Tinashe Kusema
4 July 2009
THE 16 premiership clubs agreed last night in the capital to raise the gate charges to US$3 rest of the ground up from US$1 with effect from July 11.
Security, which is normally provided by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) details becomes the "second highest beneficiary" of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) gate-takings. The premiership clubs have in turn passed on the cost to the fans.
Municipalities like Harare City Council, which owns the highest number of match venues -- Dzivarasekwa, Rufaro and Gwanzura stadiums collect 20% of gross takings, the highest amount from gate takings.
Harare City Council has proposed to collect US$33 million in ground rentals for the whole year.
Security charges will cost the premiership US$11 an hour for the highest paid officer. The new fees were tabled before last night's indaba.
The officers are paid according to their ranks.
The clubs said they were reeling from the weight of debts following the dollarisation of the economy.
Consequently, they agreed to increase the gate charges in order to recoup costs.
Other sections of the stadiums will be charged according to the profile of the matches. Clubs normally hike their gate charges, when they are playing big teams like Highlanders and Dynamos.
However they would have to be granted permission by the PSL management committee. In the past this has usually been a formality.
After the meeting, PSL chairman, Tapiwa Matangaidze, said the clubs had agreed to raise the gate charges.
"We sat down as a board and decided to grant their demands but we will be looking at other avenues to alleviate the burden on the clubs, chief of which will be looking to them to find us recruits (police officers on training) who will be hired to provide security.
The indaba heard that match attendance during the first half of the season had increased by 18% compared to the same period in the 2008 season, when 201 085 spectators watched league matches.
However overall last season there was a 50% decline in the numbers that watched premiership matches last year compared to those that went to the games in 2007.
In 2007, 850 000 fans paid to watch the domestic games, while only 447 000 went through the turnstiles last season.
The bulk of the local clubs, including traditional giants Dynamos, Highlanders and CAPS United, also depend largely on the revenue that is generated from the gates and that decline in attendance has left the viability of those clubs under severe threat ahead of the start of the 2009 season.
It remains to be seen whether the fans will warm up to the new gate charges.
While the premiership clubs agreed to raise the charges for the ZRP security details they, however, turned down the proposal by the Zimbabwe Soccer Referees' Association to increase their officiating fees.
In his report Matangaidze said two tournaments would be played this season -- Nestle Charity Shield and ABC Super8 penciled for this month.
The league sponsors from last year -- CBZ Holdings -- although not committing themselves to any figures are still the title sponsors. The prize money will be unveiled at the end of the season.
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