In Part One, I explored the evolution of football in Rwanda, the history of our clubs and lessons from football cultures elsewhere. One question emerged: have we paid enough attention to the people and communities that give football clubs their identity and purpose? After more than 25 years living in Britain and observing its football culture, I have learned that a club’s strength cannot be measured by trophies, finances or stadium size alone. We must also ask who identifies with it and who will carry its legacy forward. As Rwanda seeks to strengthen football, we discuss investment, infrastructure, sponsorship and performance. But beneath these ambitions lie a fundamental question: what is a football club without the people who give it life? A team can be assembled, a stadium built and a competition marketed. A club with a genuine identity and a lasting place in people’s lives, however, cannot be manufactured overnight. That relationship must be nurtured across generations. The experiences of English and African football offer lessons—not for Rwanda to copy another country’s model, but to reconsider the foundations of our own institutions. Success, rules and the institution The pursuit of success cannot be separated from institutional integrity. The ongoing Premier League case involving Manchester City illustrates the tension that can arise when questions of financial regulation and cooperation with investigations come into play. City has consistently denied wrongdoing, and the independent process must be allowed to run its course. The point is not to prejudge the outcome, but to recognise that governance questions extend far beyond the pitch. Trophies may be won in a season, but a club’s reputation and relationship with its people are built over generations. Neither supporter ownership automatically guarantees good governance nor private ownership necessarily undermines a club’s identity. Success should strengthen the institution, not weaken the values and relationships that give it meaning. The Premier League did not create the culture—It inherited it English football’s commercial success rests on broadcasting, partnerships, investment and global marketing. But beneath these achievements were something money could not simply manufacture: a culture built on millions of people’s emotional attachment to clubs rooted in real places. When the Premier League was established in 1992, it did not have to invent an audience. Clubs already had homes, histories, rivalries and generations of supporters. The Premier League did not have to manufacture belonging. It inherited it—and then learned how to commercialise it. The product was never simply 22 players on a pitch; it was the relationship between people and the clubs they considered their own. Deloitte reported that Premier League clubs generated £6.8 billion in combined revenue in 2024/25. Supporter culture alone does not explain that success, but it helped create the loyal audiences around which the commercial system was built. The sequence matters: people create belonging; belonging creates culture; culture creates loyalty; loyalty creates audiences; audiences create commercial value. You cannot easily commercialise a relationship that does not exist. African examples: Different models, similar principles Across Africa, clubs show different ways of connecting with their people. In Tanzania, supporters as communities. Young Africans (Yanga) and Simba have supporter networks that extend beyond stadiums into local branches and social life. The lesson for Rwanda is not simply to attract more fans, but to give them meaningful ways to organise and participate. In Morocco, supporters as participants. Raja Club Athletic and the Parlement Rajaoui offer an example of a platform for supporter participation in discussions and aspects of club governance. Supporters need not remain an audience watching from outside. In Egypt, the club as a wider institution. Al Ahly combines football with membership, branches, youth development, academies, women’s football and other sporting activities. Its relationship with its people extends beyond match day. They raise a common question for Rwanda: what relationship should exist between a club and the people it represents? What does that mean for Rwanda? If a club carries the name of a district, town or neighbourhood, what tangible relationship does it have with that community? Does it engage schools, create opportunities for local children, work with coaches and businesses, maintain links with former players and give supporters a recognised place in its development? Most importantly, does the community feel the club belongs to them, or does it merely carry their name? A club named after a district is not automatically a community club. Playing in a district does not necessarily mean being connected to its people. Public support or corporate sponsorship alone cannot create that relationship. It must be built into the club’s identity and everyday activities. Rwanda should therefore look beyond results on the pitch and consider clubs’ contributions to the people and places they represent. This does not mean every club must adopt supporter ownership. Whatever their ownership structure, clubs can develop meaningful relationships with supporters and clear responsibilities towards their communities. From spectators to stakeholders: A practical agenda First, make community engagement part of club development. Clubs should set annual plans for working with schools, academies, coaches, businesses and community organisations, with clear activities and outcomes. FERWAFA and the Rwanda Premier League could encourage clubs to include this work in their development plans and recognise measurable progress. Second, organise supporters. Accessible membership schemes and recognised supporter associations can give fans opportunities to participate, preserve club traditions and communicate with management. Regular supporter liaison meetings would provide a channel for dialogue without necessarily transferring sporting or financial decision-making powers. Third, connect grassroots football to professional clubs. Partnerships with schools and academies can create pathways for young players, while also supporting coaching, mentorship, education and safeguarding. The aim should be not only to identify talent, but to help young people develop life skills and a lasting connection to the game. Fourth, keep former players involved. Rwanda’s former players hold valuable experience and institutional memory. Clubs can involve them in mentoring, youth development, community outreach and preserving club history. Their contribution to football should not end when their playing careers do. Fifth, make local authorities and businesses genuine partners. Where clubs represent districts or cities, partnerships should have clear responsibilities and measurable outcomes. Where public resources support football, the intended public benefit should be transparent. Communities should be able to see what the relationship delivers in opportunities for young people and wider participation. Sixth, link commercial growth to community value. Affordable memberships, merchandise, community events and engaging digital content can help supporters stay connected throughout the season. Sponsors should be encouraged to invest not only in visibility, but also in youth development and community programmes. Finally, measure more than results. Clubs can report proportionately on grassroots partnerships, young people reached, opportunities for local coaches and volunteers, participation by women and girls, supporter engagement, former-player involvement and community investment. FERWAFA and the Rwanda Premier League could explore how such indicators complement existing governance and club-development standards. Supporters also have responsibilities: respecting rival clubs, rejecting violence and discrimination, and protecting their club’s reputation and heritage. A strong football culture produces not only passionate supporters, but informed and responsible custodians of the game. People create continuity Footballers have short careers. Coaches move, executives change and sponsors come and go. People, however, can carry a club across generations. A parent introduces a child to the club; a former player mentors academy youngsters; a supporter passes a song or tradition to the next generation. These connections create institutional memory and help a club outlive those who lead it today. A team belongs to a season. A club belongs to generations. The football product starts with people This returns me to the question explored in my previous articles: is football a community or a commodity? Perhaps football becomes a powerful commodity because it first becomes a meaningful community. The lesson for Rwanda is not simply to commercialise football better, but to build our clubs better. People create the club; the club creates culture; culture builds an audience; and the audience creates commercial opportunity. Commercial success can then be reinvested in the football ecosystem, strengthening the relationships that generated its value. Reverse that sequence and we risk building teams, competitions and stadiums without the deeper institutions that give football its cultural power. Rwanda does not have to start from scratch. As I noted in my previous article on the history of our early clubs, many emerged from their communities and reflected the culture and traditions of their time. Many players had also passed through Itorero ry’u Rwanda, giving clubs a distinctive social and cultural character. Our football had a human foundation: clubs were not simply places to play, but part of the social and cultural life of their communities. We need to rebuild meaningful involvement of people in our football clubs—not simply because supporters are customers, but because they are part of what makes a club exist. The 90 minutes are what people watch. The club is what they belong to. Football in Rwanda is More Than Just a Game. In the next article, we will explore the next pillar of football club identity: PLACE—and why the communities, towns and neighbourhoods clubs represent are just as important as the people who support them. The author is a former Amavubi player
