Wanderers top revenue earnings
TNM Super League champions Be Forward Wanderers top the 2017 TNM Super League gate-revenue earnings having made K50 357 131.98—almost K9 million more than their age-old rivals and crowd pullers Nyasa Big Bullets—who raked in K41 731 943.18.
Lilongwe-based Silver Strikers are the third highest earner in the 16-team league having made K20 098 806.71.
According to the summary report released by Super League of Malawi (Sulom) treasurer Tiya Somba-Banda on Saturday, the gross gate revenue collections for the 2017 season amounted to K484 015 675.00, representing a 15 percent growth from the previous season’s [2016] collections amounting to K420 579 640.
The 16 teams shared K186 770 480 which is 39 percent of the total gross collections.
“Sulom’s share was K36 876 130 [eight percent], ground owners got 19 percent of the gross collections [K90.852 million] while other stakeholders [police, stewards, cashiers, etc.) received K144.406 million which is 24 percent of the gross collections,” reads part of the report.
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) and Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) got K36 775 188.81 and K18 335 887.58, respectively, representing eight percent and four percent of the total gross, respectively.
Somba-Banda said the closure of Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, contributed to the failure of achieving their K500 million target.
The Sulom treasurer also said despite hosting only three games, Bingu National Stadium has contributed more revenue than the other 13 stadiums—K105.752 million which is 22 percent of the total [K484.016 million] revenue.
He said Wanderers’ consistent performance reflected on the revenue earnings as they collected about K18 million more compared to the 2016 season in which they earned K32.233 million and were then second to Bullets who earned K42.658 million.
Nomads’ chairperson Gift Mkandawire said they were proud of their feat.
“It’s a natural trend that when a team is giving good results the fans follow it everywhere. Basically, it also means that all teams that have played against us have benefited and we are proud of that.
“We hope that next season will even be better as we plan to have entertainment flavour in our game. Fans and players should be more empowered to enjoy the game. We need class,” he said.
Bullets general secretary (GS) Albert Chigoga attributed his team’s slight slump to poor performance in the early stages of the league and also the closure of Kamuzu Stadium.
“Some of our supporters were put off by the team’s performance at the beginning of the season while Wanderers were consistent from the word go and by the time we regained form, it was a bit too late.
“Most of our supporters are also based in Blantyre and it became a tall order to follow the team outside Blantyre,” he said. .
Mzuzu-based Malawi Defence Force (MDF) side Moyale Barracks were the least earner with K4.861 million followed by relegated Chitipa United who made K4.866 million.
Moyale GS Lieutenant Precious Gausi said he could not comment until he goes through the report and gets an update through their annual general meeting (AGM).
“I haven’t seen that summary report and again I need to be briefed on what happened since I was away for the better part of this season,” he said.
