woah. didn't know Thika isn't there anymore
Thika United Died – All That’s Remaining Is The Brookside Jersey
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BK KemoliJuly 11, 2020
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It is this love, determination, and passion for football that led to the formation of Beirut FC – which later changed its name to Medisca Thika United and later Thika United – in 2001.
With an inexperienced squad, the club went on to beat all odds and gained promotion to the Kenya Premier League- top tier league- in 2002 just after one season.
So decorative was Thika United football culture on the global scale that in 2005, Matthew Dickson, a midfielder hit local and international headlines after opting to leave Barslington Badgers in Bristol England and changing his citizenship – from British to Kenyan – thereby signing for the club.
Although posting mixed results, with 2006 and 2009 underlining their season best league position as they settled for second and third place respectively, the club continued to churn out the best talent from their academies.
on the left showing worst gained points and position with 2018 being relegation year. Season 2002, 2002/2003 and 2003/04 Thika United was in Group A of KPL thus low points. Best season 2005/06 with highest points attained.
In 2010, the club had managed to finish at 10th position, though on the upside, the average age of the team was 21 years and still among the youngest in the league.
Even years after its collapse, the talent Thika United sowed is now blooming. At the start of the 2019 premier league campaign, it was confirmed that 15 of the KPL clubs had one or more players who had graduated from the youth program at Thika United.
The likes of Clifford Miheso (Gor Mahia), Dennis Odhiambo (KCB), Michael Mutinda (KB), Eliud Emase (Bidco United), Francis Kahata (Simba FC – Tanzania), Kefa Aswani (Posta Rangers), Suleiman Sule (Posta Rangers), Michael Luvusi (Posta Rangers), James Kinyanjui (Mathare United) and Michael Olunga ( Kashiwa Reysol – Japan). Are among many who trace their roots to the club.
Thika United players celebrate a goal. PHOTO : COURTESY
Thika had transformed itself as a home for nurturing and budding young talents, a powerhouse and a production chain galvanized by a huge sponsorship allocation of Ksh 15 million shillings annually from Brookside.
With Brookside also sponsoring The East and Central Africa School regional competitions, Thika United was reaping big with a large pool of talent provided to them just for the taking.
And then in 2016, Brookside, the company associated with the Kenyatta’s, withdrew the annual sponsorship after 15 years of financing the club.
The club was now in unfamiliar territory, grasping on straws in a bid to save the club. Fighting for Thika pride and culture as they watched their efforts slipping away faster than they thought.
Vincent Nyaberi, an ex-player who served the club for the 15 years in different capacities, witnessed as the club was taking a turn for the worst and had to momentarily step in as team manager to help delay the inevitable- the club’s death.
Now at Shabana FC as the head coach, the COVID 19 pandemic which led to the suspension of football activities had forced him to travel back to Thika from Kisii.
Without any prior notice of an interview, I found him sitting outside one of his business premises in Thika, Makongeni area. As I sat and inquired about what happened to Thika United.
“Thika United died. All that’s remaining is the Brookside jersey,” he announced as he showed me the jersey which he was incognizable wearing.
“ After the sponsor pulled out, many players moved out due to lack of money to look for greener pastures in other clubs.
2015 Thika United Full Jersey. PHOTO : COURTESY CITIZEN TV
Following the exodus of it’s best players, Thika United had no other alternative but to recruit young local players many of whom did not have the experience to cope with the top-level league.
The recruitment strategy was horrendous having to settle on young and inexperienced local players without the structures like the academy they used to have, it was getting harder by each day to develop and transform the club performance.
The squad was out of depth, and with the quality level of the premier league, they were always chasing.
They were talks by Moses Kuria, a political bigwig and an ardent follower to change its name to Mount Kenya FC so as to attract the following of the larger Mount Kenya Community like the likes AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia during that period when the club won back promotion to the top tier league in 2017.
The talks however were not fruitful with insider sources claiming the club’s management was not for the idea of dropping the name. The frustrated bidders settled for Nakumatt FC instead, naming it Mount Kenya FC.
In 2018, Thika United was relegated back to the National Super league after finishing bottom of the league- lowest finishing position in their history- managing only 23points after just 34 games.
Muyoti went on to resign citing a string of poor performances. In reality, the club’s pieces were so scattered that even Muyoti’s touch of tactical magical brilliance could not help bring them together.
Back to back relegation had ripped out the club’s heart and soul.
The introduction of the young manager, coach John Njogu, from Kiambu All-Stars did not ease the situation either as he inherited an already crumbling club.
The club has continued to plummet until now it’s just a name having sold their position in the Division league to Zetech University.
Early this year, Meru County had moved in to buy the club and change it to Meru FC, a deal which until now has never materialized.
According to Nyaberi, Thika is a cradle of sports and the situation would have been better if a sponsor had stepped immediately after the exit of Brookside.
“Right now our youth believe football is a profession. Yes, Thika has talent but without money, it’s hard to keep those young talents.”
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