By Robson Sharuko
The era of genuine replica football jerseys for domestic Premiership fans is now with us, but is a cool US$50 for a Dynamos or Highlanders’ Adidas original jersey a rip-off or a fair market price consistent with trends on the international market?
Zimbabwe’s two biggest football clubs walked into the light on Wednesday when they were unveiled as the new additions to the global Adidas football family that includes European champions Bayern Munich, Europa champions Chelsea, Spanish giants Real Madrid and South African powerhouse Orlando Pirates.
A journey that started more than three years ago, with sponsors BancABC providing both the direction and funding, culminated in the function, held in Harare on Wednesday, where DeMbare and Bosso were embraced into the Adidas global football family.
The two giants will get a seven percent share, from the sale of the Adidas replica jerseys, while they will also be provided with the branded kit and training equipment in a landmark deal that could be sweetened depending on its success in terms of the volume of jerseys sold.
Both DeMbare and Bosso have not reaped anything, from the commercial value of their brands, with a number of enterprising small-scale businessmen tapping into the market and printing jerseys, scarfs, flags and related material sold at markets, in stores and at stadiums.
But all that will come to an end now with the sale of such regalia outlawed given that both Dynamos and Highlanders now have married their brands to a company that should provide such material for sales that will provide a direct income into the coffers of the two giants.
Bosso chairman, Peter Dube, described their partnership with Adidas as historic.
“The sponsorship has made Highlanders a part of history and partnering Adidas will allow us to be among the best in the world.”
DeMbare chairman, Kenny Mubaiwa, said there was huge potential in turning their partnership with Adidas into a grand commercial success story.
“We hope the partnership with Adidas will unlock the real value that our club has,” said Mubaiwa.
But the big talking point, among the fans yesterday, was whether the average DeMbare or Bosso supporter can afford to part ways with US$50 and buy his new replica jersey.
Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters Association organising secretary, Fortune Bgwoni, said the asking price for a single jersey appeared high for the average fan but such original jerseys also came at a big price.
“When you look at US$50, it is a big amount and it’s very clear that the average supporter will need to do a lot of savings to buy his jersey but it’s also important for us to realise that such quality stuff comes at a price,” said Bgwoni.
“Our brothers and sisters in South Africa pay a huge amount to buy the replica jerseys of Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs and now have a culture, since they know it helps their team too, to only get the original stuff and the good thing there is that the fake stuff is not allowed.
“We are just starting and it takes time but, maybe, with time we will get there.”
So how does the US$50 price compare with the rest of the world?
Have those who have pegged the price gone crazy, completely out of touch with the reality on the ground, or they have done their homework and are just singing the same song like the rest of the world?
Fifty dollars, for an average Dynamos fan, is his budget for a season ticket to watch all his team’s home 15 home matches, including the two occasions when the Glamour Boys inflate the cheapest ticket price by US$2 when they are playing CAPS United and Highlanders.
For the other 13 matches, at US$3 per ticket, that supporter spends US$39 and for the two heavyweight contests, which cost US$5 for the cheapest ticket, that fan spends an extra US$10, bringing the total cost for the 15 home matches to US$49.
It means he or she can watch all his team’s home matches, and still remain with US$1 as change, when compared to an investment in one single purchase of the Adidas replica jersey.
The same is also true for the average Bosso fan.
But all around the world, the fans pay a small fortune, to be identified with their teams and, unfortunately, cheap imports of fake replica jerseys for the English Premiership teams have flooded our market and given us a false value of the cost of identifying with one’s team.
Let’s concentrate on the Adidas family.
Pirates have their own shop, and you can order online, or you can buy at selected outlets and their 2012/2013 white long-sleeved jersey for the home games goes for R614,46, roughly US$68, while the predominantly black jersey cost R568,86, about US$63, which is the same cost for the home short-sleeved predominantly white jersey.
The red away jersey also cost about US$63 although prices now fall as the new jersey for the next season comes in. Compared to the Pirates’ fans, the Dynamos and Highlanders’ supporters will be paying less for their kit.
The Bayern Munich Adidas jersey for the 2013/2-14 season can be ordered online, and costs about US$90 today while you can also go online and go onto the Real Madrid official shop and order their new Adidas jersey, with the Fly Emirates sponsor on the chest, for a small fortune.
From Africa you can pay US$12 for delivery and the home long sleeve short costs 77,91 euro, about US100, excluding delivery costs, while the home short sleeve short costs 73,34 euro, about US$95, without the delivery costs.
If you want to buy the short sleeved Real Madrid home jersey for your kid, it costs 64,16 euro, excluding delivery, which is about US$83.
Chelsea have a new Adidas kit for next season and in their Megastore you can buy a jersey for 45,82 pounds, about US$68, or if you want one with Ba’s name printed at the back, you can pay 57,70 pounds, about US$86,67.
Or you can settle for one without a name and pay 50,41 pounds, which is around US$76.
They don’t come cheap, do they? The Herald
