Big Bullets vice-supporters’ committee chairperson Stone Mwamadi on Wednesdayreturned from the Comoros trip with lessons to share, including that fans do not man gates at match venues.
“We have learnt a lot that we do some of the things subconsciously. For example, supporters do not man gates in the Comoros. They belong to the terraces. Teams hire security companies to man gates. There are many things, I will share with fellow fans,” said Mwamadi.
He was the only fan who accompanied Bullets to the Comoros where they beat Fomboni Club de Moheil on Sunday at the Stade de Moroni in Comoros.
The 2015 CAF Champions League preliminary round, return leg is on February 28 at Kamuzu Stadium.
Some local fans, using the power they amass when voting into and out of office club executive committees, bulldoze their way to man gates and swindle cash while claiming to be supervisors.
Such fans can even issue death threats to those trying to thwart their business at the gate. While promising change, Mwamadi asked for patience as he said change happens gradually.
“Nothing is impossible. This was not the case in the past, but greedy officials use supporters to get votes in return for such favours,” he said.
Bullets supporters’ general secretary Mabvuto Chibambo said while they expected Mwamadi to share lessons from the trip, factors such as size of the economy and infrastructure that differ from country to country ought to be considered.
Last December, SuperSport television football analyst Thomas Kwenaite on his Malawi visit said he was shocked that clubs allow fans to man gates and share gate collections.
Super League of Malawi president Innocent Bottoman has since, in his manifesto launched on Saturday in Blantyre, promised to change administrative structures of clubs and associations to shake off fans’ involvement.
“Real legal ownership of football clubs has not taken place. Attempts aimed at doing so have met massive resistance, mainly from individuals, who for selfish reasons, have felt that any type of ownership of the clubs they claim to support will deprive them of financial benefits they currently derive from existing order, hence the insistence on upholding the status quo,” notes Bottoman in his manifesto.
