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Tag: LMC

  • LMC/ Club Owners’ Saga: We must follow due process — Chukwuemeka

    LMC/ Club Owners’ Saga: We must follow due process — Chukwuemeka

    The General Manager of Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS) Football Club, Alloy Chukwuemeka believes due process must be followed in resolving the tenure crisis between the clubs and the League Management Committee (LMC).

    While expressing his view on the tenure imbroglio, Chukwuemeka restated that there were no crisis between the body and the LMC as being spread in the media.

    “This is my personal opinion and not as the general manager of ABS or Ag sec of Club Owners and to start off with I must commend the good work done so far by the LMC with the one season mandate as spelt out in their term of reference.

    “As far as I’m concerned I won’t support anything less than LMC and personality less than Irabor to manage our league if we must move forward. But we must also not derail from the rule books so that posterity will be fair in judging us.

    “What we are saying here is that of legitimacy of authority not actions taken illegally. Every achievement of LMC outside legitimacy cannot be recognised as just. Take for example Buhari/Idiagbon was adjudged as the best military rule in Nigeria, that does not make it a people’s government and I can say that is the reason Buhari wants to come through elections to serve legitimately.

    “Again the actions of LMC have been applauded so far by all of us but you cannot praise an armed robber for donating to charity without considering the legitimacy of the source of his wealth. The honourable minister Bolaji Abdulahi in his wisdom had invited the LMC, NFF and Reps of Club Owners where he insisted that he would not support the old order of the league system as it concerns transition, that we should seek better ways of doing it in order to sustain the achievements of the LMC so far. Based on this suggestion the LMC and club owners jointly adopted the English Premier League model with little domestication to sooth our system. We were in the process of actualising that before we had a communication breakdown which led to where we are now. But I still believe we can get it right by bridging that gap soonest.

    “More so if we are talking of laying a stronger foundation for the future of our football, I strongly believe that we cannot build a house on top of an umbrella no matter how beautiful that umbrella looks. Once again I want to restate that there is no crisis between the LMC and Club Owners.”

  • NFF rejects Club Owners’ purported sack of LMC

    NFF rejects Club Owners’ purported sack of LMC

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has flatly rejected a declaration by owners/managers of clubs in the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) that they have ‘sacked’ the League Management Company (LMC), which the NFF inaugurated last year to administer the elite division of Nigeria’sdomestic football.

    Rising from its meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, October 30, the club owners/managers had declared in their communique: “The meeting emphasised on the expiration of the tenure of the LMC in line with the terms of reference given to them by the NFF.

    “The meeting specifically thanked the chairman and members of the LMC for their efforts in organising the just-concluded league as well as their several innovations and suggestions on the way forward and wished them well in their future endeavours.”

    However, President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Aminu Maigari, stated emphatically that the League Management Company remains in place.

    Speaking from the United Arab Emirates where he is with the Golden Eaglets as the youngsters aim to make Nigeria the first country to win the FIFA U-17 World Cup four times, Maigari insisted that the LMC was inaugurated by the NFF, granted license by the NFF to administer the Premier League on its behalf and can only be sent packing by the NFF.

    “I am shocked to hear about a meeting of club owners/managers where they reportedly told the LMC to hand over to the Secretariat of the League. That is not within their purview; it is the responsibility of the NFF to determine the fate of the LMC.

    “The LMC has done very well within the past 10 months to reposition the Premier League, and they deserve commendation. The club managers themselves admitted that the LMC has brought several innovations to the running of the League. Why would we want to throw all that away in a hurry?

    “As far as the NFF, the supreme football-governing body in Nigeria, is concerned, the LMC remains firmly in place and will have the opportunity to continue its good works for a period to be determined shortly.”

    Maigari called on the club owners/managers to be focused on improving the structures of their teams in line with the demands of professional football, rather than get sucked into illusory political manoeuvrings and hysteria.

    “Sincerely speaking, the NFF will always accord the club owners/managers their regard and we see them as critical stakeholders in the development of the game in our country. But there is an architecture of authority, which is not horizontal. The NFF has prerogative on issues bordering on the running of the game in Nigeria and has not conceeded this authority to any other group or body.

    “Should the club managers have any grouse with the way the League is being administered, they should approach the NFF with their misgivings and we would resolve such matters, as we have done in the past,”Maigari said.

     

  • Lagos SWAN cautions on LMC

    Lagos SWAN cautions on LMC

    The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Lagos Chapter, has called on club owners and managers in the Nigerian Premier Football League to exercise caution on the issue of the tenure and mandate of the League Management Company (LMC), advising that any attempt to frustrate or abort the ongoing reforms would throw the league and Nigerian domestic football back into the dark recesses which the league has just emerged from.

    The Lagos SWAN statement jointly signed by its chairman, Fred Edoreh, and secretary, Emma Njoku, is in reaction to the communique issued in a meeting of some club owners and managers in Abuja, Wednesday, purportedly dismissing the LMC.

