Disquiet with sponsors over unpaid salaries
Courtesy of michezoafrika.com
With less than six months before Gor Mahia’s contractual engagement with sponsors Tuzo comes to an end, it now appears that there is disquiet within the club as the sponsors are said not to have paid players’ salaries and allowances for the last two months.
According to Coach Zdravko Logarusic and his assistant John Bobby Ogolla, the players are crying out as they are less motivated with the fact that their monies have not been remitted as agreed. In protest to this, Gor Mahia players put on bibs on top of their jerseys when they played the friendly match against Sofapaka at the City Stadium.
“We do not want to become the second Rangers. Gor Mahia is a big club and I think we need a serious sponsor; a sponsor who will grow with us and grow with our success. As far as I am concerned Tuzo are business people who are not football orientated. I have talked to the management and the players have been begging me to talk to them. We need a serious sponsor on board,” Coach Zdravko Logarusic said on Wednesday morning.
According to Team Captain Jerry Onyango who did not want to indulge much in the affair, the players’ September salary was paid by the Chairman from his own pocket.
“Of course we are disappointed that we have not received our salaries. The Chairman paid us from his own pocket last month and we do not know what is going to happen this month. However, we want to do our part as players and give our all in the remaining three matches,” Jerry said.
“The players are suffering and at this stage we are in as a club, we cannot be doing that. We won the KPL Top 8 tournament and the sponsor never even appreciated us. The Tuzo Logo was all over the media but they never even gave 100 Shillings per player to say congratulations,” Logarusic laments.
Speaking separately, Club Secretary General George Bwana said they are also disappointed but are working on the situation at a managerial level.
“We are talking with them and we hope we are going to have some solution to this. Of course we are disappointed also but I want to assure everyone that we will find a solution to this,” Bwana says.
The Gor-Tuzo contract is set to expire in April.
yajowa ! what the hell is this ? why bring up this issue at this time when the team is preparing psychologically for a potential championship winning game. This is undue stress on our players. Let us tear aprt the tuzo contract in Piblic so that all other sponsors can learn a lesson that football is serious business……for so long i have always wondered why gor mahia went into this contract and which is this stupid lawyer who drafted the contract anyway? shame on us for being duped
This is quite disappointing from the Tuzo company! any agreement made should be acknowledged with due respect, not entrusting our beloved club on the hands of the ungrateful people. If Tuzo is not interested in paying up our players then they should come on lime-light and let us know what they are upto. I’m not pleased at all.
Why don’t we fill the stadium on sunday with our players in our real colour, without tuzo branded on their shirts so that the so called sponsors can know people? Or better still, why can’t the club withdraw from this dubious contract?
Tuzo wakwende huko! First, they corrupted our colours, secondly they have never appreciated the players for good performance in top 8 and in the league and thirdly and the most irritating one, they haven’t paid the players their dues. Why is it that only gor are labouring to honor their side of the contract while the so called sponsors are breaching it day in day out. Ec please acheni upuzi! Tuzo need us as much as they feel we need them. Tugutuke bwana!
tuzo out this was a cheat anyway let them leave and we have other suitors where does gate collection go to?????????????????????????????????????????????????????
we can do without them
Guys, as you comment about this, be careful with the language not to scare away potential suitors. Lugarusic has had wrong choice of words when dealing with this issue. I still believe this is a management issue and not a coaching issue. He should have complained and left it there for the EC to do the work in the board rooms.
Let us be careful and avoid unnecessary demos about this issue because in any case, we need a sponsor. Be calm and civil about it. Don’t bring politics in it. We should be blaming the EC for not spending time to look at other suitors. They are plenty and 25m or 30m per year is nothing to companies like Keroche, DHL, Airtel, Safaricom, Tusker, Fedex, Standard Chartered, Barclays, KCB, Kenya Airways etc
Before we trash the contract we should know what it says. Anybody who knows one or two things about contracts knows fully what litigation against a breach would entail. Why don’t we let the contact lapse and then we make the next moves. Otherwise, what we need to do is to raise the gate charges for the sunday game to 300/= for the terraces in order to reward the boys. Meanwhile let us also be of the best behaviour as fans to attract some credible sponsors. The truth is that the behaviour of some of our fans scares off potential sponsors. The car you bang and dent on the streets after a GM game could belong to a decision maker of a potential xponsor
@Dan, very level headed contribution from you. Raise gate charges and take the difference as incentive to players. I still think the gate charges in Gor games are below average. Collection from Simba Vs Yanga for one match at Uwanja wa Taifa(and I have watched these a number of times is over Kshs 33m which is close to what we are getting as two year sponsorship. We are happy to announce Kshs 4.5m as collection for AFC and Gor match. This is a joke!! What is the purchasing power parity between the two countries.
