Football: Local league body must do everything in its powers to make the 12th man happy

By STEVE ABADE

There has been robust discourse regarding the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) calendar in light of the disruptive mid-season transfers.

Opinion is sharply divided over this issue with reports indicating that Football Kenya Federation League and Competition Committee (LCC) led by Doris Petra will meet to deliberate on this issue.

That is great! Of importance is that clubs and players sign contracts that govern their relationship.

If the contracts are lopsided, giving players latitude to jump ship anytime they wish, then this debate is defeatist. Clubs should take the flak for such lack of foresight and the calendar should not be a scapegoat.

This dialogue is important. But most important and urgent – and which should top the agenda of the LCC and KPL — is the plight of the travelling fans. Being a travelling fan is tedious, time consuming and expensive.

Double header

Lately, more and more fans have been hitting the road with their beloved teams.

So far, matches in Machakos and Nakuru involving either Gor or AFC Leopards have seen an unprecedented number of away fans.

Sadly though, the match fixtures have not been kind to this set of fans. For instance, a recent Mathare United and Gor match at Machakos Kenyatta Stadium was scheduled on a Sunday as a double header, the game started at 4:15pm.

Consequently, most Nairobi fans reached home after 10p.m. yet the next day was Monday.

This is inconveniencing.

On Sunday March 30, 2014, Bandari hosted Gor Mahia in Mombasa. This was one of the flagship fixtures that interest a lot of travelling fans. One wonders why such a fixture was not scheduled within the Easter break to maximise on attendance and make it an occasion to savour.

Coupled with the ban on night travel, one wonders how the travelling group would make it back to Nairobi, Nakuru or Kisumu in time for the Monday chores.

Easter break

A look at the KPL fixture indicates no matches are scheduled during the Easter break. On the other hand, the English Premier League has a full menu from Saturday April 19 to Monday April 21, 2014.

The EPL also prides itself with its Christmas holiday schedules that market this league adding fun plus offering entertainment options for the 12th man during the holidays.

KPL should not turn a blind eye to the plight of these fans; they need to fix this problem.

In established leagues, a lot of thought is put into ensuring fans are comfortable through provision of a plethora of incentives. In Germany, for instance, there are football fans’ travel guides.

Even match tickets will guarantee supporters free rides on public transport. It is the norm to hear matches postponed or delayed incase of issues regarding transport to match venue.

Nothing close happens locally. The league management body, KPL, and clubs seem nonchalant to the plight of the travelling fans leading to a litany of wasted opportunities both for the league, fans and business community.

Indeed the league body must do everything in its power to make the 12th man happy. After all, the fans have a big role to play in improving club performance.

— The writer is a sports commentator