Super League clubs playing under protest
Super League clubs say they have reversed their decision to boycott second-round games.
But the teams insist they are still participating under protest.
Eight of the 15 Super League teams that threatened to stop participating in the Super League at the start of the second round if the issue of gate collection sharing remained unresolved during the week confirmed they would continue playing up to the end of the season for the sake of their players’ welfare.
The teams, namely, Big Bullets, Mighty Wanderers, Silver Strikers, Azam Tigers, Blantyre United, Mponela United and Evirom United have so far played at least two games each in the second round.
“We have realised that boycotting the games would not be the best solution. We feel it does not help our players who rely on the little they get from the matches to make ends meet. We will continue playing but under protest,” said Wanderers’ general secretary David Kanyenda.
Big Bullets chairperson Malinda Chinyama and Silver Strikers’ general secretary Mike Tembo told Nation on Sunday during the week that the best way to go was to have a stakeholders’ meeting where the gate collection sharing issue could be amicably discussed.
Chinyama claimed that their initial plan was triggered by their ignorance of the fact that the gate collection system was enacted by Parliament.
“We did not know that the system was instituted by an Act of Parliament. We feel the best way to go now is to push for the amendment of the Act and we know this cannot happen within a short time,” he said.
Currently, each Super League club gets 25 percent of the net gate collections, just like ground owners. FAM and Sulom take 10 percent each while the remaining five percent goes to Sports Council. The sharing occurs after other stakeholders such as security personnel and referees have been paid.
Blantyre United administrator Lawson Nakoma agreed with Mponela United team manager Blessings Matelemani on the need to deal with the gate collection sharing issue once and for all without interrupting the ongoing Super League season.
Super League of Malawi (Sulom) president Innocent Botomani commended the clubs for their decision to continue playing, saying that will create a conducive environment to sort out the matter with sober minds.
