Rachier: Gor Mahia can operate sans sponsorship
Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier has indicated that the club is prepared to play the season without a sponsor if one is not found.
Rachier says the club will count on its fan base to support the club financially.
“We enjoy tremendous support from our fans, but time and again we find ourselves in situations where we require a consistent, sure supply of money, especially when faced with such endeavours as regional competitions.” said Rachier while speaking to the KPL website.
Rachier indicated that the club has made presentations to two potential sponsors and are awaiting an answer.
“We are looking at two prospects who asked us to make presentations, and it will be very good if a deal comes out of it because transfer business has already dented our cash reserves.”
Rachier indicates that the club will plan ahead and determine whether or not they will participate in all competitions.
“The club has survived great storms without a sponsor and I believe that we can go another season without one. Regional competitions are very expensive and as at now we are still scratching our heads trying to decide whether or not we should take part in all competitions.”
Rachier also stated that the issue with the Kenya revenue authority that threatened to derail the club last season has been dealt with
“That is no longer an issue. Our accounts are under no threats of being frozen. We have had all our issues with KRA resolved.”
Rachier’s sentiments match what he said several weeks ago when asked whether the club was on the verge of finding a sponsor. Several news outlets prematurely announced that the club was only days away from finalizing a sponsorship deal. But when asked during the press conference to introduce new signings, Rachier indicated that all he had been given was the contact information for people within corporate cicles who could make decisions on whether to sponsor the club or not.
It is worth noting that the club appears have put all its eggs in one basket i.e. finding a sponsor. If that plan does not pan out the club will be left in poor financial shape. All the other contingency plans that the club was putting in place appear to have fallen by the wayside. The idea for a SACCO which was due to kick off on December 15 of last year appears to have stalled. The club is no longer pursuing the membership drive aggressively and neither is it promoting the 350100 MPESA initiative.
Talk of withdrawing from the CECAFA cup is bound to be distressing to fans. To begin with, the club gave a shoddy performance in the 2014 edition and fans desperately want to make amends. Secondly the club has a very strong tradition in thos tournament having won it three times. Some of the most memorable matches in this club’s history were in the CECAFA cup. and thirdly, opportunities to win trophies of this magnitude do not come often. A victory in the CECAFA cup could very well be what is needed to attract sponsors.
It should be noted also that even if Gor Mahia were to receive a sponsor, they cannot solely depend on the sponsor of they are to be competitive on the African scene. When Gor Mahia returned from Tunis after playing Esperance in March of 2014, Rachier noted that the reason Esperance had a budget that is 18 times bigger than Gor Mahia is that not only do they have multiple sponsorships but they have numerous other sources of financial revenue. For Gor Mahia to hope to reach the league stages of the continental events, they will need to build a stable playing unit where good players do not leave in droves every June and December. This means they will need to seek out multiple revenue sources and start building an asset base such as their own training ground, a project which will require deep finances. Long story short, whether Gor Mahia can get a sponsor or not, they should not abandon initiatives like the membership drive or 350100 MPESA initiative or even the SACCO assuming it is a workable idea. And they should steneously pursue merchandize sales.
On another note, it is refreshing to see that the club is still actively pursuing sponsors. It is also refreshing to see the club adopt new strategies to fight the hooliganism menace such as the use of undercover policemen at the stadia as announced by club official Naima Aketch. These are the kind of serious measures that club will need to put in place to convince sponsors.
The club will need to show sponsors that there is more to the club that just football. For one thing Numerous Gor Mahia fans and fan groups are involved in positive community activities.
350100, is just enough to start with as we sort out other sources of revenues’.Gate collections je?
Let us use what we have at hand, 350100, merchandise sale and pursue the SACCO issue aggressively since we have the numbers.
Secondly, let the officials market the club aggressively out there, either locally or internationally.
Investment minded individuals can come in to aid the club turn their fortunes into big business, am ready to be part of that team as I am an ardent fun as well.
Rachier,
1. New KCC agreed Ksh 48 million annual sponsorship for a period of 5 years collapsed because one senior ‘politican’ (name withheld ) has refused to endorsed it.
2.Molo Milk h63 million per year deal collapsed because one side of the part is refusing to stick to its side of the bargain. could it be ‘politics’ at play once more ?
I am aware there are other 2 sponsorship deals currently at discussion stage but I think it is getting rather too late to bank on those sponsors. one potential sponsor has confided ( name withheld) and believes kogallo iko na ‘wenyewe’
I beg you not to loose hope on this issue of sponsor and frankly speaking to say that we can live without one is a dream made straight out of a visit to a local pub.
please reconsider options.
Good job Mr Chairman, just stop Corruption at the gate and the usage of gate collection. The sales of merchandize have bee poor and lack strategy.
Membership drive is another area which can help this club, though the EC have made it to fail.
I’m happy that Chairman have clarified the KRA issue, now the critics have to eat their humble pie.
Jakoyo please name names hata ukitumia jina fiche.
There we’ve heard it from the horse’s mouth “pesa wa ema tiyo”.
