Local Football involves a number of stakeholders at different levels to help bring the best out of the game. The stakeholders include internal and external. These parties play a greater role as far as football is run in Uganda.
There has been a lot of conflicts between parties blaming each other for failing to fulfill their roles in the game, starting with the owners, fans, coaches, investors among others.
Speaking on Tutegeere Omupiira show at 102.1 Fufa FM, the Fufa boss Engineer Moses Magogo gave a broad insight of how stakeholders should come into handy if football is to take more positive strides.
“Everyone has a role to play in football,” he stated. “Stakeholders have different roles in football.”
“Football has two sets of stakeholders; internal stakeholders that includes the players, coach, referees, clubs, FUFA, FIFA, CAF. The others are the External stakeholders and Football is nothing without these people.”
However, the Budiope East member of parliament emphasized more on the external stakeholders that include the following:
Fan – The fans are the most important people to the game because they consume the game. Even if they don’t make final decisions, but all that is prepared is for the fans. The fans bring in money on matchdays, they pay for the game, pay decorders, buy tickets and this money is used to facilitate the clubs. Clubs without fans can’t survive for a long time. We should understand that the fans are the most important people in the game
Sponsor – The sponsor brings in money and are so important to the game. But he/she wants to sell the product to the fans, they target the fan. That is why the more fans, it makes the rights more expensive. That is why premier league rights are so expensive because fans are many, in and outside the stadium due to the technology. Sponsor is vital because he brings in money but they target the fans.
Media – Media is very important in the game. It brings out the bad side and good side of the game. You can see here in Uganda, the media can turn something bad into good and then vice versa. They have the capability the go on ground to different sources and then circulate it to different platforms. Media plays a big role. For example, in England, can add value to a low average player, they promote their own. Here in Uganda, our media is still in development stages. Some people want the negative side to make headlines but this puts away many people out of the game. Like today, Newvision sports on the back page stated ‘Was Micho Paid’ they know all the information but someone is looking for what to write to bring out such an objective. And another thing, by him returning, he knows the relationship with Fufa. Even as FUFA, we have a relationship with the media. The media is so powerful when you use it in a bad way, it damages the game, and when put right it brings out the best. Every game needs to have a powerful media department.
Government – his is the biggest stakeholder because you cannot do anything without the government. It gives and guarantees a conducive environment to everything. It sets the regulations. I’m a football person, I am asking the government to give us a role to protect the commercial rights of the Federation, Athletes and everyone that’s what they are trying to do in music to protect the rights of musicians. It sets the infrastructure, many people look at only stadiums but even the roads to these facilities helps the business. Another thing is optic fibre, it will improve on the picture of the image from games plus accomodation, electricity all these are infrastructure. Government sets the policies and regulations and a very big stakeholder.
Service Provider – For example the bank, these can cause harm to the game. They also depend on the game if at all it moves on well. The industry also benefits from the service providers. All stakeholders are so important for the good of the game and everyone should understand their roles. Fufa should also address their needs and put the game forward.
