Mega-rich club owners hogging spotlight

We need to debate this at some point. This is a thorny issue that might get me disliked by many people, but I am going to go ahead and have my say on it anyway.

The issue of club ownership has been hugely debated in South Africa over the past three years but we never really get into it.

We just raise concerns or opinions when a certain club is sold or changes ownership.

The hullabaloo that followed in the aftermath of Bidvest Wits being sold to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila is well documented and does not need me to go back there.

Since the emergence of Patrice Motsepe at Mamelodi Sundowns, we have seen a number of other club owners believed to be financially well-off come to the fore.

Some had good intentions, some I am not so sure. Some failed, and others have done fairly well.

My worry has always been how these new age club owners want to be in the limelight – always readily available with club and team updates even on the pettiest of issues.

This sits uncomfortably with me because it tells me they are in football for the status and grandstanding – not to help our game move forward.

To this day – and I have been in sports reporting for almost 20 years now – I have yet to hear Kaizer Motaung speak about a game.

I mean imagine a chairman – or president as some like to be called – of a club telling people how a certain player will demolish the opponents in an upcoming game?

Well, I am not here for that discussion today and I am digressing slightly, but my issue here is how – and this happens all over the world – the super rich buy clubs and pump millions, if not billions into it without a care in the world.

This gives certain clubs an unfair advantage and in some way kills the game. Let’s get closer to home because I think you already know where I am headed with this.

At Sundowns a single coach probably earns more than R15 million Rand a year. And all he has to do is help the club win the league which pays out R15-million.

Now this club has more than 30 players and I believe their wage bill is around R50-million a month.

This is because the owners of the club do not look at it as an investment or a business venture, but rather a hobby, a CSI project if you may.

And you expect them to compete with clubs who have shareholders who want to see a return on their investments at the end of the day?

Never. That will never happen. Sundowns will continue to dominate and pip every team they compete with for a player because they can pay any amount that is asked for that player.

Some clubs have realised that to keep their shareholders happy, they just have to keep producing quality players who Sundowns will want and pay the millions for.