Bay deal means Chilli Boys must perform
THEIR new partnership deal with the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has put massive pressure on Chippa United to do better than last season.
This was the word from chief operations officer Lukhanyo Mzinzi yesterday.
A better goal difference saw the Port Elizabeth Premier Soccer League side finish 13th on the log last season and survive relegation.
Despite their poor league performance, the Chilli Boys managed to reach two cup semifinals.
Last week, the Bay council approved a R39-million bailout for the struggling team, to be rolled out over the next three years.
Chippa will get R15-million each year, in exchange for 10 home league fixtures and for all cup games to be played at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
The metro will also hold talks with the Chilli Boys about the status and future of its existing 18-year relocation agreement. The money will be split into:
R7-million a year for relocation costs;
R500 000 a year for marketing;
R6-million a year as a sponsorship in exchange for a front-of-jersey logo; and
R1.2-million a year for matchday costs.
The council also agreed that of the 16 PSL games, 10 would be played in the Bay and six in Buffalo City to share the financial burden.
Interviewed on radio, Mzinzi said: “We are quite happy that the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has shown confidence in the club.
“It shows that [they have seen] the numbers we have been pulling to the [Nelson Mandela Bay] stadium and the joy we have brought to Bay people.
“The municipality has proposed a three-year deal.
“It does bring stability and a lot of pressure for us, to do better than we did last season, reaching two semifinals.
“Maybe [we could] reach a final or [bring] some honour [to] the Eastern Cape.
“We are grateful because we are able to plan till 2020.”
The club’s discussions with the municipality had also given the team the green light to take some of their home matches to Buffalo City, Mzinzi said.
He believed that in taking games to East London the move had an element of growing and also uniting the entire Eastern Cape.
“We will continue to take our home fixtures to East London.
“[The Bay] has allowed us to take six games to East London every season for the next three seasons.
“So East London is still part of Chippa United.”