Gor must bury in history this culture of begging

In my column last week, I rounded off the corner of my argument by stating that if we need to go head-to-head with our peers elsewhere on the continent, then we needed drastic changes.

In simple terms, we cannot run a 21st century club using tricks and treats of 18th century.

This was my argument: I will always never shy away from sending a challenge to Gor Mahia management that for us to remain afloat and challenge the big guns in the continent, we must change our way of management.

Locally, we are a giant club but only on the pitch where we are the most successful football club in the country and the region.

On the terraces we are “Sirkal”, we boss every team because of our huge following, but what about our accounts? What about our management structure?

We celebrated our silver jubilee last year, but there was nothing to write home about save for the titles we have won

In Gor Mahia, we literally beg for everything. We beg to honour our international matches away; we beg to purchase our club bus; we beg to house a coach; we beg, beg and beg yet we have the capacity to turn our club into a financially viable institution.

Years ago, one Leslie Okudo made a suggestion to turn the club into a limited company and float shares at the stocks exchange market, the idea was shut down.

Club fans said Okudo wanted to sell the club to outsiders. As expected, there were a number of naysayers who thought of me as the madman of the local Gor Mahia agora. Comments on social media were categorical that such a move would fail.

Having hang around Gor for some three decades now, I am alive to the fact that there are those who milk the dying cow and any thought of restructuring sends shivers of fear down their spine.

These are the ones who thrive on a chaotic management, conducting Chinese accounting with ticket sales as well as “disappearing” players who are purportedly being sold.

In the same vein, I was impressed with the pragmatic people who supported my stand. I must point out the President of Mwamba Rugby Club, Alvance Onguru who wrote to me an encouraging note.

According to Onguru, Gor Mahia, Mwamba and Ngara Cricket were given parcels of land round about the same time by former President Moi.

He is ready to join forces with Gor and Ngara to hep trace where these parcels are with a view o repossession.

Also joining the progressive team was none other than Gor Mahia and Harambee Stars legend, Tobias “Jua Kali” Ochola.

The defence maestro listed the various benefits such a move would bring to the club.

Finally writing from Bangladesh, long serving Kenya rugby player Kenny Muli promised to be one of the first to buy the K’Ogalo shares if they ever found their way to the stock market.

The three gentlemen have played sport at the highest levels possible so when they speak, I guess we owe them the decency to sit back and listen to what they have to offer.