Innovation rewards: Mchinji Boma Stars story tells it all

A simple grass fence. Clay pitch. Human wall. No stewards, roofs, terraces, let alone changing rooms. This is Malawi rural football innovative answer to the question of a stadium. Welcome to Mchinji Boma Stars’ home ground.

With that improvised structure, second tier league Mchinji Boma Stars earned K55 000 from gate collections last Sunday. Yet on the same day, Blue Eagles and Karonga United pocketed K10 000 each from their TNM Super League meeting at Nankhaka ground in Lilongwe.

This Super League game grossed K62 000, but with many hands dipping into the coffers, the teams got peanuts.

In contrast, Mchinji Boma Stars, after the match, only parted with 10 percent levy given to the Central Region Football League (CRFL).

As a result, some innovative Premier Division clubs are thriving while Super League clubs, with better facilities they hardly own, are dying. Mchinji Boma Stars general secretary Arthur Zulu said they have so far earned K446 475 in seven home games.

“This money keeps our team going. The only challenge is that we have to reinforce the grass fence every week as some fans remove the grass. Patronage is growing, sometimes getting to 1 500. We have since raised the gate charges from K100 to K200 per head,” Zulu explained in a telephone interview. At Nankhaka and other Super League match venues fans also pay a minimum of K200.

Only host teams in CRFL get a cut whereas Super League teams get 25 percent each from the net. Over the weekend, six Super League teams shared K1 150 000 from an estimated K4.7 million.

A combination of gate fraud, poor marketing and administration had sides such as Michiru Castles, Sammy’s United, Eagle Beaks, Kabwafu, UFC, MDC United and Blackpool disbanding while some once Super League giants have been reduced to beggars.

Elsewhere, Super League players earn as low as K6 000 as monthly upkeep. Mchinji Boma Stars captain Chikumbutso Vinthenga said each player gets K1 000 for a win and K500 for a draw, which is enough by cost of rural cost of living.

“It keeps us going as the team has no sponsor,” said Vinthenga.

But not all second tier football teams generate money. Hard Knockers FC also plays in CRFL, but their general secretary Anthony Msukwa said their games are for free as they are based in Lilongwe City where fans have Super League football option.

Lilongwe has Silver Stadium, Nankhaka ground and Civo Stadium for Super League games. The same is, with the exception of venues such as Liwonde and Nchalo, the case in the South, said Southern Region Football League (SRFL) general secretary Kingsley Simbeye.

The earnings are even worse in the established Super League where teams have between 2010 and 2013 only raised K217 million, as per Super League of Malawi (Sulom).

During the four seasons, K84 million only got into 15 clubs’ coffers.

Government owns Kamuzu Stadium which realised the bigger chunk of the K217 million.

Sulom general secretary Williams Banda said money from Super League games is shared by many stakeholders, including stewards, cashiers, supervisors, security and Red Cross.

Gate fraud also contributes to the low gate earnings at Super League games. Recently, Big Bullets chairperson Kondie Msungama said he would unite forces to influence government to restructure the sharing percentages.

But early this month, Justin Saidi, Sports Ministry Principal Secretary, said the issue of restructuring sharing of gate collections was policy in nature requiring an all stakeholders’ review.

All these challenges are coming due to poor structure of most Super League teams.

In 2009 teams resolved to go professional through the Lilongwe Declaration, which noted that “club structures are not clearly defined. There is lack of qualified and full-time personnel. There is lack of strong financial management (budgeting and control) and low level of exploitation of commercial rights.”

Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) chief executive officer Chancellor Kaferapanjira said there is more economic activity behind the game itself needing to be valued, citing transport, transfer fees, merchandise and food business as examples. n