Sports / Soccer
PSL set to hike gate charges
01 Jun 2013 at 06:49hrs | Views
SOCCER fans should brace themselves to fork out more to watch domestic Castle Lager Premiership matches should the PSL Board of Governors agree to increase gate charges at their mid-season meeting.
The Premiership clubs are pressed to come up with solutions to remain viable as they are losing at least 32 percent of their home revenue before kick-off.
Some of the governors who spoke on condition of anonymity said clubs have been using the request for permission to increase their gate charges from $3 to $5 as a trial run to gauge the impact of the new charge on their supporters.
"At the end of the day clubs have to survive and with these deductions, the clubs are left ailing. There is a need to try and save football and if ever we can remain viable, we have to raise our charges so that we get a better share from the gate charges.
"We have seen how the clubs have reacted and the issue of entrance fees is going to top the agenda at the mid-season meeting," said a source.
The source said some of the matches involving the country's giants Highlanders, Dynamos and Caps United have been raised to $5.
Kennedy Ndebele, the Premiership chief executive officer, said the decision to increase charges is with the clubs.
"The minimum charge remains $3 and unless the clubs make a resolution at the mid-year meeting to increase the charges, we will continue with that amount. With the views of too much levies where clubs lose 32 percent before kicking the ball there is a need for clubs to research and come up with ways to generate revenue in and outside the stadia.
"The issue of raising gate charges has many effects because football is for the common man and we do not want to lose them because of gate charges. The bottom line is that everything lies with the clubs," said Ndebele.
The 32 percent which the clubs lose before any other cost include the local authorities' 20 percent, Zifa's six percent and the Sport and Recreation Commission's six percent.
Against a background where everyone else is coming to reap without investing in match day expenses, clubs face a bleak future.
In the past they used to take home at least 60 percent of the gross but now they bank far less than that, which is not even enough to cater for other expenses.
If relevant stakeholders do not find a solution, clubs will bleed to death.
The PSL has granted Hwange permission to hike their charges to $5 for the rest of the ground and $10 for the VIP when they play host to Highlanders in a league match tomorrow at the Colliery Stadium.
The Premiership clubs are pressed to come up with solutions to remain viable as they are losing at least 32 percent of their home revenue before kick-off.
Some of the governors who spoke on condition of anonymity said clubs have been using the request for permission to increase their gate charges from $3 to $5 as a trial run to gauge the impact of the new charge on their supporters.
"At the end of the day clubs have to survive and with these deductions, the clubs are left ailing. There is a need to try and save football and if ever we can remain viable, we have to raise our charges so that we get a better share from the gate charges.
"We have seen how the clubs have reacted and the issue of entrance fees is going to top the agenda at the mid-season meeting," said a source.
The source said some of the matches involving the country's giants Highlanders, Dynamos and Caps United have been raised to $5.
Kennedy Ndebele, the Premiership chief executive officer, said the decision to increase charges is with the clubs.
"The issue of raising gate charges has many effects because football is for the common man and we do not want to lose them because of gate charges. The bottom line is that everything lies with the clubs," said Ndebele.
The 32 percent which the clubs lose before any other cost include the local authorities' 20 percent, Zifa's six percent and the Sport and Recreation Commission's six percent.
Against a background where everyone else is coming to reap without investing in match day expenses, clubs face a bleak future.
In the past they used to take home at least 60 percent of the gross but now they bank far less than that, which is not even enough to cater for other expenses.
If relevant stakeholders do not find a solution, clubs will bleed to death.
The PSL has granted Hwange permission to hike their charges to $5 for the rest of the ground and $10 for the VIP when they play host to Highlanders in a league match tomorrow at the Colliery Stadium.
Source - chronicle
