What Gor Mahia need to be the giants they ought to be

Gor Mahia FC"s Karim Nzigiyimana (right) control ball from Vincent Ouma of AFC Leopards during KPL match at Nyayo National Stadium on Aug 27, 2017. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

I’ll start off by congratulating Gor Mahia for winning their 16th league title. Good work indeed. Winning four league titles in the last five seasons is not just something that can go unappreciated – FANTASTIC.

Well, winning many titles will be perhaps the unit of measuring the might of a football club but I believe it’s more than that.

Is winning matches and trophies enough make a club big? That takes me to the question – are Gor Mahia really the giants we all know?

World over, football clubs are considered giants or big after all aspects around the club both on and off the pitch have been checked.

Look, there were seasons why Real Madrid were not winning league titles but still, the club was floating in the list of top clubs in the world. They also signed some top players.

Manchester United had a really dry spell after Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign but still, it was and still is one of the biggest clubs in the world that any top footballer will be happy to be associated with.

The point is, it’s not all about winning trophies but just general organisation and way of doing things that makes a club big both on and off the pitch.

Closer home, Gor Mahia are considered to be the biggest club in Kenya and no doubt the most successful in East Africa. Granted, big and successful on the pitch but not off the pitch because a closer look reveals otherwise.

This is a club that solely depends on sponsors' support and say, the ‘small’ gate collections that a number of club officials have formed a habit of fighting over week in week out – you wonder if that’s why they were elected to serve the club.

Gor Mahia need to put in place structures and streamline elements that can help generate more revenues to have that financial muscle and have many fans supporting and staying closer to the club to make it big like it should be.

How about having a long-term project of registering members to ‘own’ the club? It’s happening out there. Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United and closer home, big clubs Orlando Pirates and Keizer Chiefs all have registered members.

Such a project was tried at Gor but lack of seriousness killed it. It’s all about making it affordable and clearly showing fans why or the benefits of being a registered club member. It can be done.

Streamlining merchandising is another element K’Ogalo seriously need to consider and have merchandise shops countrywide to mint dough and have many fans in club’s colours. Serious clubs out there don’t depend on ticket sales but the big business that comes with the big names of the clubs.

Real Madrid did not sign David Beckham because he was all that good but they saw the business in him – they made it big on shirt sales. Manchester United made a serious bet in signing Zlatan Ibrahimovi? and Paul Pogba - just on shirt sales. What of Paris Saint Germain and Neymar?

K’Ogalo may not necessarily target to make money in signing big players but just general business around merchandising. 

Communication is another element. Free access to information makes a club big by equipping fans with the needed information and keeping them informed. The club really needs to work on all avenues that can help reach out to many fans.

In this world of technology where almost everyone has a smartphone and access to internet, online platform will be the cheapest and most effective channel. Have a serious website and social media platforms that will be updated regularly with happenings around the club - even the mainstream media can be picking news on those platforms.

With such elements, together with organised ticket sales, properly managed youth team and professionals in various departments to move the wheels, the club can be big like it should be and make a name beyond Kenya but for now, winning trophies will just remain that.

Sustainable projects to generate revenues that steer the club to greatness are very important. 

The writer is a sports Sub-Editor at The Standard Newspaper.