OPINIONS - COLUMNS | 2013-08-09Sheefeni Nikodemus
Sport Perspective: Promote yourselves
Sheefeni Nikodemus
EVERY season, our football administrators harp on about the need to improve the image of the local game. They castigate the media for pointing out flaws in their modus operandi and ‘not doing enough to promote local football’, yet they do little else to endear their product to the Namibian public.
While the leading football clubs embark on epic revenue generating pre-season promotional tours the world over; we fire coaches for trying to generate a little publicity for the team.
It is almost impossible to promote football in this country, given the iron-cast veil of secrecy surrounding the clubs. No wonder the average Namibia Premier League match struggles to attract more than 100 spectators to the stadium.
Most clubs allegedly have marketing and publicity departments and yet they continuously fail to provide anything remotely attractive to a football fan, despite boasting multiple qualifications in the said fields acquired from attending the multitude of NFA-run Fifa courses. Our club administrators know more about Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister Katia Aveiro signing a record deal with Lady Gaga and J-Lo’s producers for her debut album than what’s happening at their own clubs.
Many of them wait with bated breath for the start of the major football leagues and religiously follow daily updates of their favourite international side’s transfer activity, while they starve local football lovers of the same privilege.
Why is it taboo for local clubs to disclose their plans? Do you realise that the masses are hungry for any bit of information that involves their team of choice? The same way you unreservedly support Liverpool, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, is the same way your compatriot adores Civics, United Stars or African Stars.
The off-season is when the clubs should be working tirelessly to increase their supporters base for the campaign ahead. Instead, they will wait until a few days before their club’s first league match of the season to complain about how their upcoming fixture is not receiving sufficient media coverage.
Unfortunately, the media owes you no favours. Kindly note that what is deemed pertinent or newsworthy will naturally be publicised. You cannot sit idle and expect someone else to do your job for you.
The kick off date (21 September) for the NPL 2013/14 season is still well over a month away so please start making noise for your respective clubs already. Visit schools, shopping malls, prisons, hospitals or print stickers, blow up branded balloons and hold a street parade. Do whatever is necessary to make your club audible and visible.
It is almost impossible to promote football in this country, given the iron-cast veil of secrecy surrounding the clubs. No wonder the average Namibia Premier League match struggles to attract more than 100 spectators to the stadium.
Most clubs allegedly have marketing and publicity departments and yet they continuously fail to provide anything remotely attractive to a football fan, despite boasting multiple qualifications in the said fields acquired from attending the multitude of NFA-run Fifa courses. Our club administrators know more about Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister Katia Aveiro signing a record deal with Lady Gaga and J-Lo’s producers for her debut album than what’s happening at their own clubs.
Many of them wait with bated breath for the start of the major football leagues and religiously follow daily updates of their favourite international side’s transfer activity, while they starve local football lovers of the same privilege.
Why is it taboo for local clubs to disclose their plans? Do you realise that the masses are hungry for any bit of information that involves their team of choice? The same way you unreservedly support Liverpool, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, is the same way your compatriot adores Civics, United Stars or African Stars.
The off-season is when the clubs should be working tirelessly to increase their supporters base for the campaign ahead. Instead, they will wait until a few days before their club’s first league match of the season to complain about how their upcoming fixture is not receiving sufficient media coverage.
Unfortunately, the media owes you no favours. Kindly note that what is deemed pertinent or newsworthy will naturally be publicised. You cannot sit idle and expect someone else to do your job for you.
The kick off date (21 September) for the NPL 2013/14 season is still well over a month away so please start making noise for your respective clubs already. Visit schools, shopping malls, prisons, hospitals or print stickers, blow up branded balloons and hold a street parade. Do whatever is necessary to make your club audible and visible.
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