E1M BOOST FOR BIG THREE

MBABANE – The cat is now out of the bag – the elite ‘Big Three’ teams will have the lion’s share of the E2 million television rights money paid to the PLS by Swazi TV early this month at Rambla’s Restaurant.

The country’s giant sides, Mbabane Highlanders, Mbabane Swallows and Manzini Wanderers are set to net at least E350 000 each – meaning they stand to share slightly over E1 million, E50 000 extra.

According to sources close to the matter which is handled by the PLS Executive Committee, the 12 elite clubs were categorised into three categories. They said there were clubs in category A (Highlanders, Swallows and Wanderers) because of their crowd-pulling power, category B (Moneni Pirates and Manzini Sundowns) as they also bring a few more fans to the stadium than the rest of the other clubs, including the three forces’ sides.

The other clubs are all in category C which includes Midas City, Manzini Sea Birds and Red Lions, among others.
“The proposed distribution structure is such that the big three teams pocket the most because they carry the most fans and if their games are live on television, they stand to lose more which is why each team will get up to E350 000,” said one of the sources.

Another official at the PLS top structures said: “Not one team will get less than E100 000 when the money is finally distributed sooner or later but they will get it. Obviously, you can’t give them an equal share because it’s only Highlanders, Swallows and Wanderers who are the real business in our football and attract scores of fans.”

PLS COO Pat Vilakati, when reached for comment about this last Friday, was reluctant to say anything on the matter and when the teams would be handed the cash given that the January registration window period is just around the corner. “There’s nothing yet regarding that money but yes, clubs will be categorised as far as I know,” he said before referring questions to the PLS Chairman Victor ‘Maradona’ Gamedze. However, no immediate comment could be obtained from the chairman who is reportedly out of the country.

He hinted though during the launch of the first ever television broadcast rights to benefit teams that this was not PLS money but their effort to assist clubs run themselves than depend on individuals such as directors. He even said soon they would be having radio broadcast rights sold as they had people who were interested in the job and urged SBIS to start treating the PLS as an important stakeholder after the latter banned teams’ PROs on its Sport Show programmes which airs on  Mondays and Fridays.

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