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Highlanders have requested an upward review of the Mbada Cup games $1 gate charge

Ricky Zililo  Sports Reporter
WITH 10 days left before the Mbada Diamonds Cup final at Barbourfields Stadium, Bulawayo giants Highlanders have requested an upward review of the $1 gate charge.
Fans have paid that amount from the first round to the semi-final matches.
Highlanders take on How Mine in the mega-rich Mbada Diamonds Cup final on the last day of the month.
This is not the first time that Highlanders have written to the Premier Soccer League highlighting their concern over the measly gate charges.

In the run-up to the quarter-finals, efforts by clubs to have the gate charges reviewed upwards hit a brick wall with the sponsors pledging to cater for losses incurred after the matches.

Four quarter-finalists Dynamos, Highlanders, Chicken Inn and How Mine wrote to the Premier Soccer League requesting for permission to increase gate charges for their matches saying the $1 charge was not viable as they have other operational costs like hiring of training grounds and their other day-to-day activities.

The requests came after the first round double header at Barbourfields Stadium raised a net profit of $451 that was shared by four clubs.
Since the clubs were meant to share the gate takings, each of the four clubs received about $112 only.

In an interview yesterday, Highlanders’ chairman Peter Dube confirmed putting their request in writing and saying it was their hope that they would get a favourable answer.

“This is a final and if you look worldwide teams generate revenue from the gate charges outside the prizemoney and that is what we also want to do. Money generated from the gate charges can carry us through for some of our operations. This being a final, its value has appreciated and I am sure even the people who want to get this football product appreciate this and that is why we have requested for an upward review of these charges,” said Dube.

The Bosso chairman also believes undesirable elements could find their way into the stadium.
According to information obtained from the local authority, clubs pay $18 per hour to access White City Stadium and $45 for Barbourfields Stadium for training sessions.

There are three Premiership clubs in Bulawayo which are Highlanders, How Mine and Chicken Inn and all use the two facilities for their training.

Their training sessions are normally two hours long but they tend to have double sessions when there are crucial games meaning that they pay more to access the facilities.

Sources within the organising committee revealed that last year’s finalists Dynamos and Monomotapa took home at least $30 000 each from gate takings after all service providers had been paid.

It is against this background that Highlanders want the gate charges to be reviewed upward so that they boost their coffers.
The Castle Lager Premiership chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele confirmed receipt of Highlanders’ letter.

“Highlanders have requested for the review of gate charges and we will forward their concerns to the sponsors. Once the sponsors respond, we will let Highlanders know the outcome,” said Ndebele.

Meanwhile, the Mbada Diamonds Cup organising committee chairman Tafadzwa Chiremba said they were yet to receive the request.
“We are yet to get that request but once we get hold of it, then we will respond to it. I cannot comment any further on the issue but what I can say is that we want to make sure that the Mbada Diamonds Cup runs smoothly,” said Chiremba.

The sponsors have heavily boosted the tournament by increasing prize money for the winners to a whopping $130 000 making it the richest competition in the land. Last year winners pocketed $70 000 and with the sponsors keen to maintain the competition as the biggest cup tournament of the year, it was only fair that they beat the $120 000 for the BancABC Sup8r Cup winners.

The winners will get an additional $110 000 subsidy to fund their participation in the Caf Confederation Cup. Clubs that have done well in the past two editions have represented the country in the African club second tier competition.

This year’s runners-up will take home $90 000.
Mbada Diamonds also cater for the teams’ transport, accommodation and food. Apart from that players earn $100 participation fees with the seven-member technical department having each member pocket $150.

Members of the media involved with the selection of the outstanding players get $100 each. The top goalscorer at the end of the tournament will receive $1 000 along with the best goalkeeper. The most outstanding player is guaranteed $1 500 while the most disciplined team is assured of $1 000 and medals.

All the teams that participated in the competition got 30 tracksuits, a similar number of warm up jerseys and 30 pairs of playing kit each.