Super League of Malawi, Sulom will emphasize on Club’s financial welfare in the 2024 season which is kicking off this weekend, April 6, 2024.
Newly elected President, Colonel Gilbert Mitawa who replaced Fleetwood Haiya unopposedly during the Extraordinary General Meeting on Saturday in Lilongwe said the league governing body has developed strategies that will help the Clubs financially.
Sulom will, starting this season, be using an electronic ticketing system to curb gate revenue fraud which has been a chronic foul that Clubs have been crying from.
“We want to increase the money that goes to the Clubs,” said Mittawa. “As we are starting this season, we are starting using the Electronic Ticketing (E-ticketing] system, pretty much to make sure that we minimize the leakages that we incur in gates and that the money that goes to the teams us substantial to help us promote the game.”
Super League Clubs have been falling for Electronic ticketing for a while, backing it to increase the gate revenues saying that there have been a lot of gate frauds during the games.
Mittawa revealed that Sulom will increase the gate charges for the games in the 2024 Season to increase the revenues for the teams.
Class A matches like Blantyre Derby, Silver Strikers vs FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers vs Silver Strikers will be selling at MK4000 while the cheapest games will be selling at MK2000 and he backed the development saying that the move is in line with the current economic situation in the country.
“We have had devaluation and inflation in the country, so we need to raise the revenues for the teams and players who are the main beneficiaries of the gate revenues,” he said.
“Games that we categorize as Class A matches will be selling at MK4000, Class B at MK3000, and Class C at MK2000 [Open Stands]
It has also been revealed that teams are expected to get 30% each from the gate revenues this season.
in November 2023, both the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) and its affiliate Suloe rejected Super League clubs’ request to reduce their 10 percent shares from gate collections. FAM and Sulom turned down the request when it was tabled during the association’s annual general meeting (AGM).
The Super League Clubs have been demanding that the 10 percent shares that FAM and the Super League of Malawi (Sulom) get are not justified as they have other means of generating revenue. They argue that the cuts that go to the two institutions could help teams boost their coffers.
Last year, Malawi National Council of Sports Chairperson, Sunduzwayo Madise said the Council had plans to introduce a minimum gate revenue threshold from which the council and Football Association of Malawi (FAM) can get their shares.
Mittawa during the EGM said the discussions are underway with the Sports Council and FAM and he is hopeful that the teams will be getting 30% each.
“As we stand today, the position is firm and the [Super League] teams will be getting 30% but as for Policy and strategic plans, we have left it to FAM. They [FAM] are talking to the Sports Council and other stakeholders on how they are going to manage the affairs but from Sulom’s point of view, we presented the issue during the FAM Executive Committee Meeting and we are assured that teams will be sharing 60% of the gate revenues,” he added.
The development means that teams will be sharing 60 %, raising 10% from the previous cut.
