Points to ponder if we want to improve football; When the environment is enabling, families will turn up at the stadia to watch matches

The KPL Trophy being displayed by models. [PHOTO: BONIFACE OKENDO]

A conservative figure of the worth of Kenyan football is between Sh800 million to Sh 1billion. Can it get bigger? Yes. Independent sources indicate Kenyan football industry is worth much more than that. Without being idealistic, Kenyan football can grow if certain basic things are made right.

The Kenyan Premier League (KPL) gets around Sh250 million from sponsorship and broadcast rights from East African Breweries Limited and SuperSport.

The 16 clubs command an average shirt sponsorship of Sh10 million each, the highest being Sofapaka’s Sh35 million deal with East African Portland Cement, followed by AFC Leopards’ Sh30 million deal with Mumias Sugar Company Limited.

Since losing their Sh28 million shirt deal with Tuzo, Gor Mahia, who boast of being the most popular club in the region, have no sponsor.

Gate takings count for a very negligible amount, except during a Gor Mahia and Leopards derby, when gate collection can be Sh5 million.

Indeed, teams with less following like Chemelil, Nairobi City Stars, Muhoroni and the lot depend on Gor and Leopards to hit the magical million-shilling figure from the gates.

City Stars do not have a shirt sponsor, not because of the baggage associated with Gor. It is unthinkable that a team in the Premier League does not have a shirt sponsor with all the attendant free advertising given the popularity of the league.

Scientific research shows the cumulative Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE) for KPL clubs — that is what they would be paying the mass media, print and electronic combined — is in the region of Sh4 to Sh5 billion.

At the moment, the companies associated with football, well known to the general public, are East African Breweries and SuperSport, at the top level, Airtel’s Rising Stars, Coca Cola with their Copa Cola Tournament and UAP.

It is curious that other blue chip companies like Safaricom, Toyota, General Motors, Samsung, etc are withholding their money away from this lucrative market.

Kenyan Premier League Company must get the basics right and follow their own rules. But the government ought to wake up to the reality that football is a Sh10 billion shilling industry and improve infrastructure, which will translate into better facilities at the stadia.

When the environment is enabling, right and comfortable, families will turn up at the stadia to watch matches. Television companies need numbers, which will translate into bigger sponsorship.

Recent development have proven that attendance by more women in stadia has made the league popular. Add the younger fans and the figures are mind-boggling.

But are there comfortable ablution facilities, which, naturally, make the fairer sex fell at home? With security available, reputable fast food franchise will troop in our stadia and the youth and women will have good reason to attend matches.

When the environment is right, big corporates will venture in hospitality suites, which are currently missing. Corporate chiefs have few places to unwind while entertaining their clients as they sample some premium scotch whiskey and quality wines.

You do not expect these guys who control the money  needed by football to come to some dusty stadia and sit on torn chairs. Add this to governance issues and maintaining a lean quality league, ensuring referees are left to do their job and investing in the youth, and I can see our football growing in leaps and bounds.

— The writer is the Senior Associate Editor, Sports ([email protected])

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