FOOTBALL fans have expressed displeasure over high gate charges in the Northen Region Division One League.
Although Ngoni Stadium was packed to the rafters when home team MWOS FC clashed with Scottland FC, fans had to fork out US$3 for the rest of ground and US$5 for the VVIP enclosure.
MWOS supporter Domingo Muchetu, who travels to Ngoni Stadium every fortnight to watch his favourite team play, said a US$3 charge was a bit too much for people like himself who travel from outside Norton.
“Paying US$3 to watch a Division One match is a bit out of this world considering the current economic environment and besides, they should have informed us on time,” Muchetu said.
But MWOS chairperson Cleton Arimoso defended the charges saying all high-profile games involving big teams would attract higher charges, as was the case for the Scottland match.
“It is not every game that we charge that much, but all high-profile matches involving big teams in the league will attract the same charges as last week against Scottland,” he said.
Northern Region Division One team Chinhoyi Stars charged US$2 and not the usual $1 for their game against CCLEE Mhangura.
“We hiked charges for this game against Mhangura because of the rivalry between the teams and it was the same for other selected high-profile games,” said team spokesperson Farai Chikoore.
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Zifa Northern Region vice-chairperson Sweeney Mushonga defended the hike saying they added value to the product on display.
“The standard position is that lower division sides should charge US$1 for the rest of ground and US$3 for VVIP, but there are issues of demand and supply, where our facilities are limited in terms of carrying capacity. That may force teams to hike charges like what happened at Ngoni Stadium last week. Sometimes teams use pricing to control fans,” Mushonga said.
“If we look at our product, we appear as if we are reducing value to our product by charging US$. The same people complaining are prepared to pay more for a music show. Let’s take pride in our product and price it correctly.”
