Good morning Guys!
Welcome to a brand new week. The leagues resume at the weekend and, despite the air of uncertainty surrounding our club, we march forward with hope and faith. I mean, If you don’t have either, what do you have?
The intense boot camp preseason tournament wrapped up yesterday with us upending Rangers International in their own backyard. That win sealed the Tico/Select Pre-season Tournament title and, perhaps most surprisingly, gave us the rare sight of Stanley Eguma attempting to smile. He never smiles, that man.
This trophy means we join the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona, Internazionale, Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham, and many others who lifted silverware this preseason. Not bad company to keep.
I’d be lying if I claimed to have watched the match or even seen the highlights. The media coverage was non existent, so I was difficult to follow closely. I only caught the result; 1-0, the same scoreline as our win over Heartland in the last game. We beat someone in the semis too… I think.
But here’s the bigger picture: football cannot exist without fans. Sane football clubs know this, which is why they have a proper social media presence. Life is bigger than your WhatsApp group. Progressive thinking means making room to engage and capture your audience. Football was never meant to be played in empty stadiums, and this must be a focus for the club this season. Why are fans staying away? And how do we get them back?
Yes, the economy is rough. But if we can’t even pack out our stadium when the gates are thrown open, something’s wrong. The club must use the power of media to be in the ears and eyes of the people. Tap into the reach of sports shows on radio and TV. These platforms already have huge followings; use them.
Imagine Enyimba segments on these stations. Sponsor 15- or 30-minute slots across radio stations in the state. It’s not expensive, and it’s a perfect way to lift spirits and drive a positive narrative. Because if your only announcements about open gates or ticket sales are going out via WhatsApp and the occasional Facebook post, you’re ignoring a huge part of your fan base.
Winning back the fans isn’t rocket science it’s about showing up where they are and giving them a reason to show up for you.
Maybe someone out there is listening. Hopefully, it’s someone who actually wants a positive change around here. Because without hope, what have we got left?
Back tomorrow.
