The Sunday News
THE recent increase in membership fees by Highlanders Football Club has raised dust among the club’s family with some questioning the move, while others have suggested the introduction of benefits to make the membership moreattractive.
Those who have embraced the move feel the club can only look to its members for recapitalisation, while others say such benevolence should also be accompanied by incentives to entice more supporters to become members.
Highlanders last week announced a new membership structure increasing ordinary membership fees from $30 to $50, while life membership fee would rise from $80 to $150. A new supporter’s card would also be introduced at a cost of $10 per year for those who find the membership fees prohibitive.
Club chairman Peter Dube also asked life members to pay $300 over the next three years to assist the club deal with its financial woes.
Members will have the liberty of paying $100 per year or once off.
Several members, however, cited financial constraints as the reason why they say the increase came at the wrong time but added it was imperative that the club introduced tangible membership benefits and not just the right to attending annual general meetings and voting for the club executive.
Reacting to the news on Facebook, Faith Silandulo Dube, a life member of the club, said the executive should consider introducing benefits saying other football teams have benefits and it was in the interest of the club to have these.
A shadowy figure on Facebook, whose calls himself S’bhamusenyon went on to list benefits he claimed accrued to Swallows FC members who pay 80 rand and these include a personalised Swallows membership card with a choice of having your photo, Swallows supporters T-shirt, Swallows’ pin badge, option to take up the club’s SOS funeral cover, 20 percent discounted purchase price from all Puma Stores and 50 percent discounted entry fees to all home league games, among others.
Another Highlanders life member, Nqaba Donga, however, welcomed the move to increase the fees saying it was long overdue and said it was good that life members, who joined long back, would get the opportunity to pay something towards the club’s coffers.
Highlanders’ chairman Peter Dube questioned why club members were comparing them to foreign clubs whose circumstances, particularly in relation to the economy, were poles apart.
He said Highlanders supporters should; instead give examples in the form of Zimbabwean clubs.
Dube said they were open to such ideas and would consider them in future, adding that they had consulted widely before coming with recent increases and that the decision was the best considering the circumstances.
“As I speak right now, we need $50 to hire the grounds and also $100 to pay for a physiotherapist and we are going to be approaching some Highlanders members for these bills. There are club members that we always approach to assist and they are willing to lend a hand so as a board we decided we should extend our begging bowl to all Highlanders life members through asking them to fork out $300,’’ said Dube.
“I understand where they are coming from but the comparisons I saw being made were with Sundowns and Barcelona, two teams who are in countries whose economies are better off than ours,” he said.
Donga, however, said it would be easy for Bosso to placate members through the introduction of benefits as that would only eat a little into the amount the Highlanders’ executive was asking for.
“I understand the economic situation that the club is in but it goes both ways because it is also affecting the club’s members. I don’t think it would be of any harm if they just say from $150 they take $15 or $20 and buy a branded mug, t-shirt or glass which they would give to that member.
“People want to feel there are other benefits besides attending meetings and voting so the executive would do well to embrace this move,” he said.
Dube said while there were close to 5 000 members on the Highlanders register, there were just above 200 members who actively take part in club affairs, and it was their belief it was these who were willing to make sacrifices for the club.
He decried the Highlanders financial situation, adding that it was the club members who had the obligation to bail out the club and ensure it was on a sound financial footing.
Highlanders members expressed concern over the club’s debt that had ballooned to over $500 000 at the beginning of the year and implored the executive to come up with measurers to reduce the arrears.
While questions had been raised over the official supporters’ card that is being introduced at a fee of $10, again with no benefits, Dube said it was crucial for a supporter to feel officially recognised and be proud to say they are contributing to the club.
“We were tasked to increase the membership base of the club and we believe an official supporter’s card is an entry level into the club participation and structures. It gives a supporter pride to be closely associated with the club and not just the team and we are hoping after sometime those official supporters would want to take the next step and become a member,” he said.
Dube said while in the past those owed by Highlanders were content in asking for their dues from afar, they were now pressing for payments and this has necessitated the executive to come up with a raft of measures to raise funds in order to liquidate the debts.
