Written by Sandile Van Heerden
It would take some effort to find a sporting community that is more exploited than South African football supporters.
Fans are treated as cash cows and are mercilessly milked dry by clubs, football bosses, and sponsors alike.
Next month’s Carling Black Label Cup is the latest example of how one-sided the relationship really is.
The Carling Black Label Cup campaign encouraged supporters to first vote for their teams to qualify for a one-day tournament and that voting process came at a price.
To cast a vote, supporters were asked to buy a Black Label beer to earn a unique code which in turn granted access to one vote on the local beer’s website.
The process raised several red flags, mainly because it excludes people who do not consume alcohol, as well as children.
It also exploited fans by having them pay out of their own pockets in an attempt to see their teams qualify for the four-team event.
When voting closed on 2 October, just under 1.5 million votes had been registered with the majority of those votes, 490 374, going to Kaizer Chiefs.
Orlando Pirates received the second most votes of 354 472 while Mamelodi Sundowns received 171 717 votes and AmaZulu received 144 829 votes.
In total 1 454 855 were cast in the space of a month which translates to 1 454 855 beers purchased in return for 1 454 855 unique voting codes.
If everyone bought a 340ml dumpy for R13 to cast a vote, that would amount to R18 913 115 made by the sponsor.
Carling will pay out just over R13 million worth of prize money to the 16 teams, which means they pocket around R6 million for themselves before a ball has been kicked.
In reality, fans are sponsoring this tournament with their hard-earned money while clubs, football bosses, and sponsors are laughing all the way to the bank.
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