Polack: Salary issues are slowing us down
Gor Mahia coach Steve Polack thinks that salary issues could jeopardize Gor Mahia’s 2019-2020 KPL campaign
Additional reporting from the Nation
Gor Mahia coach Steven Polack has raised concerns over lack of motivation in his playing unit due to unpaid salaries for the last four months.
K’Ogalo, who have won back-to-back Kenyan Premier League titles in the last three seasons, are on top of the log with 25 points, four ahead of second-placed Tusker with a game in hand.
The 18-time champions settled for a goalless draw with Ulinzi Stars at the weekend and Polack is worried that if the current financial situation persists it will impact negatively on the results.
“To win matches we have to sort all this issues so that players can concentrate. The league is very competitive and we have to get focused so as to win our matches,” Polack told Nation Sport on Monday.
Gor have had a rough patch financially since the exit of their shirt sponsors Sportpesa with players barely surviving on hand-outs from the management.
Reports indicate key players are on their way out. Defender Maurice Ojwang had written to the club requesting his release letter while captain Kenneth Muguna was conspicuously missing for the second game in a row during their weekend’s encounter.
Kipkirui has been away sorting out personal problems
Nicholas Kipkirui, whose Kogalo career rocketed to a promising start last season, has seen his form significantly dip this season and has often been left out of the line-up by coach Polack. Many fans have questioned why he is not being given opportunities. Coach Polack explained that Kipkirui has been beset by personal issues which he was sorting out.
“It is true he had personal problems but I guess now they are sorted out and he is ready to return, I will monitor him again in training and will see what happens.” said the coach to goal.com
Polack said that he was capable of detecting when a player’s form dips due to off the field issues.
“I watch these players in training every day, I see if they are good in training or bad, and sometimes they [players] have personal problems that affect them when they are playing and you cannot field such a player,” Polack told goal.com
“If they have personal problems, then I give them time to sort out the issues they are facing and then I see them again when they return to training because that is part of my job.
Polack also said Gor Mahia are keen to finish the first leg of the league at the top of the 17-team table.
“We want to finish at the top and our target is to win the matches we have ahead of us,” Polack continued.
“We tried our best to get maximum points against Ulinzi Stars but they opted to play a defensive game, which was difficult for us to break down. They played from the back and denied us access to play our flowing game.” he concluded.
Polack needs to inject confidence back to Kipkirui. A striker without confidence is inneffective
There is a lot of division and opaqueness among Gor Mahia official. Fans have never seen M-Pesa statement for Paybill No.350100. Why give money to a club which can’t account for money received?
Who has ever seen M-Pesa statement for Paybill No.350100?
Helping this club is impossible due to vested interests, lack of transparency and accountability. For example M-pesa statement for paybill 350100 has never been released nor a breakdown of how much is received through the paybill number and expenditure has ever been made public.
We tried to help this situation by fundraising but we were branded fraudsters. So, the coach and players should learn to survive without salary.
Gor Mahia Augmenting Fund
Gor Mahia Augmentin Fund is a nonpolitical, cross-cultural group of Gor Mahia F. C. fans worldwide with an objective of mobilizing a sustainable fund to improve the welfare of Gor Mahia F. C. players and coaches.
Mission: To be an affiliate of Gor Mahia football club that will innovate strategies for financial stability and consolidate a stable, responsible fanbase.
Vision: A model fund that will strengthen and elevate Gor Mahia to become the leading football club in Africa.
The Fund targets to reach at least 25000 K’Ogalo supporters who can contribute 200/- annual membership fee and then 125/- per month or 1700/- per year. The money will enable Gor Mahia to pay salaries and medical insurance for the players.
F.C. Barcelona, which is one of the most successful football clubs in the world operates under the same model.
Barcelona has 155000 fans who pay 140 Euros (15,820/-) per year. This totals to KES 2.3 B annually.
K’Ogalo fans, let us join hands and be the sponsors of our club.
Join Gor Mahia Augmentin Fund and together we can raise our support for Gor Mahia F. C. to a higher level.
With Gor Mahia Augmentin Fund, you pay only 200/- annual membership fee and 125/- per month. All the money goes to:
1. Pay the players’ salaries.
2. Pay NSSF and NHIF for our players.
3. Finance Gor Mahia’s signing of the best players in Africa.
To contribute:
KCB Pay Bill 522522
Account 1267562560 Then forward M-PESA message to 0748844410
For more information text 0748844410
GMAF Caring for K’Ogalo Boldly, Transparently and Directly.
Follow this link to join my WhatsApp group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/K3c9AtUyg2GHHzNnTXu1kQ
Gor Mahia Augmenting Fund
“Caring for our team boldly, openly and directly”.
Currently GMAF has 60 Contributors.
The total Contributions- kes.77,920/-
KCB Pay Bill 522522 Account 1267562560
https://chat.whatsapp.com/K3c9AtUyg2GHHzNnTXu1kQ
For the club to gain trust, confidence and contribution from fans, the following need to be done:-
1. Monthly M-Pesa statement for paybill 350100 and certified authentic receipts showing expenditure
2.Monthly bank statements of the club showing deposits, withdrawals and expenditure
3.Breakdown of gate collections for every match played and authenticated receipts showing expenditure
4. Money received from sale of players, sponsor and other well wishers plus authenticated documents showing expenditure
4. Annual audited accounts
NB: The above should be regularly posted in Gor Mahia website for members. Their is also need for the club on former coach Oktay’s allegation on Turkish airlines to help the club build a stadium.
There is also need for the club to respond on former coach Oktay’s allegation on Turkish airlines to help the club build a stadium.
