Gwanda Ramblers not down and out

Newly revived Gwanda Ramblers Football Club is not down and out following their expulsion from the ZIFA Central Zone first Division midway through the just ended season due to lack of sponsorship.

According to the club Secretary Mr Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo, the club is still alive and well posed for a full revival. "The club was expelled from the ZIFA central region division one for the ended season only due to lack of sponsorship but we will certainly be back and alive in the second division in the new season."

According to Maduma Fuzwayo, the club could not get definite sponsorship in the very expensive First Division after the club could not strike standing deals with business people in the town. "We had about three very good promises for sponsorship at the start of the season but two of them withdrew at the last minute due to some sudden effects to their business operations."

"One prospective sponsor had a break in at his shop and lost a substantial amount of money at the start of the season and so could no longer be in a position to plough into the team. Another of our prospective sponsors had a huge fall out with the local Municipality over a commercial stand which he wanted to use to expand his investments in the town and so felt he was being short changed by the very community he was investing into heavily. We were therefore left with one sponsor Oasis Hardware who planted heavily into the club even beyond what he had pledged to plough in resulting in the club failing to complete its affiliation fees and pay referees." Explained Mr Maduma

At the time that the club was expelled from the league, they had played 10 games won 6 lost 2 and drew 2 and was sitting comfortably on 4th position on the log just 6 points behind eventual winners Chapungu FC. The club had also managed to full fill all its fixtures with the help of well wishers like Alpha Construction, Talk of Gwanda Restaurant and Bar, Boogies Enterprises, Mars Fruit and Veggies, Millie's Restaurant and some members of the executive committee and individuals according to Mr Maduma Fuzwayo.

As a way forward, Mr Maduma indicated that the club will hold an executive committee meeting next week, followed by a stakeholders meeting and a community meeting at Jahunda where a detailed report of the past season will be tabled together with plans for the new season. "Negotiations are currently in place with a prospective sponsor who is awaiting the budget for the second division which we will only finalise after meeting all stakeholders and the community and resolutions on the way forward made".

"This time we do not want to make the same mistakes we made in the ended season. We need to consult intensively and make sure we have everything in place before the beginning of the season. As it is already our budget must start from a minus as we have a few debts to settle from last season some of which are now already due for litigation." Mr Maduma urged the Gwanda community and all stakeholders to come in their numbers when called for the meetings where all the issues around Gwanda Ramblers will be discussed intensively and transparently. He added that it is disappointing that Gwanda as the Provincial Capital of Matebeleland South is being out done by Plumtree and Beitbridge who have had Premier League teams. He reiterated that the dream of having a premier league team from Gwanda by 2016 is still Ramblers' priority despite the short comings of the past season.