Super League of Malawi (Sulom) has announced new gate charges ahead of the 2024 season by grading teams into three categories.
According to the statement released through their official Facebook page on Thursday, the body will implement standard gate charges for the matches featuring teams from the same grade.
Sulom said the decision is aimed at maintaining consistency and fairness across all matches league regardless of the teams involved to ensure that spectators expect a unified pricing experience when watching these games.
“In cases where matches meet teams from different grades against each other, we have opted to adopt a model where the gate charges will correspond to the lower grade involved. This approach is designed to make football more accessible to fans across all levels of competition, ensuring that support for the sport remains inclusive and widespread,” reads part of the statement.
The body believes that the gate charges strike the right balance between sustainability for the league and affordability for their dedicated and passionate supporters.
FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers, and Silver Strikers are in Grade A where the price is K4000 while Grade B has six teams namely Civil Service United, Kamuzu Barracks, Chitipa United, Bangwe All Stars, Dedza Dynamos and Karonga United and people will be paying K3000 to watch these games.
Grade C, which is the last of the three, has Mafco FC, Mighty Tigers, Moyale FC, Mzuzu City Hammers, FOMO FC, Baka City, and Creck Sporting Club and people will be paying K2000 kwacha to watch their games.
The new gate charges have attracted mixed reactions from some football fanatics. Others feel Sulom should come clearly to explain how the grading was done.
“How does a team qualify to get into these categories? Is it the number of trophies won? Performances over the years? How long it has been in the league? This categorization should have been an internal matter and let equality take its natural position. Sulom should explain how this was done,” commented Chimombo.
“This decision is somehow questionable, Let’s say Civil is playing Moyale, do you expect people to pay K3000 when they have never filled a stadium even when the charges were lower than the newly introduced prices? wondered Robert Nyambose.
“Who can pay K3000 to watch Chitipa United playing Tigers? We will be watching on TV,” said Yassin Hamid.
Steve Wamsango commented: “I hope these are minimum charges. Owners of stadiums must have the right of setting gate charges of games hosted by them unless Sulom hires the stadiums.”
