PSL: Time to change how things are done

• Published date: 12 December 2022
• Publication title: The Sunday Mail

The Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League season came to an end a few weeks ago, and did so amid the roar of global fanfare generated by the onset of the World Cup.

This meant that the long-awaited coronation of FC Platinum as champions was drowned out by the roar of upsets and knockout blows from Qatar.

The subsequent announcement of the Soccer Star of the Year, and the awards ceremony that went with it was also affected by the same noise. For those who missed it, Walter Musona of FC Platinum was named Soccer Star of the Year at a glitzy ceremony held in the capital last weekend.

In the end, the winners celebrated their achievements, and those who did not win were left to consider the possibilities.

We are now officially off season in Zimbabwe, and, to be honest, for the majority of fans, this means very little these days.

Judging by the apathy at the local grounds every weekend, the fans just could not care less. This rest period presents an opportunity for football stakeholders to come together and have deep and meaningful conversation.

It should be one that could result in incisive corrective actions for the sport, which is sliding off fans' radar quicker than Germany exiting a World Cup.

Here are some opportunities we can start talking about, and which need to be addressed for the good of the local game.

Painful actions must be taken.

Football has surprisingly maintained a 'business as usual' stance despite fans staying away in droves.

At this rate, they will stop coming altogether. This is a disaster for the local game.

Local clubs will suffer from using communal grounds for their games.

This means the teams cannot customise their match day experience, with some teams waiting to use the same facility.

We end up with a situation where the available grounds (the National Sports Stadium in Harare and Barbourfields in Bulawayo) are utilised faster than they can recover sufficiently to create a good playing surface.

At the same time, each game is prepared for in the same way as the next one.

Sponsors, club owners, fan representatives, football leaders, the media and sports lovers in the country must put their heads together and identify the problems.

They must come up with inclusive solutions that will result in joy for the fans, the sponsors and, most importantly, the clubs.

At the moment, running a football club is largely a thankless job, one that costs the owners massive amounts with no return in sight.

No fans means no gate takings and no viewers for pitch-side adverts...