The way outside business interests have come to determine the football calendar has a serious bearing on the way the Premier Soccer League (PSL) runs its activities.
The corporate world’s involvement in the game is vital, but the game is in danger of degenerating to a position where quantity overrides quality, with only the sponsors as the winners.
While it may sound ungrateful to bemoan increased money in a sport whose history of financial neglect by both the previous government and financial institutions is well documented, it should be of concern that the current economic windfall is leading to a decline in playing standards.
With the advent of the Vodacom Challenge, the Telkom Charity Cup, which takes place at FNB Stadium this weekend, has lost its status as opening salvo of the season. It is probably time for the South African Football Association (Safa) to step in and demand a review of both tournaments. There is no evidence that either event elevates the game in any way.
While Telkom may vigorously and persuasively argue its noble social obligation, surely there are more creative ways to raise R3,2-million than to subject unfit players to two games in a day at the beginning of another arduous season?
Because Safa has no technical director — a post whose functions would include determining programmes and coordinating, supervising and designing the profile of the season according to national interests — the sponsors are left to dictate terms to clubs only too willing to accede to demands in return for financial gain.
Vodacom recently announced an increase and extension of its sponsorship of Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chief in a deal worth millions to each club. Embedded in those contracts is the obligation to take part in the Vodacom Challenge.
While the two club bosses may say the money they make in those eight days is more than they get in a season from gate-takings, the timing of the tournament is always going to be a problem.
It is only in this country that a club organises friendly games in the middle of a high-profile competition such as the MTN-sponsored African Champions League — and the official match is rescheduled to fit in with the friendlies.
Pirates players, who had a short enough off-season as it was, played Manchester United on a Saturday and Chiefs the following Thursday — with the fixture against Asec Mimosa, a game which, with proper planning, they could have won easily, sandwiched between on the Tuesday. It comprehensively showed how sponsors’ influence can skew the outlook of clubs.
This Saturday’s showcase is certain to draw a full house. It is more of a joyous outing for fans than anything else — standards on the pitch are unlikely to be high.
World trends show a general decline in attendances at football matches. The reasons vary from increases in ticket prices to television coverage. In South Africa, comparisons are made between football and other entertainment drawcards, such as cinema, and increased interest in other sports.
Pirates boss Irvin Khoza, reacting to a question about his club’s low attendance figures, once said: ”Our supporters are not fools; they won’t come to the stadium if the team is not winning.”
The league programme begins in the next two weeks, and it is likely the games will be played in empty stadiums. This won’t be because of competing attractions but because fans are not fools: they refuse to support a product that is not worth their money.
Extended seasons are harmful to the South African semi-professional set-up. The fitness of players is always an issue, primarily because most of them are part-timers. They do not have enough time to rest and, as a result, they are not ready for the next match.
Telkom sponsorship manager Zola Nkutha describes the charity cup as part of the company’s social responsibility programme. Maybe it’s time the telecoms giant showed responsibility towards the players.