Sponsor stumped over best format for Carling Cup

CARLING South Africa brand director Samori Gambrah has admitted that he does not have the answer to fans’ demands for a new format to the preseason Black Label Cup.

At a media conference yesterday to publicise the July 29 game‚ Gambrah also admitted that the corporate social investment of the preseason Carling Black Label Champion Cup between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates left a lot to be desired.

On the exclusionary format of the curtain-raiser to the season‚ Gambrah said: “I just want to say that the Carling Cup‚ at its inception seven years ago‚ was around giving the fans a voice.

“We are not in bed with any specific club. I think the competition’s passion is just to bring that voice and the power back to the fans.

“We are not oblivious that fans have been asking for a different format. I do not have the answer.

“But I think what is key, is that we start this conversation – and we allow it to actually happen.

“But I do not want that to take away from the amazing campaign that the Carling Black Label Cup is.

“We are at 5.7 million votes and will, at minimum, double last year’s votes.”

The Carling Cup replaced the popular annual Telkom Charity Cup ( prior to that, the Charity Spectacular) in 2011.

The new format involves a gimmick where fans voted by SMS or online for their starting lineups‚ and during the match for substitutions.

The Charity Cup had involved a voting system to decide its four participant clubs. It was popular, because the gate-takings went to charity.

At the inception of the Black Label Cup seven years ago‚ Premier Soccer League and Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza had made assurances that the new event would make some allowance for corporate social investment.

Gamrah admitted this aspect has been sorely lacking so far.

“We have previously been part of a CSI drive which, I’ll be honest with you‚ has not been great‚” he said.

“We are looking to find a better way to impact the community. But I can’t lie to you – I do not believe the work we are doing is amazing.

“I want to get to amazing‚ but I am three months into this job to get there.”

Gamrah said he did not believe a campaign to boycott support for the event had much impact.

Organisers of the Black Label Cup have consistently denied it was less popular than the Charity Cup was‚ pointing to the attendance (it is mostly always sold out) and the high voting numbers.

However‚ each SMS vote can only be made with a code obtained from the purchase of a Black Label beer‚ and each SMS generates its own revenue‚ and the sponsors earn immense brand mileage.

Yet, little of that finds its way to charity.

This money-spinner based on the immense popularity of Chiefs’ and Pirates’ brands appears aimed at one thing only‚ enriching the two clubs and their sponsor.

With this format‚ the Carling Cup will never earn a true place in the hearts of the fans.

We are not oblivious that fans have been asking for a different format. I do not have that answer