Two weeks ago I watched Kaduna United playing Enyimba and the collection was mind boggling but you can argue that there is oil money here. However, remember these games are played in Aba or Enugu which is far from the capitals like Lagos and Abuja where there is money.
First thing, raise the gate charges for GM home games to weed out those trouble makers. Unrully fans must be picked and detained in cells for the weekend. There is urgent need to redeem the bad image GM fans have out there. Who allows alcohol and bhang inside stadium?? These things can be detected at the entrance.
I saw Tusker selling beer during Stars Vs Bafana game but it was so organised. The price of can was such that you need to spend heavily in order to be drunk. That should be the idea. There must be no spirits inside there. They dont add value to the game. The spirit companies dont pay sponsorship fees. The bhang sellers dont pay anything as sponsorship for the game.
Good Thinking..and i come back to basics of corporate management. Gor Mahia EC is the mgt. face, Log is the playing face(field marshall) and of course has done good with his team. Let EC wake up and be professional..this should not leak out as a problem..communicate solutions
There you go….I said it many times on this blog. Gor can run itself, we have the fan base. Lets charge appropriately and we’ll raise enuff before sponsors chip in. We can start this Sunday. This way the bang smokers will be kept out of the stadium. They don’t pay anyway..
The coach talking to sponsors? That’s a new one. Was he filling a void? Why is the snake biting with its tail?
At long last I can now understand our below par performance of late: how else can the boys perform if they are unsure of their next meal and bills while their coach is doubling coaching duties with player welfare issues? Now I understand.
Can we be assured that if we filled the stadium on Sunday, then the proceeds would be channeled towards sorting the players out?
If I were a potential sponsor and I saw Gor Mahia family tearing down everything TUZO, I will look for the nearest route to my bedroom, cut all my communication links and hide under the bed never to be contacted by anyone Gor Mahia. How we handle this crisis will make or break our chances with future sponsors. EC this is what we call maintaining a fist with a bee in it. Don’t open that hand however hot the sting, until the contract expires.
@Barefoot. I like this saying ‘maintaining a fist with a bee in it’. Unfortunately some of our fans have very poor judgement. Don’t be surprised at them name-calling anything Tuzo, claiming they can do without a sponsor as they did 10 years ago. This is 2012 and things have changed. If we conduct ourselves with decorum then I can assure you we will get the best deal in Kenya. After all sponsorship is about reaching the fans and we lead on that front
We should look for a serious sponsor with no political connections
It is now coming out clearly that the sponsrship agreement had some gaps which should now open eyes of negotiators incase another sponsor comes nocking. Tuzo has chosen to hit us bellow the belt at the real hour of need, I thank the chair for stepping in promtly to avert any crisis and reactionary incidences. I hope the players understand thus keeping a positive morale to the remaining crucial matches. Please it remains winning the next game.
HANDLE ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS ADMINISTRATIVELY
I sincerely empathise from the situation our boys find themselves in.
The reason why we elect officials is to handle such adminstrative matters. Consider this. General Bwana has not raised an alarm over this issue till the time Logarusic went to the press. The coach is now arguing the case on behalf of his players and the men and women we have elected to do the work went mum only plotting the next loot over the weekend. Shame on you !
Whilst I thank chairman AA for his kind gesture, this should not be happening to us. we should not be held at ransom by moneyed guys like AA. I cannot at this stage apportion blame to our sponsors before they come out to explain this payout delay. Pgarusic should also concentrate on his work and leave the officials to do their part. Our supporters are intelligent enough to know who is failing us.
