It’s high time the business of soccer became everyone’s business

Soccer is without doubt the most popular sport in South Africa, Africa and the whole world. The question is: how much do we really know about our beloved game in South Africa? Yes, you can probably name the usual starting eleven of your favourite team, but how much do you know about the business side of your team. Must this info be the sole preserve of the Irvin Khozas, Kaizer Motaungs, Jomo Sonos of this world, when it is you and I, the supporters that make the soccer business the force it is.

There are many questions that need be answered. For instance, what is the net worth of Orlando Pirates? What’s the club’s annual turnover? What’s the breakdown of that turnover: what proportion is from TV rights, player sales, sponsorships, gate takings and merchandising? How much is the current squad worth? What is the club’s monthly wage bill? What’s the impact of the credit crunch on the game now, and in the near future? The questions are endless. It’s my intention to get these answers and to apply some value adding to these answers by way of sound analysis.

Obviously, the more you know about the business side of your team the more you understand about the eleven men who take to the pitch. The more available information is with regards to our game, the more potential investors will be attracted to our sport for the betterment of the game.

So if you feel that you should be in the know about our beautiful game, from a South African perspective, make sure you check out this section everyday and see what new soccer wisdom we have to share with you. It’s time to get wiser about our game. Watch this space.