Gor players stage go-slow over unpaid bonuses
What you need to know:
- Rachier denied reports of go-slow at the team camp.
Gor Mahia coach Dylan Kerr has pleaded with the club’s management “to respect the players” ahead of Thursday afternoon’s SportPesa Premier League match against Chemelil Sugar in Kisumu.
The Englishman spoke on Wednesday moments after his players refused to train in protest over delayed payment of match winning bonuses and training allowances going back five matches.
The stand-off between players and the club’s management comes just a week after the team was locked out of their Camp Toyoyo training base in Nairobi for failing to pay for using the facility.
“These off-the-pitch issues have nothing to do with me. All I can do is urge the players to respect the club and the club to do likewise,” Kerr said.
Club chairman Ambrose Rachier said Gor is facing financial challenges occasioned by unavailability of stadiums in Nairobi, and the abrupt withdrawal of Castle Lager and SuperSport as the club’s sponsors and league’s broadcast sponsor earlier this year.
He denied reports of go-slow at the team camp.
“Our grants from KPL have reduced by half after SuperSport pulled out, and gate collection has reduced by upto 80 per cent as we play all our matches outside Nairobi,” he said.
“And to add to that, our monthly grants from the Kenyan Premier League have reduced by half after SuperSport pulled out. We are really struggling.”
The Nyayo and Kasarani stadiums in the capital have been shut down for government commissioned renovations in readiness for next year’s Africa Nations Championship football tournament.
So is the City stadium, which was banned by football authorities from hosting league assignments owing to its dilapidated state.