Our coach Logarusic has missed it here. Where on earth an employee shouts at the sponsors even if it is a meagre sponsorship?
Who negotiated the deal? it is the entire office to be blamed on this matter. Our secretary is just sleeping waiting to steal from gate collections. Other officials like Kilo, Nyadenga, OJ, Faiz etc are busy on what is to be looted in the next match.
Our beloved chairman is nowhere to look at all the legal implications on the sponsor’s agreement! Where are we heading as a team?
Many times we have made good proposals on where to take the club but all these have fallen into deaf hears.
Most of our fans too have to be blamed for always messing up the club!
Our coach stands to be accused for usurping his mandate in handing administrative matters like being a trade unionist. The coach’s work is to coach the team and instil discipline which I thinking is lacking due to huge support of the coach by fans. Logarusic should stop this nonsense of acting like Atwoli of COTU.
Finally, it is my prayers that Almighty God will touch and change the hearts of all the stakeholders in Gor Mahia in the mighty name of Jesus Christ…Amen
Good comments from each of you bloggers. as far as am concerned, It is untimely, un proffessional from both parties i.e. Sponsors and EC spitting on each other. If the root cause was the TOKELEZEA NA JALE thing, I believe that this had nothing to do with the clubs imagery towards in regard to Branding agreement infact the promo came at a point when we needed a reconciliatory atmosphere with our AFC brothers. The Jackets are countable infact who would wear a jacket when most games are played at 3.00 o’oclock? numbered times when we palyed on floodlights.
To me it’s a way of tailing back from sponsors but much more chickening out for a possible extension. we all know the motive behind this, read next year…..
All in all I support Dan@ 4 on increasing Gate collections.
Ksh 300 – 400(terraces) Ksh 1000 (VIP). This would will be enshrined on how extremely we would love the Club!!!!!!!!lets see.
This is stupid as well as political… why did the EC reject Safaricom offer which was much bigger than Tuzo’s????
These buggers (Tuzo) MUST honor their side of the contract, we are ordering not requesting… I am so pissed off that this is coming at a time when we need our great players to be in their best morale…
On Sunday i will go back to my old ways.. i will retreave my sling and helmet from my store ready to tear and destroy anything Tuzo if they will have not solved this!!! Ngoja Tu!
Good comments from each of you bloggers. as far as am concerned, It is untimely and un proffessional from both parties i.e. Sponsors and EC spitting on each other. If the root cause was the TOKELEZEA NA JALE thing, I believe that this had nothing to do with the clubs imagery towards and in regard to Branding agreement, infact the promo came at a point when we needed a reconciliatory atmosphere with our AFC brothers. The Jackets are countable infact who would wear a jacket when most games are played at 3.00 o’oclock? numbered times do we play on floodlights.
To me it’s a way of tailing back from sponsors but much more chickening out for a possible extension. we all know the motive behind this, read next year…..
All in all I support Dan@ 4 on increasing Gate collections.
Ksh 300 – 400(terraces) Ksh 1000 (VIP). This would /will be enshrined on how extremely we would love the Club!!!!!!!!lets see.
Gor Mahia what’s up again?I believe we will handle this matter of sponsorship soberly.Surely the behaviour of some of our fans is appalling and we need to change this!!!!!!!!!!.The bang smoker and seller who frequents the Stadium for the GM games is not only harming our image but also causing disquiet among potential sponsors.
The EC needs to approach this issue carefully and I see no problem Logarusic being involved in the negotiations as he is aware of best practices in Europe and elsewhere and how these issues are supposed to be handled.Please keep him close to the negotiations so that he can also sort out the technical bench with the sponsors as currently they are not covered under this lopsided contract.Even the deal AFC signed with Mumias is a serious one and we should look for something much better than that.
I wish the team the very best as I am away and will be watching the game on Television under the Sofa set branch.GOD Bless K’ogalo.
