PSL to lobby for review of levies

Sport
THE Premier Soccer League (PSL) board met last Friday in Harare and resolved to lobby stakeholders for the reduction of levies on gate charges for the 2015 Castle Lager PSL season.

THE Premier Soccer League (PSL) board met last Friday in Harare and resolved to lobby stakeholders for the reduction of levies on gate charges for the 2015 Castle Lager PSL season.

FORTUNE MBELE SPORTS REPORTER

Clubs have been up in arms over the levies that are collected from match gate-takings with local authorities getting the biggest chunk of 15 to 20% for the use of their facilities. PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele confirmed the board’s last week meeting.

“We still have worries with the issue of high levies on gate-takings by local authorities. The board met last week on Friday and resolved to pursue and lobby for the reduction of various levies on gate takings,” Ndebele said.

Home teams feel they are milked by stakeholders who get a share of the gate-takings with local authorities getting 15 to 20%, Zifa and the Sport and Recreation Commission 6% each while the police charge at rate per hour.

Ndebele said as far as the police were concerned, clubs were urged have their marshals and stewards trained by experts to handle crowds so that law enforcement agents would only complement their efforts.

“We would want training of marshals to be proper with top security companies by qualified personnel, so that when they (the marshals) perform their duties, police complement.

Highlanders chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede
Highlanders chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede

We want to have less police so that their charges are also reduced. We acknowledge their presence, but also encourage clubs to train their stewards and marshals for security,” Ndebele said.

Riled by the present scenario, Highlanders through chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede, took the matter into their own hands and the club boss wrote to Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri and Bulawayo City Council mayor Martin Moyo requesting a review of charges by the two parties.

Gumede said the charges were exorbitant and as a club, they were short-changed. Statements gleaned by this publication revealed that Bosso made $14 999 from a match against Harare City, but received $4 820,99 with ground rentals to the city council costing $2 999,80 while $1 336 went to the police as well as other costs the clubs incurred.

In the international friendly match against Notré Dame University from the US, Bosso made a total of $3 919, but the club received a paltry $497 while the police were given $556 with the council getting $783.

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