Gor Mahia Augmentin Fund is not a fraudulent outfit. On the contrary, this initiative by Gor Mahia F. C. fans is a well-thought out project that is founded on transparency, accountability and responsiveness. Three core values that are so hard to find in our society today. GMAF seeks to fill the gap that has existed between Gor Mahia F. C. management and fans who wish to support the club financially, but also need to see how that money is accounted and the difference it is bringing to the club.
We thank God that through Gor Mahia Augmentin Fund, such fans are now giving and so far contributions have come from as far as Uganda, USA and Italy. Thanks to GMAF, K’Ogalo is richer as at now, by some KES 83000 as reflected in the following list:
1. GMAF00001 5,100/-
2. GMAF00002 6,800/-
3. GMAF00003 1,700/-
4.GMAF00004 575/-
5.GMAF00005. 750/-
6.GMAF00006 3,400/-
7.GMAF00007 2,300/-
8.GMAF00008 1,450/-
9. GMAF00009 1,000/-
10.GMAF00010 1,500/-
11.GMAF00011 3,400/-
12.GMAF00012 825/-
13.GMAF00013 325/-
14.GMAF00014 325/-
15.GMAF00015 2,250/-
16.GMAF00016 450/-
17.GMAF00017 1,350/-
18.GMAF00018 450/-
19.GMAF00019 1,000/-
20. GMAF00020 5,000/-
21.GMAF00021 325/-
22.GMAF00022 1,000/-
23.GMAF00023 1,700/-
24. GMAF00024. 530/-
25. GMAF00025 575/-
26. GMAF00026 200/-
27.GMAF00027 325/-
28.GMAF00028 325/-
29.GMAF00029 2,000/-
30.GMAF00030 1,800/-
31.GMAF00031 1,000/-
32.GMAF00032 500/-
33.GMAF00033 2,000/-
34.GMAF00034 1,500/-
35. GMAF00035 1,800/-
36.GMAF00036 1,675/-
37. GMAF00037 325/-
38. GMAF00038 200/-
39. GMAF00039 1,700/-
40. GMAF00040 200/
41.GMAF00041 200/-
42.GMAF00042 500/-
43.GMAF00043 400/-
44.GMAF00044 4990/-
45.GMAF00045. 525/-
52.GMAF00052 1,100/-
53. GMAF00053 325/-
54. GMAF00054 1,000/-
55. GMAF00055 1,000/-
56. GMAF00056 200/-
57. GMAF00057 1,000/-
58. GMAF00058 200/-
59. GMAF00059 200/-
60. GMAF00060 1,000/-
61. GMAF00061. 450/-
62. GMAF00062. 5080/-
63. GMAF00053. 500/-
And I can confirm here without fear or favor that I am no. 54 and proud to have assisted in whatever small way.
I wish to urge all other Gor fans who have not enrolled/contributed to kindly do so to help uplift our playing unit financially… let’s just sacrifice whatever little we can and am sure we will see the benefits when we go to cheer the team as they play!!!
What makes GMAF vilified as fraudulent is the poor quality of the first flyer that was distributed to fans at Mbaraki Sports Club, during our match against Bandari. GMAF explained that its quality was low because it was produced in hurry, hours to the Bandari game. We explained that the production could not be done without the green light from Gor Mahia chairman. That permission came on Saturday afternoon, few hours before the producer closed shop for the weekend. This then prompted the question as to why GMAF was in a hurry to distribute the flyers. Our answer to this was clear and borders on lack of money to meet the club’s obligations to the players and technical bench:
1. The players had not been paid for three months.
2. The two team captains at one time failed to report for training for one whole week.
3. In the build up to our game against Mathare, players were not reporting for training and because of this we lost that match.
4. The coach has cited cases of indiscipline creeping into the playing unit and main reason behind the indiscipline is non-payment of salaries.
5. Some players were asking to be released because they had not been paid salaries for three months.
6. Two players on long term injuries had to raise funds privately in order to pay for the surgical repairs that they needed.
7. Reports emerged that even after the successful surgeries, the same two players were struggling for basic needs as they continue to recuperate.
For anyone with the interest of Gor Mahia F. C. at heart, these are valid reasons for Gor Mahia Augmentin Fund to seek to reach out to the community in a hurry. It is Gor Mahia Augmentin Fund’s belief that money is the answer to all these problems. Once the money is available and players and coaches are duly paid, the ship will steady.
GMAF was reminded that the objectives the Fund has set to achieve look good on paper but are not achievable. Our answer to this is that the Fund is a very viable project as vindicated by the good will it has received from Gor Mahia F. C. fans who hail from different corners of this planet. The objectives are attainable, considering that despite the hostilities and acts of sabotage, the fund has raised KES 84,650.00 within 19 days.
Our appeal is for all to join us as we work towards stabilizing our great football club. If doubters can for once give GMAF the benefit of doubt and accord maximum co-operation, the winner will ultimately be Gor Mahia F.C. Let GMAF be the glue that will stick all arms of K’Ogalo together into one cohesive unit.
GMAF has no bad blood with anybody. We understand that even those who wrote in FB that people behind GMAF are fraudsters, were only obeying orders. They were only doing their job. Even those who gave the orders for such advisories to be issued, were also just doing their job.
GMAF: caring for our team boldly, transparently and directly.
Gor Mahia Augmentin Fund is founded on TRANSPARENCY and ACCOUNTABILITY and as you can see we have published a full listing of contributions received within the last 19 days.
And this will continue on a monthly basis, publishing INCOME and EXPENDITURE Staments duely supported by the monthly bank statements.