Sunday, August 12, 2012

Highlanders Bosso can still do better

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I have never heard of a fairer description of woman as the Holy Bible does it in the book of Songs of Solomon. It was mostly imaginary as the man was the wisest, but given his lyrics, few women could resist his charm and I bet he was handsome. No doubt he had lot's and those words would earn the most striking creature.

For many, Highlanders is indescribable in terms of how it makes so many people happy and it is with good reason. Bosso strutted their stuff for many years in many ways beyond words. This made average football overs to be addicted, not just to football, but to the Highlanders brand.

The good football made the team grow bigger and better. The economic situation made it worthwhile to associate with Tshilamoya. Many companies envied to rub shoulders with the heroes of the time. There was a point in history that the name Bosso, Highlanders, Tshilamoya and Mantengwane were the most powerful in the world of the few.

Like the woman described by Solomon, the club needed to sit and be admired. Who would not go and see an 'S' shaped volumptious, bootylicious and booblicious damsel who has just been in a beauty parlour for a manicure, pedicure, make-up and all the 'waxes' and dressed well? Many would pay for the view.

The attraction of Bosso exceeded that and as in the case of a show-woman, that fed the club. Everyone and all the companies fell head over heels for to be close to the club. Those who were close paid a great deal and did not care. It was worthwhile whatever the costs.

The roadshows and all the accolades that came with doing well cemented the traditions and culture that made Bosso what it was. The choice of where the money came from was wide and varied. In any case, life was cheap and players earned peanuts but things have changed.

There is not much free lunch out there in these recession threatened times. The less versatile will have to survive on crumbs off the tables of the rich. The harsh economic situation does not make Highlanders immune and the systems have to change and be adaptive.

While many correctly think the attitudes have to change, the mistake is whose attitude. On face value, one looks at the club leadership and point fingers at the executive committee to spruce up their thinking. That is fine but the support base must be the one to wake up and smell the coffee.

Like any change, this is not easy. Firstly, giving power by votes to people who are dynamic is key. The fans enjoy this right after terms defined by the constitution to elect club leadership. That aside, since there is the misconception that everyone and everything owes Bosso, that is fallacy. The club has nothing save for the money that is in the fan base pockets.

What the current custodians of the club have to understand, is that the time for the arrogant attitude of a beautiful woman calling the shots is over. The club need the go and goal-getters in literal terms.

Like Shaka Zulu or Alexander The Great, these times call for the warrior attitude who go after what they want and get it. With all the body armour, shield and spear, smelling bad and looking ugly, the Chairman and his committee should be globe-trotting hunting down cash.

As elusive as it may be, it is out there somewhere. The current leadership have the luxury of the work done by the previous committee and the results attest to that. During the days that Bosso just sat a queen or a makoti with everyone throwing in flowers and cash at it, a few well-wishers were kicked in the teeth and vowed never to return.

Those are the people to visit and convince that their absence was the reason for bad times and the good times need their presence. The business aggression approach calls for swallowing one's pride and extending hands calling for help.

To me, the self-destruction button is the pretence of self-sufficiency. Comparisons with the past and mediocre neighbours is also one suicidal trait exhibited by the club. The making amends and building bridges with those that did not tow the line is not a weakness. Maybe it was then, but not now.

The contrasting fortunes of the beauty and the beast in terms of times demand extra efforts to carry out innovations and programs never heard of or done before. Tradition and culture could find themselves over-rated but the preserving of the same becomes visible if the vehicles to progress is well-maintained.

The mistrust between past and present executive committees is a selfish and notorious naivety which I suspect does not exist in the club as many think. It is the satisfaction with the general status quo that is a problem. Of course, the mercenary external forces trying to influence player development and recruitment as well as highlighting performances of individual players for marketing purposes threatens the team deeply from those pretending to love the team.

The bigger threat is that they work from within and have the power to influence events by pen, word or vision. They partake in their lethal schemes by association, sympathy and kinness. They may wield power now in disguise, but time will tell and that is not the point.

What Bosso needs to be doing now, is shelf traditionalist and cultural-ism costumes and don the 21st century technologies for their data-base of fans and sponsors.

The initiative of The Bosso Legends died a smooth death, but that was one of the best ever thing to happen to the club, only if it was looked and treated in a good way. The initiative suffered the same fate looming at the Highlanders Football Academy that is being taken to the gallows by the haters.

The two are just a few examples of the 'kill them before they grow' attitude revolving around the questions of 'who do they think they are' and 'what are they trying to do' negativity.

As for the Legends, many have bright ideas and time to exploit situations for the benefits of the club. I always said that the club's weakness built on the flawed past of pride was that people thought it is wrong for anyone to make money out of the Highlanders name. Contrary, the only way for the club to make money is for someone to make money.

As an example, the Legends could print and market stickers and other memorabilia for a 50-50 profit deal with the club. Few business could refuse working with Peter, Adam, Madinda Willard Khumalo, Netsayi Moyo and Lawrence Phiri just to name a few. The executive committee's extent of running club affairs as enshrined in the constitution would not be jeopardised.

One member tried to convinced me about the existing mistrust at the Robert Mugabe offices. For me, he who does not trust must never be trusted. This should work within a certain scope and with intelligence. Integrity is not easy to attain or discern, but the electorate should not be naïve to elect suspicious office bearers.

In pushing to make good business, Amahlolanyama need to up their game in the boardroom and pull up the socks as not to miss the boat. The initiative for the funeral and medical schemes should be implemented promptly and the club and the Legends should share the profits at 50-50.

Any business carrying the risk and injecting capital as well as the rest of the resources lie manpower and intellectual property, must enjoy the use the brand but pay the royalties in legally binding contracts that make it worthwhile for the projects to perpetuate symbiotically for the benefit of the club and the risk taker.

As long as this concept is disregarded, 'iTeam Yezwe lonke' will remain isolated financial as 'lofunayo esesekela'. The club must make money in good and bad times, and in these good times, taking advantage of the team's results is not rocket science, but I know Peter Dube to be one.

It would be such a shame to once again have the Highlanders avail itself as a beggar at a street corner in tattered shorts showing buttocks. Mind you, these beggars sniff glue and have lice. If there is one thing the club supporters can do, this is one project that truly belong to them and it is them who can do it for the good of Bosso, but the Peter Dube regime must stand up and be counted without undue external influence of the Dracula.  

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