Sponsor calls on clubs to do more to attract fans

Local football clubs must do more to attract supporters to their matches if sponsorship of the game is to continue to be justifiable. This was at the core of the message delivered yesterday by Bidvest Namibia’s director of communications, Theo Mberirua, when he spoke at the awards ceremony to honour the best achievers in the Bidvest Namibia Cup for this year. “Going forward, it is imperative that teams bring their supporters to the stadiums, so that we can justify our sponsorship,” he told the audience at the Namibia Football Association (NFA) offices yesterday. “When we talk to our bosses about sponsoring what many call the ‘People’s Game’… and yet we see pictures of empty stadiums, our bosses are bound to ask ‘Where are the people?’ That, therefore, does not give a good reflection at all,” Mberirua added. As such Mberirua appealed to all stakeholders to work together to rectify the problem. “We cannot put money to advertise in an empty stadium… [Therefore] all the partners have to give their part,” he said. Mberirua was continuing on a line of thought that was earlier touched on by NFA Secretary-General Barry Rukoro, who had made the opening remarks at the award ceremony. “I’m calling on clubs to activate their brands and solicit fans for their matches,” he had said. “As the mother body, we can only try to solicit sponsors for club competition… the work to get fans to the stadium is for the clubs.” Rukoro said such activity is needed if football is to continue enjoying its status as one of the most supported sport codes. “If everybody is not doing their part, this whole thing will collapse… So apart from training every day, your club must have people who can solicit support for your team,” he said before adding that “sponsorship follows the numbers”. The veteran football administrator had earlier applauded Bidvest Namibia Cup winners African Stars for setting the example when it comes to soliciting fans. “I want to thank the supporters, in particular the Stars fans… I don’t know if they are doing much better than anybody else in terms of activating the fans to come to the stadiums but their fans are always there in large numbers,” he stated. Mberirua said that Bidvest will soon be engaging the NFA for the renewal of its contract to sponsor the competition, which will be entering its third and final year in 2015.