Key lessons from visit of EPL legend and businessman Robbie Fowler for Kenya’s sports organisations

English Premier League and Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler arrives in Kenya

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On Friday, English Premier League and Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler arrives in Kenya for a three-day visit courtesy of Barclays Bank.

For 19 years, Fowler was a constant feature on television screens in Kenya as the English Premier League grew in leaps and bounds since its inception in 1992.

The Premier League had to, first, shed off its dark past when the game was marred by hooliganism and decrepit stadia. The league sought to raise the entertainment quality by allowing clubs to sign the best exponents of the game from across the world. African players such as Tony Yeboah (Leeds/Ghana), Daniel Amokachi (Nigeria/Everton), Nwankwo Kanu (Arsenal/Nigeria) made their way to EPL and suddenly Africa was smitten. Imports from the Americas included Juninho (Middlesbrough/Brazil), Hernan Crespo (Chelsea/Argentina), Clint Dempsey (Fulham/USA), Jared Borgetti (Bolton/Mexico) among others.

EPL architects also understood that the media needs good content across the electronic, print and now the digital space to enable fans interact with the league’s stars create a razzmatazz around.

The architects of EPL deliberately created a pyramid that brought together the media, sponsors and partners.

Such broadcasters as Sky Sports through multi-billion broadcast rights deals played a big part in bringing together the league’s sponsors and partners to feed off the excitement of fans eager to support their respective clubs.

This way, and to date, sponsors such as Barclays have untiringly paid handsomely to be associated with the league.

Over the years, Barclays Bank has brought to Kenya EPL stars, both active and retired, to feed off the fans excitement which in turn rubs off well with the English league.

Fowler’s visit is no coincidence for, apart from retiring as the sixth all-time top scorer of the world’s most watched football league, he is also an accomplished businessman with a net wealth totaling £28 million (Sh3.6 billion).

In continuing with the tradition of positive association with the EPL brand, Fowler’s choice makes sense.

The former Liverpool star scored 163 Premier League goals (128 for Liverpool and the rest spread across his stints at Manchester City, Leeds and Cardiff City.

And like Chinua Achebe’s saying goes in his timeless novel ‘Things Fall Apart’: Let the kite perch and the eagle perch too — so is Barclays Bank’s eagerness to have EPL fans and budding players realise their growth, together.

In essence, EPL benefits and so does its partner Barclays Bank.

As Barclays Premier League’s title sponsors starting in 2001, the financial institutions sponsorship grew to $57 million a year by the time its 15-year deal ended in 2015.

Even at the end of their title sponsorship deal, Barclays Bank chose to remain as the league’s official banking partner — a decision that clearly shows the significance of associating with a valuable brand.

Since the formation of EPL in 1992 it has grown to become the most watched football league in the world, broadcast in 212 territories to a TV audience of over 4.7 billion people.

Who would not want to associate with such a brand?

And so, Fowler’s visit is part of a wider focus for Barclays Bank and its partner EPL to give the fans that opportunity to connect with the game and reap the attendant benefits such a partnership can offer.

As one of the bank’s most valuable partnerships, Barclays will use the Liverpool great’s visit to reassure their customers of their commitment while communicating their transition from Barclays to Absa.

And as the case of Achebean kite and the eagle moral, this is a win-win endeavour because during Fowler’s stay, he will host a number of customer engagement forums; interact with players and officials of the national football team — Harambee Stars.

He will also conduct a football clinic with young footballers under the Musa Otieno Foundation among other engagements.

Perhaps the most significant of them all outside the realm of football will be Fowler’s meeting with university students to share business ideas under the Barclays ReadytoWork programme.

This will go a long way to help not only the students and budding entrepreneurs, but also a significant opportunity for sports men and women and fans to incubate business ideas with the help of the EPL legend.

It is clear, therefore, local football stakeholders have a lot to learn from Fowler the footballer and Fowler the businessman.

Barclays Bank the financial institution and Barclays Bank the inspirer of dreams and one that builds brands such as the EPL.

Renewal through innovation has been a key driver of English Premier League and its partners’ success.

That success has played a big part in stimulating economic activity across a range of sectors in the UK economy.

For instance in 2013/14 season with Barclays as its title sponsor, EPL and its clubs together generated over £6.2 billion in economic output that contributed approximately £3.4 billion to national GDP according to an EY Economic Impact Analysis of the Premier League.

Fowler’s visit will certainly open new possibilities for Kenyan sports men and women as well as sports organisations.

(The writer is the Sports Editor at The Standard)