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Football United: Kenyan love for Manchester United and Arsenal soothes troubled region but damages local game
A native of Nairobi wonders at the Premier League's domination of Kenya...
30 Jan 2010 13:00:00
By James Momanyi
The position of football as the world’s most loved sport continues to strengthen and Kenya is proof of that. Unlike other sports, virtually all male children at one time or another must play football at home or in school.
As the game cements its foothold, European football, specifically the English Premier League is a phenomenon all over the world. It has been said that the popularity of the English Premier League is wrought by the aggressive English media. Advancements in information technology, especially the internet revolution and cable TV, have assisted this growth of the game thousands of kilometres away from where the action is taking place.
In Kenya, for a very long time, the English Premier League and other European leagues were only a forte for the rich and those staying in urban areas who were able to afford the subscription TV channels. Not any more, though.
These days, premier passions in Kenya seem to outstrip those in England itself. I stayed in London for six months last year and it was hard to find anyone on the streets on a weekday who was wearing a replica football shirt. Such a sight is the norm in Kenya and even school teams have adopted the colours of certain teams.
Kenyans fight, quarrel and bet more than the English when EPL teams play and even commit suicide for ‘their’ teams. The most famous example of that was when an Arsenal fan in Nairobi hanged himself last year after Manchester United beat Arsenal in last season’s Champions League semi-final. The case was widely reported in the international media.
Sports bars have emerged everywhere and the taunts Arsenal fans receive in England about not winning any trophy for some time are replicated in Kenya
where Arsenal have more fans than Manchester United and they are feeling the pain.
The introduction of African players into England caused interest to grow and it hasn’t stopped.
Children Play In Nairobi
That is why Arsenal’s popularity in Africa is unmatched because since the late nineties, the London club has been signing African players.
Buying good African players is one way, another is success. While Arsenal’s fan base continues to stagnate just like their achievements, the Red Devils are gaining more young fans because of their trophy haul. Chelsea have a few, mostly those who started watching the league around 2004. Liverpool has remaining pockets from the seventies and eighties. It’s rare to find fans for other clubs in EPL or other European leagues. People in England talk about this so-called ‘Big-Four’ and how they are in danger of losing their power but a visit to Kenya would suggest otherwise.
The rise of the Premier League has coincided with the relative demise of the Kenya Premier League and the two events are not unconnected..
The Kenya Premier League was on a par with the top leagues in Africa from the seventies to the nineties. The two most celebrated clubs, AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia were a thorn in the flesh of their continental counterparts, more so in East and Central Africa.
The most memorable moment came in 1987 when Gor Mahia conquered Africa to snatch the Nelson Mandela Cup (the current Africa Champions League Cup) to become the first and only club from the CECAFA region to win the coveted trophy to date.
The two teams, which were clubs based in Nairobi city, were supported by the two dominant communities from the Western Kenya region. Their rivalry was so intense that whenever they met in the feared and anticipated Nairobi derby, the nation held its breath and Nairobi literally screeched to a standstill because businesses in the city closed down for the weekend due to the possibility, perhaps probability, of chaos after the match.
Fans Still Attend The Derby But It's Not Like Before...
The two clubs cultivated extreme rivalry and such overwhelming fan and financial support that they shared the premiership for three decades until other teams broke the supremacy around 2000.
At that time players played not for money but for the passion of the game. From 2000, new clubs supported by corporates, like Tusker FC, emerged and their bedrock was the money they paid players. This started to disintegrate the players from community clubs which barely paid players.
This led to the slow weakening of the two most popular clubs and when new clubs like Tusker, Mathare United started wining the league as AFC and Gor Mahia slumped due to lack of finances, people started losing interest.
The final straw was rendered by the growth of the English Premier League. From 2000, it made its way into the nation's sitting rooms through local television channels and sports news and caused many to shift focus.
The beauty and aggressive marketing of the English Premier League completely divorced fans from the local league and the affordability of the pay channels spelt further doom for the league which was now no longer broadcasting live on TV or radio.
Faltering management in the local league wrought by factional fights over who would manage the league and federation led to a further slide in fans' favour and the below par performance of the national team, Harambee Stars, persuaded Kenyans to adopt foreign teams.
This domination of English football is certainly damaging for the long-term health of football in Kenya. There are some benefits however.
The popularity of the league is helping the economy of the nation as people buy giant screens, subscribe to pay channels, flock to restaurants that show the matches and/or buy tickets for theatres that are broadcasting the action.
Surprisingly, in Kenya the popularity has even managed to reach the most remote parts of the country where the signals of the national television channels can’t be found by the locals.
People who live on the frontiers of North Kenya have satellite television and are watching the Premier League as much as possible.
The man in the picture is a home guard in the Marsabit district, which is in Northern Kenya. The area is a troubled one. Due to the scarcity of fertile land, the communities there fight over the little that can be found. Cattle-rustling is common because cattle a mainstay of domestic life.
The Premier League is popular even here and despite the problems the region has, shrewd businessmen have taken fake replica shirts to sell to the people. Just like in the rest of Kenya, those of Manchester United and Arsenal are common in Marsabit.
Despite the clashes between neighbours that often go on in these parts, the warriors put down their weapons to watch football whenever Manchester United or Arsenal play.