    The statement read: “We are a bit disgusted with the call, so early in the day, for the dissolution of the League Management Company when it is working so hard to re-invent the Nigerian Premier League system and is steadily achieving laudable results and inspiring the confidence of both the public and existing and potential investors.

    “While we respect the place of the clubs owners and managers as critical stakeholders and their right to have a say in the running of the league, we must also respect the authority of the Nigeria Football Federation as the ultimate governor of football in Nigeria by which it licenced the LMC to manage the league following the endless squabbles and confusion that trailed it while in the hands of the defunct league boards.

    “We have seen the remarkable results posted by the LMC in its efforts to unleash the potential and achieve greater value for the league, and we believe that any attempt to bring back the old politics which hitherto constrained the system would be retrogressive.

    “We believe that given the effectiveness of the new order, the clubs owners/managers would do themselves and Nigerian football a world of good to concentrate in strengthening their clubs while the LMC continues to provide the good management it is currently providing until the NFF decides further on the future of the LMC. The league has suffered so much in recent past and it is only reasonable that we allow the LMC to continue its good works rather than drawing it back into the familiar vicious circle of unnecessary politics.”

    The statement however also called on the NFF to engage and communicate with the clubs owners and managers more openly to articulate the league reform programme so as to achieve a general consensus among stakeholders to avoid discordant tunes which can derail the process, discourage sponsors and turn off football enthusiasts.

  • Club Owners, Managers sack LMC

    Club Owners, Managers sack LMC

    • Call for board elections
    • Congratulate Kano Pillars

    Globacom Premier League club owners have sacked the Nnduka Irabor-led board of League Management Company (LMC).

    This was contained in a communique sent to SportingLife by the secretary of the Club Owners’ Association, Alloy Chukwuemeka, after the Club Chairmen and Managers’ meeting where they reviewed the just-concluded 2012/2013 Glo Premier League season in Abuja on Tuesday night.

    According to the release, the association rated the 2012/2013 season as average, after they identified some flaws in certain areas like officiating, insecurity at match venues, crowd violence as well as some administrative inconsistencies.

    The meeting then emphasised the expiration of the tenure of the Irabor-led LMC in line with the terms of reference given to them by the NFF.

    The meeting re-echoed the need for the immediate organisation of an election to usher in a substantive league board in line with relevant statutes governing football globally as stipulated in FIFA standard electoral codes, and as affirmed by the NFF in their letter to FIFA.

    In order to avoid a vacuum, the outgoing LMC are to hand over to the secretariat of the league, who are to liaise with the present club owners’ executive pending the election of a substantive board.

    Meanwhile, the entire club owners congratulated Kano Pillars for winning the league back-to-back as successive champions, just as it welcomed the four newly promoted teams to the fold.

    However, the meeting also directed the outgoing LMC to liaise with the board of Kano Pillars FC to ensure quick presentation of the league champion trophy.

  • LMC to eject poor referees

    LMC to eject poor referees

    Referees who performed below expectations in the Nigerian top-flight last season will be dropped for the new campaign, League boss Nduka Irabor has announced.

    Irabor praised the efforts of some of the match officials, but blasted those who have painted the League in a bad light.

    “Yes, I appreciate the efforts of some referees in ensuring that our league measures up to world standards, but there are many more that need to be excluded from taking part in the League come next season due to their below par performance. We shall be partnering with the referees’ body in this regard,” he added.

    The League Management Company (LMC) helmsman also hinted that the company would introduce the use of independent assessors at match venues come next season.

    Irabor said the LMC will not rest until the League is transformed to meet international standards.

  • 2013/14 Glo League Season: LMC to fix kick-off date

    2013/14 Glo League Season: LMC to fix kick-off date

    A new kick-off date for the 2013/14 Glo Premier League season is being worked out by the League Management Company (LMC) to among several other reasons see through the implementation of the Club Licensing Regulation as directed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

    Clubs in member federations that fail to meet the December 31, 2013 compliance deadline will not be allowed to play in any of the lucrative and prestigious continental competitions.

    Chairman of LMC, Hon. Nduka Irabor said a definitive date for the new season kick-off will be announced by Wednesday, October 30 and explained that the intervening period will be used to “address the more urgent task” of meeting CAF Club Licensing criteria.

    “In order to meet the CAF deadline and ensure that our clubs participate in the 2014 CAF club competitions, we have had to set in motion the process for the implementation of the mandatory Club Licensing and this process will start on Wednesday in Abuja with a consultative meeting of the LMC and the clubs.

    “While we work at re-jigging the schedules for the next season to finish before the World Cup, we will also look at options that will at least ensure that our calendar is in sync with the global football leagues’ calendar,” stated Irabor.

    The League calendar was distorted by disruptions in the 2011/12 season which culminated in the delayed kick-off of the 2012/13 season and to normalize the calendar, the LMC had to run a very tasking schedule that ensured that the season was concluded only last Sunday, October 20.