I don’t think Loga has missed anything here. For people who have acted as guides and or teachers you will understand how hard it is to guide a hungry person and in this case you’re talking about football, a physical game that needs feeding and proper feeding..as such loga is in direct confrontation with hungry players who not only are expected to be in training on time but to also train hard and smart “hungry”.
I risk being branded the usual suspect attacking the EC regularly but look at it this way.
1. Had we been stewards of the fan gate charges would we have not saved some penny for these rainy days?
2.As Barefoot puts it..how sure are we that the sunday gate collections will promote the club in anyway leave alone the players welfare?
3.There were some romours that the Jalee thing was not a welcome idea from the sponsors side..could it be the reason for a cold feet from TUZO? Remember our EC is composed of politicians who can really hype things to make the other guys look that bad..please do not abuse TUZO we all do not know whether its the Jalee thing or anything related to next years elections.
As much as we might not agree with the coach, when the boys perform dismally before we attack the EC the coach will always be the first one to be called names, asked to resign, pelted with stones the Gor way etc etc. All we can do is to exercise caution since this issue with Tuzo is being watched by some potential sponsors as their golden chance to come in. Therefore how we handle it will determine who comes in. From the grapevine a bigger sponsor is eyeing GM but the behaviour of our fans at times discourages them. The ‘jalee’ deal why is it not affecting Ingwe and how comes some of us put on adidas, including the team during training and I have never heard any complaints. The sponsor and the EC must know that there is a gap to be filled and that’s why we have t-shirts being printed and sold from Kariobangi, Jalees came because there was a market for them. Therefore unless the EC and the sponsor look beyond their noses then someone will provide us with Gor key rings, caps, umbrella, wrist bands, helmets, flags etc. For us fans and players it could be about the next match but not the EC and sponsor. They must have a strategy for the next six months, 1 or 5 years etc.
Anyway, let’s not be distracted by this as we have a bigger battle in front of us.
If Tuzo has not honored its part of the deal then I can only say that this is quite unfair and detrimental to the growth of Football in the Country. My hope is that there is no Political overtones in this for we know who are the owners of Tuzo. I can only appeal to them and say Come on guys be Kenyan and patriotic for that matter. K’ogalo go for a win and for the Title. Let us come out in large numbers and support our team to the hilt.
Peace and Unity at this critical time of the season,at this time we need every body,we are going to battle field we have fought a good fight,we came from far up to this level plz Longarus Motivate the playing unit u are like there father.leave some issues with the office show that u are different from this our local coaches, We want see a bold line btwn you and our local coaches. There must be protocol.I as a supporter of Gor thanks every body for support we need it than before even from Tuzo we thank you for support. Our office must have big dreams for the club than going for s mall companies for sponsorships. Contracts must be signed by lawyers not Kilo a Fish monger from Naivasha.
Above all bloggers we God at this critical time to give us victory over Tusker on Sunday 28 October 2012. It is my prayer that our heavenly father,
“Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”
We will praise You, O LORD, after victory over Tusker with our whole hearts; We will tell of all Your marvelous works.
Now I beg you, brethren and blooggers, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for our victory.
We will return Glory, Honour, Praises and Thanksgivings in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour…..AMEN
So bloggers, despite the problems afflicting our club, we should never let disappointments cause us to lose hope, for God is always with us. Therefore my fellow bloggers and friends, REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS. I WILL SAY AGAIN REJOICE. Amen!(PHILIPPIANS 4:4)
How come Bwana is arranging an harambee 2 buy a car wen players have not been paid.Something does not add up.Again EC is our weakest link.
First and foremost we must appreciate the fact that Tuzo has so far done a good job. Just ask yourself if we are struggling financially as a club, what if we dint have a sponsor? These issues can be solved amicably within the management so that the players are not affected. The morale should not go down at all at this crucial moment.
Bwana Alando Bwoga,you have raised very important issues on how some of these things can be debated.I clearly see that the goal is to separate the playing unit and the Executive. This has provoked a thought in my mind, We have had experiences when the two units have muddled themselves up in issues, is there a way that sessions could be held between the two so that they would know their boundaries for better management and results on the pitch. This would create more responsibility on both sides.Secondly, We are always being accused as goons, is there something being done to change this perception?