Kotoko Express under the spotlight…

Over the last decade, Kotoko have seen numerous changes its in administration. The administrative changes, whether right or wrong have had both positive and negative implications on the development of the club. But in the face of all these changes, one department of the club that has thrived and continues to thrive is Kotoko Express – the official mouthpiece of the club.

Set-up by former Chairman, Sylvester Asare Owusu in 2003; the initially eight-page newspaper paper (presently 16 pages) has overcome many challenges to become undoubtedly, Ghana’s best club newspaper and one of the leading sports paper in the country if not the leader. Under every Kotoko administration, Kotoko Express has been supportive in diverse ways.

Between June and August 2010, Kotoko Express faced difficulties. It went off the newsstands for three months because of its debt not only to its printers but also to its editorial and auxiliary staff. This debt accrued from 2009 due to the club’s over-reliance on funds generated by the newspaper.

With the sound management practices of former Executive Chairman, Dr. K. K. Sarpong and the Chairman of the Kotoko Communications Board, Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere, Kotoko Express returned to the newsstands, cleared its huge debts in succeeding months and went full colour in January 2012, while re-paying its dues to management in latter part of 2012 and up to the middle of 2013.

The newspaper also purchased a vehicle for the first time to enhance its operations in Accra and across the country. Business was good for the newspaper then. Therefore, between December 2012 and June 2013 – a period of six months, Kotoko Express contributed a total of GHȼ62,000 (620 million old cedis) to the club. Going by available figures, it's logical that, given the quantum of money Kotoko Express has given to Kotoko in recent times, it will take time for the accounts of the newspaper to be “replenished” before it can dole out such amounts again. 

There are examples to support the above argument. In fact, there is adequate documentation to even show how the money given to the club in the period stated was utilized. Michael Helegbe (GHȼ 10,000), Right to Dream debt (GHȼ 20,000), Tema Youth debt (GHȼ 3,000) and other amounts paid to players: Kofi Agyare (GHȼ 300), Amos Frimpong (GHȼ 400), Kofi Nti Boakye (GHȼ 1,000), Ransford Osei (GHȼ 1,500) and Kwabena Adusei (GHȼ 1,500); and Dieter Schmidt’s debt (GHȼ 24,000) are all but examples of Kotoko Express contributions to Kotoko since 2012.

Thus the allegation by a Kumasi radio station on Thursday that, Kotoko Express contributes nothing to Kotoko is only spiteful and ill-motivated. The fact that Kotoko Express hasn’t made contributions to the club since July 2013 is not in contest but to put that out without finding out why, betrays a blatant, malicious intent to vilify Kotoko Express and needlessly pitch fans of the club against the newspaper.

It is also akin to soiling the integrity of the newspaper and its staff while at the same time, deceiving and misinforming Kotoko fans, most of who are wide awake. No discerning Kotoko fan will therefore fall for any unintelligent and irresponsible statement on radio concerning the financial contributions Kotoko Express make to the club. Any media house that wants to genuinely know the truth must be ready to debate facts, not hearsays.

Facts must be separated from emotive feelings. Regardless of whatever business strategy Kotoko Express adopts to improve its income, it has been proven through painstaking research that, the paper’s sales soar when interest in Kotoko events by supporters of the club go up. There are adverts which give the paper money but it has also been scientifically established that, when there are endless news worthy developments in Kotoko, constant exclusives and high supporters’ enthusiasm in and around the club, Kotoko Express’ sales increase significantly.

These are incontrovertible facts, not something spewed out of conjecture. Kotoko Express’ sales have been painfully low lately. The reasons are not difficult to find. Although Kotoko won the league, which started in September 2013 and ended in June 2014, attendance at Kotoko’s matches was poor. The point is fans who patronize Kotoko Express are practically no different from those who attend the team’s matches in Kumasi and also across the country.

Why does the team play in front of a near-empty Baba Yara Sports Stadium for example even when there have been continuous victories? The truth is enthusiasm in and around Kotoko has dropped lately. Kotoko Express' figures show that the drop started after the loss to Algeria’s JSM Bejaia to the exit of Dr. Sarpong and it continued after the Africa loss to Barrack Young Controllers (BYC) of Liberia.

This significant drop in Kotoko enthusiasm has made it difficult but Kotoko Express to make meaningful financial contributions to the present management. Discussions are ongoing to find out how best even the smallest contributions can be made. How this information was leaked to a media house and subsequently handled anyhow to misinform supporters and pitch them against the news paper vindicates the conviction that, Kotoko has management challenges. But we will be not daunted.

We have to stand by Kotoko and continue working to make things better. As media outfit, Kotoko Express doesn’t have to abandon the Board, management; the players and the technical team when things are bad. We will be no better than anti-Kotoko fans when we show such an attitude.

Let’s all seek and protect Kotoko’s interest. Let’s not be deceived by over-zealous radio presenters who are fed on half-truths and rush to broadcast without fulfilling the modest ethical demands of double-checking facts and ensuring balance to properly inform and educate the general public.