice-general secretary Kelvin Moyo hailed Wanderers as hosts for ensuring tight gate collection procedures, adding that “they have set the standards. However, still the larger share has gone to stakeholders instead of clubs.”
Wanderers general secretary Mike Butao shared Moyo’s sentiments, adding that a lot is needed to ensure that clubs earn from their sweat. Wanderers lost Saturday’s game 1-2.
“It’s crazy. I thought 50 percent should have gone to clubs,” Butao noted.
Experts say clubs could only realise enough if they owned stadia. At own facilities for clubs, only FAM and Sulom would be getting shares.
