Wanderers new exco unveils ambitious plans
Be Forward Wanderers’ new executive committee has unveiled its ambitious plans which priotise commecialisation, ground project and winning the 2016 TNM Super League title.
According to re-elected general secretary Mike Butao, they will soon flood the market with merchandise and open a shop at the club and eventually one each in Lilongwe and Mzuzu.
“We will very soon be introducing a club magazine in addition to the Facebook page and website and we plan to introduce salaries in the youth teams to help attract top talent in these junior teams. These are investments for the senior team
“Owning a ground is an ongoing process and we will be having fund-raising activities soon, including a dinner on March 4 to raise funds for the acquisition of land and initial work on this project,” said Butao.
He further said they will work closely with all parties including losing candidates so that there is no “opposition” within the team.
“We will also continue to guard the sponsorship jealously as we have already proved we are capable of doing.”
Among their achievements during their two-year term, Butao cited buying a bus at the time they had no sponsors and winning the Best Behaved Supporters Awardin 2014.
Securing Be Forward sponsorship, winning the Carlsberg Cup, reaching the finals of the Standard Bank Knockout Cup last year, TNM Super League top-four finish, club restructuring which included reviving youth side, forming a reserve side, beefing up the technical panel and purchase of top-quality players were also cited as major achievements.
Off the pitch, Butao cited helping in the creation and opening of a customer centre to help give value to the sponsors investment into the club, engaging in various social activities, creating website and Facebook page and setting up a sister club relationship with a Danish club
“We have also maintained an open, cordial and respectful relationship with our trustees who continue to give us massive support even though we have sponsorship, setting up a permanent secretariat at the clubhouse and having audited accounts.
“We have also successfully protected sponsorship and we are leading in the Club Licensing drive,” he said.
However, a soccer commentator George Kaudza-Masina argued that in the absence of a strategic plan, it will be difficult for the Nomads to realise their ambitions.
“In the same vein, it is also difficult to appreciate their achievements when they did not have a strategic plan or set targets. But that said, they tried and there were positives drawn,” said Kaudza-Masina.