Be it the much scorned Kshs.100.00 (raised by bloggers in a most transparent and accountable system totalling approx.31,000) or the equivalent of kshs.30 (the kshs.11,000 “merely claimed” on this site to have been given to been raised for the Anelka initiative by a certain UG branch).
Nothing difficult in understanding why the guy giving 30bob is making less accountability and transparency “noise” the the fella contributing 100bob.
Thanks Jakom for acknowledging that its “the fans” not “A FAN” (as some believe) who are the back-bone of GMFC.
A statement from KRA backing you on this will go a long way in attracting potential donors be they corporates or individuals. People want to help build their beloved club not offset penalties and taxes.
Kudos on the KRA issue now please let’s know the official bank account of the club and try and mobilize the membership/Sacco to meet the challenge of “steadying” the flow of income.
**Seasonal/discounted tickets together with guaranteed priviledged entry and sitting in exchange for membership of kshs.500/month payable 3 months in advance will enhance convenience to fans hence attract a bigger crowd.
I should not always arrive at City stadium at 1pm or earlier to watch a game starting a 4pm. I want to arrive at maybe 3pm and be guaranteed a vantage seating position.
Again I think EC should consider Nyayo as CT despite being our traditional home ground is too “uncomfortable” for the terrace fans.
As a blogger aptly put its MOBILIZATION, ACCOUNTABILITY & TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY & MOBILIZATION.
EC (NGALA) PLEASE KEEP YOUR WORD AND LAUNCH THE GMFC SACCO ON 15FEB2015.
NUTALL & PLAYERS DSTV IS COMPETITIVE GAME NO.1 MY USUAL 5 GAME ASSESSMENT STARTS| A POOR SHOW IN THE 1ST 5 GAMES AND THE FANS WILL REACT TB YOU CAN TAKE THAT TO THE BANK.
P.S AM NOT COUNTING CAF MATCHES.
YES PESA WA EMA TIYO.
JAKOM,
MIGHTY GOR MAHIA SHOULD NEVER BE DEPENDENT SOLELY ON SPONSORSHIP.
GOR MAHIA NEEDS A BASE A FINANCIAL BASE AS ALL SPONSORSHIP RUNS OUT, HAS CONDITIONS, CAN BE TERMINATED ETC,ETC.
I REITERATE MOBILIZE A MEMBERSHIP OF TARGET 6,000 (THROUGH A SACCO) TO CONTRIBUTE 500/= (OR AT LEAST 250/=) PER MONTH PAYABLE 3 MONTHS IN ADVANCE AND RAISE KSHS.3,000,000 PER MONTH OR KSHS.36,000,000.00 PER YEAR.
LET’S START WITH WHATEVER NUMBER ARE WILLING TO COME ON BOARD.
THIS THING WILL GROW AND MORE WILL BE FALLING OVER THEMSELVES TO COME ON BOARD.
WE NEED TO START NOW SINCE A FEW YEARS AGO 500/= WAS A BIG AMOUNT BUT IN THE NEXT 5 YEAR 500/= WILL BE IMMATERIAL.
**** EC & FANS/MEMBERS MUST PUT IN PLACE STRUCTURES TO GUARANTEE THE 2015 WAGE BILL.
ITS THE CAF TOURNAMENT THAT WE SHOULD HAVE OPTED OUT OF THE REST ARE A “MUST”
How I wish we had a strong personality in the EC to assist the Chair. The rest looklike they just wait for the Chair to come up with the ideas and implement the same. Can’t one of them take up and run with the fan registration as one of their pet projects? Can’t the lady Amina run with it to show that what men are unable to do she can do it even better?
@ Dan Original.
Thats why the club should hire a competent CEO. Someone who understands sports business. Eventually the club should move away from elected officials. I believe GM has three Vice Chairmen. What are all these Vice Chairmen doing? When the club becomes financially stable, they should hire competent people to run it instead of elected people giving emotional outbursts on twitter.
The type of decisions being made by the current ec and the transparency level of the office cannot allow the club to be self reliant.After dealing with the office and seeing the type of decisions they make am afraid the fans/other stakeholders may not be comfortable dealing with these people
we should borrow a leaf from Wimbledon FC in the UK its a club that is supported by its fans and well wishers. I strongly believe that Gor Mahia has fans in the diaspora and the EC should fine away of roping in the said fans. I believe you can sell merchandise every other match day but being innovative with new products can boost its kitty provided all can be accounted for.
Gor Mahia starts from a point of strength in that it has fans from across the country and thus getting products selling will and cant be an issue.
No one knows the membership base and thus how will sponsors be convinced of the utility derived from whatever product or sponsorship?
I would suggest that the EC come up with a membership drive in all the counties while collecting every registered member’s data to enable them reach out to each and everyone personally with reminders, offers, products and many other things.
The same platform should be used to sensitize the members on acts of hooliganism and come match days send out bulk smss encouraging good behavior.
It will also make it easier to have 350100 work efficiently.
We should all know that a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. If well all make that step sponsors will be rushing in doves.