Sulom using old tickets

Super League of Malawi (Sulom) has been selling old entry tickets for some TNM Super League games, The Nation has established.

This is in contrast to a statement that appears on Sulom authorised tickets which reads: “This ticket is valid for this game only.”

Last week, during a game between Nyasa Big Bullets and Civo United at Kamuzu Stadium, a supporter, Peter Masinga of Chimwankhunda Township, was taken to task for questioning the sale of an old ticket.

He said he was shocked upon paying at the gate, to establish that he had been sold an old ticket.

“The ticket indicated that it was meant for a  game between Bullets and Karonga United. It was the third time this had happened to me and I decided to confront the officials, but they told me off. I even took up the issue with Sulom vice-president Daud Suleman who referred me to Sulom treasurer [Tiya Somba-Banda],” said Masinga.

He further claimed that during a recent game between Azam Tigers and PremierBet Wizards, he was again sold a ticket meant for a game between Tigers and Bullets which took place a month earlier at the same venue.

However, reacting to the development yesterday, Somba-Banda backed the move, as aimed at cutting costs in the production of tickets.

“It is true that we are using old tickets because we have many unsold tickets from previous games and  there is nothing wrong since we consulted the teams,” he said.

However, the decision by Sulom has not pleased other supporters who are demanding that the system should be normalised as it is prone to fraud.

“It just doesn’t make sense to sell tickets meant for a different game, how do they account for them? I started seeing this last season,” said another fan Kelvin Chifunda.

But Somba-Banda disputed the assertions that the system started last season.

On the fears that the sale of the tickets is prone to abuse, the Sulom treasurer said the tickets are properly accounted for.

However, Bullets treasurer Alex Gondwe claimed in an interview that Sulom never briefed them about the arrangement.

“I remember prior to our game against Civo, I asked on how they had planned on the sale of tickets but I did not get a response. Only to establish that old tickets were on sale and when I queried they said it was because they still had unsold tickets from our previous games.

“I hope they will normalise the situation because the current arrangement is prone to abuse,” he said.

Tigers technical director Robin Alufandika said he learnt about the practice before they were consulted..

“At first, I too was surprised to learn that they are selling old tickets. Clubs are bound to lose revenue if the system is not corrected,” he said. n