CLUBS MUST DO MORE TO PULL CROWDS

The quality of Namibian football has improved drastically, but the fact that these matches are poorly attended should be a worry to the league authorities, but more especially the clubs themselves.

The first leg of the MTC Namibia Premier League (NPL) will close this weekend and despite the fact that there are top notch performances from some of these teams, the majority of the fans do not make an effort to see their teams in action.

The venues are a bit of a concern because at times the Independence Stadium is used for some top-deck matches, which practically discourages fans from especially Katutura and Khomasdal to follow their teams.

The point is, teams lose revenue due to poor match attendance and both the league authorities and the sponsors feel undervalued for their efforts in having the matches played.

Teams should instead take the lead to sensitise their fans on what their support means for the team.

League administrators can only create a conducive environment for these matches to take place, but the onus rests on clubs to do proper marketing and pull crowds.

Some teams are consistently engaged with the media to make known their activities and why the fans must attend, but some simply do not bother.

The challenge for the next round for clubs is aggressive marketing.

Football clubs are brands to effectively draw the attention of their fans.

Fans will respond swiftly, if they are put at the front as the most important people in the affairs of their team.

So, clubs should look at ways how to capture the attention of their fans and keep them captivated for the rest of the season, also through other activities such as fundraisers and fun or family days and so forth.

A sense of belonging must be created by club authorities as that brings out the pride in fans.

The authorities should also realise that players put in a lot of hours during training and in the end also feel appreciated if there is a respectable number of spectators to watch them play. In fact, they perform much better if there is an encouraging support base behind them.

The league can perhaps also introduce a system where teams are rewarded for their efforts in drawing crowds to the stadiums. Football can only become more exciting and the quality of the game will further improve.

click to enlarge Corry Ihuhua