The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Club Owners

  • Club owners greet Iorfa, Ezeji

    Club owners greet Iorfa, Ezeji

     • Felicitate with Nigerians @55 Independence Anniversary

    The Association of Nigeria Premier League Club Chairmen and Managers (Club Owners) have sent a goodwill message to one of its foremost members, chairman of Lobi Stars FC, Ex international. Former board member of NFF and a Director of the League Management Company Mr Dominic Iorfa who celebrated his birthday yesterday.

    Club Owners also greeted veteran player Victor Ezeji for being one of the longest serving player in the Nigeria premier League having played for about 20 years in the elite league.

    Ezeji last week made his debut for Heartland of owerri in the week 31 fixture of the NPFL against Bayelsa united, thus created a record of playing in the elite domestic league for a record two decades having played for others clubs like Enyimba, Sharks and others.

    According to a statement issued by the Club owners in Lagos Wednesday and jointly signed by the Ag. Chairman Barr. Isaac Danladi and the Ag. Secretary Alloy Chukwuemeka, the association described Iorfa as one of the longest serving football administrators who had not only contributed to the growth and development of football at the National level but had also ensured the sustenance of his Club Lobi stars at the top flight as well as won the Federation cup and developed  young talents, youth teams and academies in Benue state.

    While felicitating with Iorfa on his birthday and praying for a more fruitful years of celebration, club owners commended the resilience and discipline exhibited by veteran player victor Ezeji and urged other players in the league to emulate him just as they called on the NFF, LMC, SWAN and other bodies to honour Ezeji.

    Meanwhile Club Owners have sent a special independence anniversary message to all football stakeholders on the occasion of the 55th independence anniversary celebration in Nigeria.

    The association called on Nigerians and the present administration to use the  occasion to show greater commitment to the the growth and development of football  in Nigeria as a key driver in the sustenance of peace and  as a unifying factor that  encourages Unity and corporate existence of our country.

  • Club Owners set target for new LMC boss Dikko

    Club Owners set target for new LMC boss Dikko

    Nigeria Premier League Club Owners have charged the incoming leadership of the League Management Company LMC led by Mallam Shehu Dikko to work briskly to make the league an attractive brand that will cause investors to compete for sponsorship of the top flight league.

    Mallam Shehu Dikko heads the newly constituted seven-man board of the LMC whose assignment kick starts with the 2014/2015 Glo Nigeria Premier League which kicks off March 7 across the Country.

    The League Club Owners have therefore charged the new board to be proactive in their quest to better the League and bring back Nigeria football fans to embrace the league as well as bring more commercial values to the league system.

    Speaking with Sports Writers at the Glo Premier League Draws held at Transcorp Hilton hotel in Abuja Wednesday, Acting Secretary of the Club Owners Alloy Chukwuemeka commended the out-going chairman Hon Nduka Irabor for the improvements and relative stability which the League has witnessed in the past two seasons under his care and charged the new board to consolidate on it.

    He said a lot still need to be done to make the Nigeria Premier league compete favorably with other organized leagues of the World even as he added that it is the sole responsibility of the League organizers everywhere in the world to give direction and improve its standard with the cooperation of other relevant stakeholders.

    Chukwuemeka absolved the Club Owners of any blame whatsoever on any negative issues arising from managing the League, stressing that the Clubs are ever so ready to make their teams available to participate adding that the organizers should make rules and ensure that it is implemented and monitored, including compliance with players / coaches contracts and wages.

    According to him, “for me to tell you of our expectations in the upcoming season let me first make a quick review of the last season. I must say that the last season was well above average and the climax was the super 6. I must commend the out-going chairman of LMC Hon. Irabor for the improvements so far and the relative stability that we have enjoyed in the League.

    “Definitely we expect a better new season and with the caliber of the man in charge now Mallam Dikko and his board, I am confident that he will deliver, so I urge him to consolidate on the records so far and try to make the league an attractive brand for investors to compete for sponsorship and partnership.

    “My personal observation of the workings of the LMC in the past seasons was that a lot of focus was on trying to decorate the container instead of building the content, and that was why despite the efforts our stadia still remain empty, so I advise Dikko to focus more on building the content which is the brand in order to attract both fans and investors.

    “Look, the Club Owners which we represent have no blame whatsoever in any negative issues which might have happened to the league. Let me tell you, ours is to organise our teams, play good football, improve the standard of our teams play and management as well as source for fund for our respective clubs. So the issue of security at stadium and better officiating and other organizational apparatus to make the league better and bring fans back to stadium resides with the organisers and their sponsors so don’t blame us.

    “As a responsible and responsive leadership of the Club Owners, we have striven in all our policy decisions to engage in peer review mechanisms where we emulate positive styles of member-clubs which is aimed at improving our collective efforts as football administrators and so far so good we are more united as a common front in the interest of our member clubs.”

  • Club owners hold emergency meeting

    Club owners hold emergency meeting

    The Association of Premier League Club Chairmen and Managers has summoned an emergency meeting of the association to discuss the state of football in Nigeria, kickOffNigeria.com reports.

    The meeting was convened to resolve the current impasse in Nigerian football.

    FIFA had last week suspended Nigeria from all football related activities following the dissolution of the Aminu Maigari-led board of the Nigeria Football Federation.

    According to a statement issued by the Acting Secretary of the Association, Alloy Chukwuemeka, top on the agenda of the meeting is the commencement of the second round of the Glo Premier League following the conclusion of the World Cup in Brazil.

     

  • Club Owners visit late Kunle Alade’s family

    Club Owners visit late Kunle Alade’s family

    A special delegation of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) clubs chairmen and managers otherwise known as Club Owners Wednesday paid a condolence visit to the family of late journalist and veteran League writer Kunle Alade at his Apete, Ibadan family home.

    ABS General Manager, Alloy Chukwuemeka hinted on social networking site, Facebook, that the delegation led by him, the Acting Secretary of club owners, alongside chairman of Shooting Stars of Ibadan Mr. Akin Akintunde and Kwara Utd boss, Barrister Bamidele Aluko were received by the late Kunle’s wife Ayobami.

    The delegation commiserated with the family and prayed for the repose of his soul.

    Responding, the wife of late Kunle thanked the delegation for their visit even as she said her late husband was not sick niether did he complain of any fever before his death.

    Meanwhile, the late Kunle’s 8-day Fidau comes up this Friday at his house in Oshodi, Lagos.