By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
Chairman of East End Lions Football Club, Anthony Navo Jnr. has announced that the club aims to raise Le5billion to spend for the forthcoming Sierra Leone Premier League Season.
Navo made the announcement on Thursday at the club’s headquarters in Freetown. It comes just days away from the start of the new season.
“This season we will double our budget and raise more money. We have budgeted Le5billion for the club. We have already raised 30% of this amount,” he said during the press conference.
The Lions budget is the most ambitious any team has announced so far in the country. Navo said the club needs such a huge amount considering the stiff test it would be up against in the coming season.
“Last season we spent something like Le2.5 billion. On average we spent US$5000 to US$7000 on match bonuses after every game. Last season we kept the boys at Hill Valley, this year we may want to upgrade and take them to Radisson Blu,” the Lion’s boss later explained to Politico.
He added: “We have to upgrade because we know teams like Bo Rangers have also come up very strong to match us in terms of spending.”
Lions hope to raise some of this money through proper marketing of its merchandise and through contributions from fans. During the press conference, the club took time to announce special packages designed to encourage supporters to contribute to the team.
Dr Fatou Taqi, the Global Coordinator for the club’s membership drive, said it is important for fans to not just support by cheering, but also contributing.
“Now we have different packages to make sure people feel part of the club. This will help the team and give you (fans) more say. Everyone who is a supporter can now be a paid-up member through various packages,” she said.
The package include tickets, access to players, handbooks, and club paraphernalia. Prices for the items range from Le5million a season to Le 100,000, based on different levels. The club has moved forward to register its designs as trademark.
Football clubs in Sierra Leone have not taken advantage of the huge money they can get from selling football merchandise and providing other match access to fans. This announcement seems like a venture into that untapped market by the Lions.
Lions are the defending champions of the country’s top tier league, but its announcements on Thursday shows that they are not resting on last season’s glory.
The lawyer of the team, Mohamed Sahid Bangura, announced the signing of five new players, including Kemson Fofanah from Denmark. A permanent deal for Alimamy Bundu (Azonto) and Musa Noah Kamara (Musa Tombo) was also announced. Former Sierra Leone International, Gibrilla Woobay, will now be required to use his experience on and off the pitch this season, as a player coach.
But by far the biggest announcement on personnel was the permanent signing of John Keister. Keister will now be the Lions coach for the next three years with a possibility for extension.
The club said winning the league is the top priority this season. They are already aiming at winning their second silverware in the pre-season on Sunday when they face FC Kallon in the Challenge Cup.
The new premier league season is set to start on the 4th of December.
Copyright © 2019 Politico Online
