Football fans will have to dip deeper in their pockets to watch the much-anticipated TNM Super League Blantyre derby between Mighty Wanderers and FCB Nyasa Bullets this Saturday at Kamuzu Stadium.
The Nomads, who will be at home, have announced that open stands’ tickets will be at K6 000 for pre-sale and K8 000 on match day.
Covered stands tickets have been pegged at K12 000 pre-sale and K15 000 if bought at the turnstile on Saturday.
On the other hand, MBC stands tickets are at K8 000 pre-sale and K10 000 on match day while the price of VIP Stand tickets is at K25 000 for advance purchase and K30 000 on match day.
tussle for the ball during last season’s encounter. | Nation
The gate charges, which reflect a 16.6 percentage increase, have drawn mixed reactions, with some fans saying the clubs are not considering the harsh economic environment.
But in a statement, Wanderers brands and marketing manager Greyson Chapita justified the hike, saying it reflects the high cost of organising a high-profile match.
He said: “These gate -entry charges have been carefully set in consideration of the current economic climate where both clubs aim to maximise revenue while remaining sensitive to fans’ affordability.
“Hosting a high-profile derby of this nature also comes with significant operational costs.”
In an interview, Chapita said they have also put in place security measures to ensure safety of both players and spectators.
“We have hired 100 police officers. We will also have stewards and security personnel from both Bullets and Wanderers. All this is to ensure the safety of both players and supporters,” he said.
Chapita further said there will be tight security at the VIP stand where in the last derby some people watched the match while standing due to lack of seats.
He said: “We have 200 tickets for the VIP Stand and there will also be 200 chairs. Each ticket has a seat number. If you come with a ticket which does not have a seat number, then that’s not from us.
“We have also tried to minimise complimentary tickets. Only those that deserve complimentary tickets such as stakeholders like Sulom [Super League of Malawi], FAM [Football Association of Malawi] officials, sponsors and partners will have access to complimentary tickets.”
On the K8 000 open stand charges, Chapita said it is aimed at reducing cash transaction on match day.
He said: “We encourage people to buy tickets before the match day. They can buy them through Mpamba debit card or selling points.”
But reacting to the announcement on the club’s official Facebook page, a Wanderers fan Norman John, wondered why the gate charges have been hiked after Sulom announced that it would be at K5 000.
He said: “At the beginning of the season you equally announced that such games will be at K5 000. What has changed?”
Another Wanderers fan, Yahya Iliyas, said the charges are prohibitive.
He said: “I don’t expect a huge turnout for this game. The price will definitely deter many fans who were planning to watch the game. Imagine K8 000 open stands on match day. That’s minus transportation.”
However, Sulom general secetary Williams Banda in an intevreiw said all stakeholders agreed to hike the gate charges for a good reason.
He said: “It’s a security check for risk mitigation. All stakeholders agreed on the price. However, we urge proper marketing and planning to ensure risk mitigation.
“Security will be very tight and anyone contravening needs to be arrested on the spot. We urge the police to act accordingly.”
Bullets lead the table with 18 points from six matches while Wanderers are second with 13 points from five games.
