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Arrows chairperson has no interest in kit sponsorship

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Golden Arrows (Gallo Images
Golden Arrows (Gallo Images

Cape Town - Lamontville Golden Arrows chairperson Mato Madlala insists she sees no point in entering an agreement with a kit sponsor as the club has nothing to gain from it.

Abafana Bes'thende have been using a no-name brand to kit their teams and have not had a technical sponsor for the last five years.

"When it comes to a technical sponsor, no-one will use me for that. I can't allow a situation where someone will give me two shorts and two golf T-shirts and a tracksuit and inform me that I must buy 1 000 replicas. If you calculate the amount that I will use to buy these replicas, it is massive. It's bigger than the sponsorship that they are offering to me.

"If they are saying they are sponsoring me, I have to put up their billboards at our matches. One board per season, it is about R5 million. In some of the league matches we sell it for R15 million.

"The value that the sponsor will get for sponsoring my team is R5m. In return you will find that I'm getting a R500 000 kit but I'm giving them R5 million minimum and on top of that, I still have to buy 1 000 replicas. I don't sell, the only thing I do is play football.

"They need to understand what they want from me. If they want mileage, I will give them mileage but I don't have to pay for it. If they want me to put the boards at our games, they need to understand the value of the board. The stuff that they supply me with must be half of what I give them in return.

"Obviously, I don't know the arrangements of other teams. They all come with the same things that I've mentioned. So, I won't be stupid and accept that, never. Why would I do that? Because I want to say I'm sponsored? No, I'm not sponsored but I'm sponsoring myself.

"Why when they get to me do they expect me to pay for them? I'm basically buying my kits and giving them more. They want me to say, 'I thank Puma or Nike'. No, I won't do that. I'm not new to football. I won't allow a situation where I'm exploited. That's pure exploitation."

- TeamTalk Media

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