BB hit hard

• K13m air tickets debt soars to K17 million
• Deducted K1.8m from Carlsberg Cup prize money

Just when it appeared that their financial woes were behind them, Big Bullets were thrown into fresh turmoil on Wednesday when the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) deducted K1.8 million ($32 028.47) from their K4 million ($71 17.44) Carlsberg Cup runners-up prize money.

This means Bullets have received K2.2 million ($3 915).

Bullets vice-general secretary Kelvin Moyo yesterday confirmed that the deduction includes K450 000 ($801) fine for pitch invasion by their fans during the final match against their rivals Mighty Be Forward Wanderers.

The People’s Team has also been deducted K500 000 ($890) as part payment of the K9 million ($16 014.23) they owe the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in fines and unpaid registration fees during their CAF Champions League participation.

“We have also been deducted a total of K850 000 [$1 512.46] being the cost of tickets which FAM paid for on our behalf in the CAF tourney home game against Al Hilal of Sudan.

“We are not questioning the deduction as all the issues raised are genuine. Our concern though is that FAM and other stakeholders need to take into consideration our current financial situation,” said Moyo.

The Bullets vice-GS said from the K4 million prize money, 40 percent (K1.6 million) is supposed to be shared among the players as per the club’s constitution.

“And that means if you subtract the players’ cut [K1.6 million] from the K2.2 million, it leaves us with only K800 000 for club operations. Now how do we manage the club?

“We owe a lot of people a lot of money, but all we need is their understanding and patience as we work towards settling the debts,” said Moyo.

He also appealed to FAM, Super League of Malawi (Sulom), and government to understand their plight and take it into consideration when they are getting their shares from matches.

“For instance, government can consider cutting their ground levy share from 25 percent to 15 percent so too FAM and Sulom can reduce their percentages as a way of easing the burden that we have.

“It’s a pity our matches generate millions such as the Carlsberg Cup final in which K29 million [$51 601.42] was grossed and yet the clubs only shared K5.2 million [$9 253] each,” he said.

Moyo also revealed that their biggest debt from their Champions League adventure—the K13 million ($23 132) which they owed Skylinks for return air tickets—has soared to K17 million ($30 249.11) interests.

“This club is running by the grace of God and had it not been for its dedicated supporters, it would have disbanded by now,” he said.

However, FAM general secretary Suzgo Nyirenda yesterday defended the move saying Bullets came up with the suggestion on how the association should recover the money.

“It is unfortunate that Bullets are trying to buy sympathy now when prior to the CAF tournament, we cautioned them on the need to be financially sound before committing to taking part.

“When we were consolidating the debts, we called and asked them how they wanted to settle the debts and it was them who suggested that we should be deducting a percentage from their gate collection shares,” said Nyirenda.

He also said the CAF debt is supposed to be paid by the end of this year, failing which FAM will forego the grant it gets from the continental body.

Commenting on Bullets’ suggestion that FAM, government and Sulom should consider reducing the shares they get from gate collections, Nyirenda said: “That issue has been there for sometime. It has been raised as a general issue before and our advice has always been that clubs are affiliated to Sulom.

“The first step therefore, would be to raise the issue at an AGM and thereafter Sulom will take it up with us [FAM] and from there, we can take it up with government to say this is our plight.”