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Grassroots football in Nigeria is largely neglected and unstructured, wouldn't be where anyone would want to venture into. But these crop of football enthusiasts, what I may like to call modern professionals, are transforming the sector with their involvement in the Surulere Regional League (SRL).
They are putting in place structures and systems which even the elite league, Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) are finding so difficult to achieve. SRL just about to start its second season has already become a household name among fans in Lagos State.
How SRL is Transforming Grassroots Football in Nigeria
The vision of the Chairman, Salau Abiodun and the drive of the executive members are making such a great impact in transforming the landscape.
SRL is established for academies/amateur clubs around Surulere and it's environs, to help players develop in a competitive atmosphere.
"Surulere use to be where stars are made, and sports stars from all over the country come to showcase themselves. The national stadium was a kind of sports " Mecca." And you are not an athlete of any reckoning if you haven't visited or played in the national stadium Surulere." Salau Abiodun reiterated
"All that died down several years, since the removal of the national stadium status to Abuja and the facilities left to dilapidate. So players of academies and clubs come to the stadium to train and sometimes play friendly games, without any really program or platform to develop their skills and career."
Visionary Leader
"The primary aim of Surulere Regional League is to bring the youths in the area together and provide them a platform for meaningful competition and skills development in football."
"But then, we want to return to the status of Surulere being a place where stars are made. So we are positioned to develop talents and be a resource place for recruiting players into age grade national teams and professional clubs both in the country and abroad."
"We are presently building the required structures and systems that will take us there, and ensured everyone person that worked in the process reap the fruits of their labour. We've been able to seal some vital partnership deals for proper branding and media exposure." Abiodun further explained.
Some of the Milestones SRL Has Achieved
1. Sportswear Partnership with Haggai: SRL has sealed sportswear deal with Haggai to kit all the 34 teams in the league. The truth is Paul Maduakor, owner of Haggai Sportswear, is a part and parcel of the stadium community where one of his shops, Zenith Sports, does business. So it is more of a native deal.
Haggai is to ensure all the teams participating in the league are properly branded....from top to hoist, even their cleats... with world class designs and quality fabrics.
2. KinScore Data and Record keeping Partnership: SRL is also in partnership with KinScore, who will be incharge of all analytics and record keeping.
KinScore will deploy the latest data storage and mining equipments to deliver real time players stats and team performance analysis. KinScore is the Nigerian version of Opta to deliver scouting and team performance report for SRL.
3. Television and Video production Partnership with Elegbete TV: SRL sealed an exclusive deal with Elegbete TV for match coverage and production of video highlights and paparazzi for all kind of media promotions for mainstream and social media.
Elegbete TV has done great work in churning out world class one-on-one interviews with players and coaches, even branding such hypes by getting their guess to speak in local parlances like pidgin, Hausa, Yourba... to give such productions local flavor.
4. Live Radio Broadcast: SRL is also in association with top online radio, "Reel Radio", to give the league a global radio broadcast. So you can follow the league live from anywhere in the world.
5. Media Associates: SRL has invited several media associates from Super Sports Made In Nigeria presenter, Ojekere Aihoje, to Sports 24/7 eMagazine to support the course of the league.
6. Media Presence: Hamza Akeem Olademji, SRL Public Relations or spokes person, has done a lot of incredible job selling the league to football stakeholders across Lagos and the country at large. Olademji and the chairman has appeared in several television sports shows on LTV, MITV, SuperScreen, TVC, to mention a few.
7. Social Media Presence: Apart from the fact that SRL has active social media presence on it's Facebook page, YouTube channel, Instagram and Twitter account. Olademji's live program on Facebook: "Transforming Grassroots Football and Players" is drawing a lot of attention to the league.
His sessions with several player's Intermediaries like:Atta Anette (Ighalo's agent); Ese Oduko (English FA); Uchechi Ibe aka Walker (Spanish FA); Ikpe Ekong (Italian FA); Wahab Riliwan (Czech sports consultimg) and Onyeka Michael Ejuel (KK Management) are giving the league a lot of media exposure.
8. Marketing Aspect: Getting attention of top scouts and player's Intermediaries is a boom. It makes playing in SRL seems to be the easiest way to get scouted. Players across the country are rushing down to Surulere to register and play for clubs in the league.
Indeed, they prefer to play in SRL than even play in NNL or NNWL. It seems playing in SRL is the easiest way to get attention of top scouts/agents and consequently get invited to the U17 or U21 national team or to clubs abroad.
9. Sponsorship: This aggressive marketing strategies adopted by SRL management has made the league attractive to several national and regional brands. SRL is still open to corporate sponsorship, though they are already discussing with several brands on how to partner with league at different levels.
Special Online Event
10. Legal Aspect: SRL is helping ensure all the clubs playing in the league are properly registered with Lagos State Football Association (LAFA) and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as well as their players registered as semi-pro and academy players.
The effect being the SRL clubs will duely receive their Training Compensation at anytime their player get transferred to a professional club abroad.
With the way the management of SRL are going, sky is just the beginning for this regional league in Lagos State. It should be a lesson for other regional, state or national league management to push for greater heights.
What a league
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