Lessons for Kenyan football from the Premiership

The English Premier League (EPL) has grown into a global brand commanding followership by millions across the world. The league’s popularity is reflected in the corresponding popularity of its clubs which equally have a huge fan base worldwide, including in Kenya.

The massive stature of the EPL provides opportunities for other leagues to learn from its successes. However, this wasn’t always the case.

It is easy to take for granted the successes of the English Premier League and forget its turbulent past. In the 70s and 80s, football in the UK was struggling under the negative reputation of widespread violence, racism, accusations of illegal betting and a culture of drunkenness even among players.

Years of crackdowns by the government and clubs have largely cleaned up the sport. The government and the Football Association operate a zero-tolerance policy against violence and racism with stiff penalties for offenders.

Clubs have strict dietary and lifestyle standards for players and the government monitors betting closely to prevent the possibility of match fixing. The reputation of a clean league is one key lesson which goes a long way in gaining the confidence of fans, players and partners.

Adequate security for fans

During my recent visit to the United Kingdom, I took time to watch two Premier League matches, getting a first-hand account on how to run a professional league and conduct matches. Adequate security for fans, players and officials during a league match is non-negotiable.

While police in Kenya do a commendable job of ensuring that local league matches take place without any major incidents, it is no secret that violence continues to mar some matches, thus soiling the league’s brand.

Police in the UK turn out in large numbers and keep an eye out for any signs of trouble. During the fiercely contested London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, I witnessed dozens of police, some on horse backs, monitoring every square inch around the stadium, separating the two sets of rival fans and directing everyone to the right gates. It took just under 30 minutes for the fans to fill the stadium and even less time to exit. All this without a single incident.

Club merchandising is another key lesson to be learned from the Premier League. Club stores in the UK are strategically located outside the respective stadiums and open even on match day in order to sell a wide variety of merchandise to fans. Witnessing a huge crowd of Arsenal fans lining up outside the club store, aptly christened ‘The Amoury’, hours before it could even open left me wondering when our clubs would follow suit. 

While local giants such as AFC Leopards, Gor Mahia, Shabana and Tusker FC have made commendable efforts of selling replica jerseys, the numbers are small and the variety of merchandise is lacking. Club merchandise goes a long way in strengthening the brand, increasing popularity and bringing in much needed revenue. It is therefore time for Kenyan clubs to double down on replica jerseys, diversify their merchandise and ensure that it is conveniently available for fans and enthusiasts.

An admirable aspect of the English Premier League experience is the design of transport and other infrastructure to facillitate match attendance. London’s transport system in particular is designed to ensure that tens of thousands of fans can arrive to the stadium within an hour and leave the area in the same time. Train, tram and bus stations are conveniently located near key stadiums and have services running every few minutes thus ensuring that fans can get to or out of the area within the shortest time possible.

The signage within the transport network is clear, that a fan who is completely new to a city can navigate to and from the stadium without much struggle. This lesson is particularly useful for Kenya as we seek to co-host the Africa Cup of Nations in 2027 when we will have visitors from across the world.

Revenue generating capacity

Each club in the Premier League owns a stadium which ensures revenues from the sale of tickets and other related products. Most of the clubs have sold naming rights to their stadiums thus generating additional revenues from partners.  AFC Bournemouth and Arsenal receive millions of dollars every year from Vitality Insurance and Emirates Airlines respectively for the naming rights of their stadiums. The stadiums host other events on non-match days which further increases their revenue generating capacity. 

Here in Kenya, it is concerning to note that most clubs do not own stadiums but rely on facilities constructed by the government. It is not uncommon for the clubs to lack a venue for a match due to scheduling challenges which compromises the integrity and brand of the club and the league.

The ticketing system used by Premier League clubs is notable for its scheduling and adoption of technology. Tickets are sold well in advance of the match day thus allowing for better planning and organization by the clubs. The sight of fans queueing outside stadiums in Kenya on match days to first buy tickets and then queue again to access the stadium is a sign of inefficiency and a potential point of revenue loss. The use of e-ticketing in the English Premier league increases transparency in revenue generation, curbs the sale of fake tickets and enhances security since every ticket can be traced to its buyer, something Kenyan clubs must adopt.

Running a football club is an expensive venture which requires huge amount of resources. Clubs in the English Premier League in particular have some of the largest budgets of any club anywhere which enable them to buy some of the most expensive talent from across the globe. So how do these clubs manage all these expenses? The answer lies in strategic business partnerships. Premier League clubs have become very aggressive and adept at seeking partnerships with key sponsors. 

I was privileged to sit in a meeting with the top management of AFC Bournemouth who elaborated how the club pursues partnerships which have immense benefits for both partners and the club itself. Kenyan clubs have in recent years bagged sponsorships but this needs to be expanded to include a wider variety of partners for sleeves, training kits and others.

At the centre of any football club is an important stakeholder - the fan. English Premier League clubs recognize this, and ensure that the needs of fans, especially on match day, are catered for. Watching a Premier League match is not just an event. It is a complete fan experience.

Besides the action on the pitch, there is a variety of entertainment, stadium tours, food, interactions with the players and other activities aimed at ensuring that every fan’s visit is unforgettable. Such fans become free ambassadors for the league thus ensuring that its popularity is guaranteed for the foreseeable future.

The writer is the Patron of Gor Mahia football club and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Delivery and Government Efficiency in the Executive Office of the President