Sunday’s clash between the two teams may be a feisty one on the pitch but should ensure that it is a quiet weekend in Marsabit.
As the game cements its foothold, European football, specifically the English Premier League is a phenomenon all over the world. It has been said that the popularity of the English Premier League is wrought by the aggressive English media. Advancements in information technology, especially the internet revolution and cable TV, have assisted this growth of the game thousands of kilometres away from where the action is taking place.
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In Kenya, for a very long time, the English Premier League and other European leagues were only a forte for the rich and those staying in urban areas who were able to afford the subscription TV channels. Not any more, though.
These days, premier passions in Kenya seem to outstrip those in England itself. I stayed in London for six months last year and it was hard to find anyone on the streets on a weekday who was wearing a replica football shirt. Such a sight is the norm in Kenya and even school teams have adopted the colours of certain teams.
Kenyans fight, quarrel and bet more than the English when EPL teams play and even commit suicide for ‘their’ teams. The most famous example of that was when an Arsenal fan in Nairobi hanged himself last year after Manchester United beat Arsenal in last season’s Champions League semi-final. The case was widely reported in the international media.
Sports bars have emerged everywhere and the taunts Arsenal fans receive in England about not winning any trophy for some time are replicated in Kenya
where Arsenal have more fans than Manchester United and they are feeling the pain.
The introduction of African players into England caused interest to grow and it hasn’t stopped.
Children Play In Nairobi
That is why Arsenal’s popularity in Africa is unmatched because since the late nineties, the London club has been signing African players.
Buying good African players is one way, another is success. While Arsenal’s fan base continues to stagnate just like their achievements, the Red Devils are gaining more young fans because of their trophy haul. Chelsea have a few, mostly those who started watching the league around 2004. Liverpool has remaining pockets from the seventies and eighties. It’s rare to find fans for other clubs in EPL or other European leagues. People in England talk about this so-called ‘Big-Four’ and how they are in danger of losing their power but a visit to Kenya would suggest otherwise.
The rise of the Premier League has coincided with the relative demise of the Kenya Premier League and the two events are not unconnected..
The Kenya Premier League was on a par with the top leagues in Africa from the seventies to the nineties. The two most celebrated clubs, AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia were a thorn in the flesh of their continental counterparts, more so in East and Central Africa.
The most memorable moment came in 1987 when Gor Mahia conquered Africa to snatch the Nelson Mandela Cup (the current Africa Champions League Cup) to become the first and only club from the CECAFA region to win the coveted trophy to date.
The two teams, which were clubs based in Nairobi city, were supported by the two dominant communities from the Western Kenya region. Their rivalry was so intense that whenever they met in the feared and anticipated Nairobi derby, the nation held its breath and Nairobi literally screeched to a standstill because businesses in the city closed down for the weekend due to the possibility, perhaps probability, of chaos after the match.
Fans Still Attend The Derby But It's Not Like Before...
The two clubs cultivated extreme rivalry and such overwhelming fan and financial support that they shared the premiership for three decades until other teams broke the supremacy around 2000.
At that time players played not for money but for the passion of the game. From 2000, new clubs supported by corporates, like Tusker FC, emerged and their bedrock was the money they paid players. This started to disintegrate the players from community clubs which barely paid players.
This led to the slow weakening of the two most popular clubs and when new clubs like Tusker, Mathare United started wining the league as AFC and Gor Mahia slumped due to lack of finances, people started losing interest.
The final straw was rendered by the growth of the English Premier League. From 2000, it made its way into the nation's sitting rooms through local television channels and sports news and caused many to shift focus.
The beauty and aggressive marketing of the English Premier League completely divorced fans from the local league and the affordability of the pay channels spelt further doom for the league which was now no longer broadcasting live on TV or radio.
Faltering management in the local league wrought by factional fights over who would manage the league and federation led to a further slide in fans' favour and the below par performance of the national team, Harambee Stars, persuaded Kenyans to adopt foreign teams.
This domination of English football is certainly damaging for the long-term health of football in Kenya. There are some benefits however.
The popularity of the league is helping the economy of the nation as people buy giant screens, subscribe to pay channels, flock to restaurants that show the matches and/or buy tickets for theatres that are broadcasting the action.
Surprisingly, in Kenya the popularity has even managed to reach the most remote parts of the country where the signals of the national television channels can’t be found by the locals.
People who live on the frontiers of North Kenya have satellite television and are watching the Premier League as much as possible.
The man in the picture is a home guard in the Marsabit district, which is in Northern Kenya. The area is a troubled one. Due to the scarcity of fertile land, the communities there fight over the little that can be found. Cattle-rustling is common because cattle a mainstay of domestic life.
The Premier League is popular even here and despite the problems the region has, shrewd businessmen have taken fake replica shirts to sell to the people. Just like in the rest of Kenya, those of Manchester United and Arsenal are common in Marsabit.
Despite the clashes between neighbours that often go on in these parts, the warriors put down their weapons to watch football whenever Manchester United or Arsenal play.
Sunday’s clash between the two teams may be a feisty one on the pitch but should ensure that it is a quiet weekend in Marsabit.
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20! |
|
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