Nomads change funding plan

Mighty Wanderers FC say they will negotiate for per game sponsorship in the next season as they seek a permanent sponsor.

 

Wanderers vice-general secretary Richard Kambalame said they would be going into agreements with companies to sponsor the team per game. He said the sponsors would in turn get jersey and perimeter advertising for that particular game.

Kambalame said this after the team got a one-game sponsorship from Mike Appel and Gatto, who donated K100 000 ( $600) for the team’s preparations for last Saturday’s game against Silver Strikers during the launch of the 2012 Presidential Initiative on Sports.

“We are struggling to find long-term sponsors because of the current economic situation as companies feel our season budget of more than K 30 million [about $400 000] is very expensive.

“So, we feel if we come up with a proposal for one game or few games sponsorship deals, a number of companies and individuals will be willing to come in and help us,” said Kambalame.

He added that they spoke to Mike Appel and Gatto on the possibility of long-term partnership and said they are about to write an official proposal.

Mike Appel and Gatto business development manager Timothy Sukali said they felt obliged to assist Wanderers who were stuck financially to prepare for Saturday’s game.

“We have passion for football and we have on a number of occasions made some big donations to the Flames and we felt we could extend the gesture to clubs. We are ready to listen to clubs’ proposals and might come in if convinced that our company will benefit in such deals in promoting our brands,” said Sukali.

Kambalame further said they will talk to TNM and Sulom to allow them brand their jerseys with other sponsors on the chest. Currently, only TNM has the right to advertise on the chest.

Sulom general secretary Williams Banda said last month that the matter can be discussed.

“Our agreement with TNM does not restrict teams to get shirts sponsorship. It only bars sponsorship with TNM competitors,” he said.

TNM sponsorship manager Wilma Chalulu is on record to have said that her organisation has right to brand jerseys, which it supplies to the teams.

“If teams can buy their own uniform and brand them with their sponsors logo on the chest and our brand on the arm, we have no problem with that. But for those uniforms that we buy as league sponsor, our logo comes on the chest,” she said.

Wanderers spent last season without sponsors after MTL ended their long term partnership with the club.