resume in mid June. The League Management Company, LMC,
announced that the break was necessary for them to take a quarter
time assessment and for the clubs to engage with their owner state
governments many of which now have new
governors.
WHY NIGERIAN LEAGUE WENT ON BREAK
The reasons
declared by the
LMC were just
nice but
economical
ways of putting
things. Fact is
virtually all the
clubs were in
financial straits.
Against the rule,
a number of
them carried
over defaults in long months of players’ salaries into the new
season.
Many of the league stadiums were also in sub-standard shapes. The
clubs made undertakings to resolve these defaults by the first
quarter of the year.
Outside the clubs, the leaderships of their owner state governments
were deeply involved in politics and had scant attention for the
clubs. Worse still, the states are having a hard time following their
dependence on revenue from federal allocation which also depended
majorly on crude oil which has fallen in price and volume in the
global market.
This also means de-prioritising funding for the clubs. Playing on in
the circumstance could only mean subjecting the players to severe
hardships. These are what the LMC didn’t say.
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS DEFY DEPRESSION
The time-out underscores the sense and urgency in the call for
professionalism in the clubs. In other climes, political processes or a
downturn in the revenue of government does not necessarily
constrain professional sports. In the heady days of the depression
in America, the NBA and the MLS continued in business with their
commercial and brands activities.
So too did clubs in the EPL keep up their action and industry even
with David Cameron, Ed Miliband and various MPs pitched against
themselves during the elections in the UK. Still in the face of global
economic challenges, the world witnessed the most stupendously
lavish purse in the fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao. These
attest to the fact that professional sports has a life of its own.
The need for professionalism and a strategically managed
detachment of Nigerian league clubs from the apron strings of state
governments cannot therefore be overemphasised. As it is now, the
clubs will have to rely on the interest and enthusiasm of the new
governors to be able to come back to field and given the revenue
challenges, some clubs might be at risk.
In this time out, a proper engagement with the new governors will
require a presentation of what the club is about and its demand on
the state treasury vis a vis its value to the people. Quite apart from
merely pushing the image of the states or governments, the value of
the states owning and sponsoring clubs is still a matter of debate
especially as many of the clubs, negligently, do not have any deep
connect with their communities.
Lagos, the acclaimed Centre of Excellence owns none. It makes it
clear that it’s responsibility is to provide its communities and
peoples with necessary infrastructure and institutional support while
businesses have to develop themselves to thrive within the
potentials of their specific industries. Professional sports clubs are
also simply businesses.
IF I WERE A GOVERNOR
If I were a new governor, I will be asking the clubs a few questions
when they arrive to ask for funds. I will ask to see their general
turnover of income and cash flow and the balance sheet for last
season and the first quarter of the current season; their business
development template; their match day and ticketing revenue; share
of broadcasting revenue; income from club generated sponsorships
and commercials; income and profit from players sales and
transfers.
I will also ask for the average league attendance of the club’s
games, the base of their supportership and followership, the value
these bring to the club, the impact of the club on the life of the host
community, especially local businesses, and the potential of the
club to attract direct investment and commercial partnerships unto
itself and its community.
Unfortunately, there are very few clubs, if any, that can provide clear
and convincing presentations on these and, if so, I will be lethargic,
especially in consideration of competing and priority demands for
education, health and infrastructure, to sign off on the requisitions
of the clubs for continued funding.
GOVERNMENT’S ROLE
Government sure has a role to play in the development of sports but
this is clearly defined in the provision of facilities for communities
and support for schools and amateur sports. It is always expected
that having invested in these the industry of professional sports
should take care of itself. A breach should be declared if this
maturity does not occur because, indeed, babies must grow from
boys to men.
The LMC has been consistent on the call for our clubs to embrace
change in their philosophy of being, policy, structure and operations
so as to ensure business viability and commercial success. It has
suggested and developed templates for the divestment of certain
percentage of government shareholding on the clubs for community
participation through part ownership and funding.
It has talked so much about the need for the institutionalization of
club feeder teams, a prime condition in FIFA/CAF licensing
regulation, by which clubs can develop their own players locally at
minimal cost, reduce the incidence of always having to buy plenty
new players every season at huge cost and at the risk of disrupting
the blend of the team, and, importantly, selling such players locally
and internationally for profit afterwards. Conformity is still not very
visible.
WHY LMC IS BARKING WITHOUT BITING
Interestingly, the LMC seems to have good reasons to be barking
but never biting. It may not be about the fist of sand. They reason
that a hard drive might leave us with no league as, presently,
probably only a couple, if any, of Nigerian league clubs are
registrable by FIFA regulations and a bang could be counter-
productive. Reminds one of Hamlets melancholic “to be or not to
be.”
It is not exactly a Catch 22 situation but the association of club
managers seem also to understand the fears of the LMC in this
regard and are thus playing “you-can’t-touch-this” with the whole
idea of the league reforms. The hide and seek may leave us just
shuttling in the crypt, with all motion and no movement.
While we wait for the club managers and their state governments to
come to realization and effectively embrace the reforms, the
incidence of inaction will continue to strain the treasuries of the
states while the huge potential for the professional development
and commercial growth of the clubs and the league, with the
attendant deliverables and contributions of this sports industry to
nation building, remains in dormancy.
To shift from this low point, I will, if I were to be a governor, engage
the club management and support them to chart the part of
professionalism and community involvement in the state club, not
only to reduce the burden on the state purse but necessarily to help
the club achieve its full industry potential for even greater delivery
of benefit to the players, communities and the state itself.
And, importantly also, so that, next time, we wouldn’t need to stop
the league because oil revenue went down or because some new
politicians are in. That is the definition of stability.
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