Dembare in Bulawayo membership drive

DYNAMOS FC, the country's biggest and most successful club, have embarked on a massive recruitment drive for bona fide members and have come up with an incentive scheme.

Bulawayo Chapter membership extension officer, Gondo Gondo, confirmed to Chronicle Sport that all card carrying members would be entitled to some benefits.

He said while they could be benefiting the club financially with what they were paying which is not much, they are happy that the fan has something to smile about at the end of the day.

"Our membership drive has been going on well. I am happy because people realise the benefits of being bona fide members in that there are certain privileges which go with that. At first we started with a membership which was for the Bulawayo Chapter which had about 250 people who had paid between $3 and $5.

"Now we have introduced a card direct from the club with money going to the main team secretariat in Harare. In no time we have over 350 people who have paid $5 each. This would be an annual fee paid by members," said Gondo.

He said that those who were paying for the cards were beefing up club coffers and not those of the Bulawayo Chapter.

He said they had managed to sell over 200 cards during their team's clash with Chicken Inn last month. On the same afternoon they sold club merchandise and the message was no to violence in football.

"Discipline is something we are serious about. Any member caught on the wrong side of law and indulges in unbecoming behaviour during matches will cease to be a member of the club as we want disciplined members as football is a powerful medium for social cohesion," said Gondo.

He said members of the club were entitled to Dynamos Mobile  and club updates where all results and what is happening at the club is accessed through their mobile phones.

"Apart from updates and our Dynamos Mobile package, our card carrying members would also be entitled to give aways like T-shirts from tournament sponsors. In the past these were given just to anyone and of course discounts for loyalty in the purchase of club merchandise.

"We are working on getting more benefits for the members. Whenever there is free transport provided by the club's partners we look at bona fide members," Gondo said.

A plus he also said was the fact that card carrying fans were allowed to meet and mingle with players after matches.

He said the Bulawayo Chapter had created a platform for people to travel as families with 50 female supporters active in the group's activities.

Tomorrow a bus load will travel to Kadoma for the club's clash with Black Rhinos.

Gondo was quick to emphasise; "The card does not guarantee anyone free entry. What can $5 do really so we advise our members to comply and pay at stadia to help local football grow."

Dynamos have to be commended for the bold step in ensuring that there is an incentive for members.

This is the question that has been asked on Highlanders social platforms.

Their members attend the annual general meeting and extra ordinary meeting and participate in who runs the club.

Other than that there have not been visible benefits except for once in a while when there are activities at the team's clubhouse but such are far in between.

For argument sake for a club like Highlanders whose membership card is $30, a recruitment drive of 10,000 people in one year would add $300,000 to the team's coffers.

With that kind of investment coming at the beginning of the year, they would be able to assemble a good team for the championship and for the African Champions League campaign.

Gondo believes clubs must have vibrant supporters chapters throughout the country to help fundraise and engage in anti-hooliganism campaigns.