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IT’S not just eleven players on the pitch that contribute to a club’s success.
To some on the outside, winning in football might come down to the eleven players on the pitch and the manager.
But, on the inside, how a club is managed from a business perspective is the recipe for success and it starts at the very top with a club’s owner. It can quickly go wrong if they don’t invest cash in the right areas to protect their assets.
It is poor management of player sales and recruitment that has caused them to end up in a position their over 4 000 members never imagined they would. Now that it’s due to a combination of errors made on and off the pitch.
Bosso’s fall from grace has been spectacular. Financially, they’ve got themselves into a mess. So many good players used to play there, the most recent being Mbongeni “Mbola Ndlovu and Brighton Mhanhire who went to FC Platinum for free. That was a lot of potential income they could’ve made by selling those players anywhere.
So what would it take to restore Bosso to its former glory?
They’ve recently brought in a new coach Zambian Kelvin Kaindu. They’re going to have to go back to doing what they do best, which is bring players through their academy structure. It isn’t an overnight fix. They need to find a new identity and a type of football that will get them more trophies no matter how.
These are two very contrasting case studies that show how decisions made off the pitch affect your results on it. Ngezi Platinum Stars and FC Platinum continue to go from strength to strength while the sad story of Bosso continues to decline.
Ahead of executive elections incumbent chairman Johnfat Sibanda, Kenneth Mhlophe, Nodumo Nyathi and Edison Dube have already tabled diverse ideas and strategies meant to bring back grandeur and excitement to Highlanders.
On Sunday, fans should avoid voting for personalities but vote for a vision. Ithimu yelizwe lonke must vote for minds that can use the brand of the team to generate revenue. It is scandalous that a big team like the Highlanders does not have a shop to sell memorabilia.
It is mind-boggling that Bosso has only 4 000 registered members, most of whom are not able to vote because they cannot afford to travel. A forward-thinking executive must enable online voting for the hundreds of thousands of Bosso supporters believed to be scattered around the globe. That alone will encourage them to be paid-up members. Modern football makes a killing from selling season tickets. Why is Highlanders seemingly oblivious to this revenue stream? Why are ancient management tools still being used when they are obviously not working anymore?
There are so many revenue leakages at the club and the rot starts from the top. Why is the club’s leased-out car wash yielding giving US$50 for the entire year when it makes more than that in a day? How about the car wash and other properties? Why does the club not have a trophy room or a room that showcases its rich history to attract paying historians and outsiders? These and other ideas should be implemented by the new executive.
The truth is that members have been recycling dead horses into the executive and continue doing so in the vain hope that they will get a different result.
On Sunday at the elections, a revolutionary mindset must prevail to save the once glorious team from sinking into oblivion like Zimbabwe Saints. Fans must take ownership of the club and spare us the belly-aching on social media when things go wrong. It is in their power to change the fortunes of the club on Sunday. Change may not come in one season but it can begin with sowing a good seed at the elections.
Bosso’s new executive committee will be expected to work hand in hand for the betterment of the club that has been eluded by the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League trophy for 18 years.
Online Reporter