    “The LMC recognizes the challenges the tight fixtures we ran in the just ended season imposed on the clubs but we must also admit that it was mitigated by the unfortunate early exit of our clubs from continental championships hence we didn’t suffer backlog of games when the season was to end. This time, we may not have that luxury of time especially if our clubs do well and given the various national engagements such as CAF Nations Cup Championship beginning next January 11 which will be dominated by players from premier league clubs,” advanced the LMC Chairman.

    The LMC disclosed that all pre-season activities, including the prestigious round robin tournament for the top four Glo Premier League club (Super 4) and a planned medical and ethics orientation for club managers will be implemented in full.

    “We want to make sure that our sponsors and potential sponsors are availed of the opportunities to tap into the business framework presented by these activities and the coming season,” Irabor noted.

    He said the LMC has taken cognizance of the participation of two clubs from the Glo Premier League in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Super Cup holding in Warri, Delta State on November 27 and the need to allow LMC directors participate fully in its first involvement in the Annual General Assembly of the Nigeria Football Federation which will be heralded by the Super Cup between Enyimba International and Kano Pillars.

  • Super Four postponed indefinitely

    Super Four postponed indefinitely

    • LMC to present Pillars Glo title in tourney

    THE League Management Company (LMC) has postponed indefinitely the much anticipated Super 4 championship.

    In a text message sent to SportingLife by Kasali Obanyen, reasons were not given why the mini league tourney was postponed rather it read that a new date will be communicated later by the Nnduka Irabor led board.

    Meanwhile, back-to-back Globacom Premier League kings, Kano Pillars are to be presented their trophy at the Super 4 championship.

    The mini-league tourney, which was expected to kick-off on the 29th of this month at the Kaduna Township Stadium ,would have seen the Pyramid side slugging it out against Enyimba, Bayelsa United and El-Kanemi Warriors.

    SportingLife gathered from the LMC that the Baba Ganaru side who claimed the title with 63points and were only presented a dummy cheque of N10million in Kastina-Ala, are now expected to hoist the Globacom Premier League trophy at the kick-off of the Super 4 finals.

    Recall Pillars became the fourth club to successfully defend the title they won in Ijebu-Ode last season where they lost 2-0 to Sunshine Stars of Akure, after Rangers International of Enugu, Iwanyawu Nationale (now Heartland FC of Owerri) and Enyimba International of Aba.

  • El Kanemi want LMC to monitor key fixtures Rangers: El Kanemi will fall

    From Tunde Liadi,Owerri

    El Kanemi Warriors boss, Alhaji Mala Zannah and Technical Adviser, Zachary Baraje have called on the League Management Company(LMC) to beckon on the match officials detailed for their blockbuster Matchday 38 Glo Premier League clash against Enugu Rangers today to give them a level playing ground.

    The Maiduguri side will win the league if they beat the Flying Antelopes and Lobi Stars and Gombe United stun Kano Pillars and Bayelsa United in Katsina Ala and Gombe respectively.

    Speaking in separate chats with SportingLife on telephone both top officials stated that a good officiating would be augur well for the league than previous seasons.

    “We do not only crave for good officiating, we also pray the LMC to properly monitor the game in case of any underhand tactics. The LMC must also keep a close tab on all the high profile matches and should enforce stiffer sanctions against clubs that err,” Alhaji Zannah told SportingLife.

    Meanwhile, Enugu Rangers’ spokesman, Foster Chime has stated that El Kanemi would be beaten in spite of their threat because the Flying Antelopes’ players have been well motivated ahead of the game.

    El Kanemi are third on the log with 60 points while Rangers are fifth with 55 points from 37 matches.

  • New Glo season to start November

    New Glo season to start November

    League Management Company (LMC) Chairman, Nduka Irabor has disclosed that the new Premier League football season will start towards the end of November.

    Nduka noted that before the new season begins, the clubs will have to meet some requirements before they are registered.

    “The new season will start towards the end of November because we must do everything possible to make the league go on at that time so that we will not be in a rush next year.

    “We want to organise seminars for the clubs to prepare them for the new season. I am sure we are going to get it right next season,” Irabor said.

  • Pillars/Kwara game continues 9am today

    Pillars/Kwara game continues 9am today

    The League Management Company (LMC) has stated that the Globacom Premier League match day 35 game between Kano Pillars and Kwara United will continue today at 9.am.

    SportingLife gathered that the game at the Kaduna Township Stadium was called off in the 32nd minute by the match official with consultations with the teams and match commissioner because of a heavy downpour that made the pitch waterlogged and as such didn’t aid the free flow of the ball as it couldn’t bounce.

    Recall the coach Babaganaru side were up following an own-goal scored in the sisth minute by Kwara United defender, Uche John.

    Pillars media officer, Idris Malikawa said: “We are very much on course to acheiving our target for the season so playing the other part of the game today won’t make us lose focus as the ground we feel is favourable for the team.

    “The fans in Kaduna have shown us massive support, nonetheless our own fans who troop into town from Kano.”