Bullets fans resort to punishing players

Big Bullets fans have changed ways of expressing anger after defeats to ensure their team does not lose sponsorship opportunities.

Instead of throwing stones wildly and blocking or breaking cars after losing, especially to smaller teams, the fans will be expressing their disappointment by punishing their own players in various ways such as making them return home on foot and booing them all the way.

But Mighty Wanderers supporters’ chairperson Yona Malunga said they would meet soon to decide on whether they should follow the route taken by their rival camp.

At the moment, both teams have no sponsorship following the recent pulling out of Carlsberg Malawi, which bankrolled both teams to the tune of K15 million (US$46 728) per season.

Bullets supporters’ chairperson Geofrey Mbalati said this is a deliberate plan that would ensure their teams do not lose out on already scarce sponsorship opportunities from companies due to violence.

“We have realised that football is not hooliganism or violence. If things go wrong, we just need to get to the root of the problem. We need to confront the players to find out why they disappoint us,” he said.

“As part of their punishment, we will be letting them return home on foot so that they might work hard in the next game.  Zogenda ku stadium zinatha fasho (throwing stones at stadiums is old fashioned).”

But the teams’ respective captains Fischer ‘Anong’a’ Kondowe and Alfred Manyozo, Bullets chairperson Malinda Chinyama and Wanderers general secretary David Kanyenda described the fans’ new plan as inhuman.

Recently, Chinyama attributed the withdrawal of Carlsberg Malawi’s sponsorship to the company’s displeasure with violence.

Bullets fans already put this strategy into practice over two weeks ago at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre after losing a TNM Super League match 1-0 to Epac FC. They blocked the players’ bus at the exit and demanded that each of them finds other means of getting back home.

But Wanderers’ Malunga told Nation on Sunday during the week that the first option would be to strengthen security on the terraces.

Malunga, whose team paid K950 000 (US$2 959) fine and suffered a Kamuzu Stadium ban after violence erupted at their Super League match against Blue Eagles, said they would approach Super League of Malawi (Sulom) and FAM on the need for the clubs to deploy own stewards around the match venues.

But Kondowe and Manyozo argued that the best thing to do is to let the players return home in peace and talk to them at their respective training sessions.

Kondowe said: “There is no need for supporters to make us play in fear. They should not take advantage of their support to intimidate us.

“Ma player tikunyozedwa kwambiri pa Malawi pano [Players, are not respected in this country]. The fans’ strategy will not achieve anything. In football, you expect to win, draw or lose.”

On his part, Manyozo said: “The fans are there to encourage us when the chips are low and we always appreciate their support. But if they get disappointed with our performance, they should approach us at our training ground because even their new strategy will still attract negative publicity that would scare away prospective sponsors.”

Bullets boss Chinyama said if the supporters want to kill football, they should go on with their plan, which he described as immoral and unethical.

He, however, accused most fans of not doing enough to motivate the players in terms of financial contribution to the club.

Wanderers GS Kanyenda said his club would not accept such a strategy because it is inhuman. He said his players get enough punishment by not receiving game bonuses when they lose a match.