A Relapse of Club Instigated Fans Violence, Evaluating LMC Interventions, and Safety Rating of NPFL - The Way Forward

A White Paper Written By: Benson Chukwueke - PGd in Sports Marketing and Management, CEO/ Consultant, GreenHunters Sports International

Introduction

League Management Company (LMC) runs the Nigerian Professional League (NPFL), which is the elite cadre of the domestic leagues in Nigeria

The LMC, headed by Alhaji Shehu Dikko, has a set of rules governing its operations. These laws dictate the roles of clubs, referees and other stakeholders in the organisation of matches.

The LMC, alongside its parent body, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), also ensures the laws governing the competition are strictly adhered to by the participants and supervise penalties for defaulters of the set rules.

This is done to ensure that at the end of the season’s 38 matches, true champions emerge to represent Nigeria in continental competitions.

It also helps to ensure the sanctity and credibility of the league, which employs millions of Nigerians directly and indirectly as well, can become a responsible platform for youths and family entertainment, in a country with high consumption rate of the sport.

Problem Discription

In the just concluded 2021/22 Season, Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), the elite league in Nigeria, had a relapse of fans-related violence, often called fans hooliganism, in several of its stadia on several match days.

The violence often engineered by club officials, who employed thugs in disguise as fans, to intimidate referees and visiting team in what has been diagnosed as "Home Win Syndrome" ( a win at home at all cost, by any means).

Home win syndrome has been a chronic malady that bedeviled the leagues. But for the past three reasons or so, before this relapse, NPFL had recorded considerable amount of away wins without any form of disturbance or violence and the media has wildly celebrated the success of LMC as well as labeled NPFL as a safe and family friendly entertainment platform.

The relapse of the home win syndrome and club instigated fans violence in several NPFL games and stadia this season has left much to be desired.

LMC Interventions

 Towards ensuring a hitch-free finish to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) 2021/22 season, the League Management Company (LMC) on Friday, June 3, 2022 initiated some policy directions considered imperative for safety at match venues and protecting the integrity of matches. The policies were communicated to the 20 participating clubs.

The LMC wrote through the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Salihu Abubakar , “We wish to inform the participating clubs in the Nigeria Professional Football League of the need to prioritise their obligation to ensure the provision of adequate and effective security at match venues, and to guarantee the safety of players, match officials, fans, and other stakeholders before, during, and after scheduled league fixtures”.

The League body said it had to take the proactive steps to prevent a repeat of some recent incidents at some match venues which resulted in sanctions imposed on erring clubs but which caused embarrassment to the League, and brought the game to disrepute.

The Clubs have therefore been directed to review and fine-tune their security framework to conform with “the objectives of the LMC and stipulation of the Rule Book”. 

It further warned that “future disruptions or incidents bothering on the breakdown of security will lead to appropriate sanctions against the errant officials and clubs involved which may include but not limited to closing of match venues to fans, moving clubs to alternate venues outside their zones, expelling of the erring officials from the NPFL and automatic points deduction”.

The League body admitted that “it is currently challenged by the quality of some of the match officials appointed recently, some of who appear to be unlettered and therefore incapable of writing proper reports or superintending over matches which has led to complications at match venues and hinder the ability of the LMC to take necessary and prompt corrective measures and or sanctions”

It, therefore, appealed to the Chairmen of the appointment committees for Referees and Match Commissioners to partner the LMC in achieving the set objectives by taking extra considerations to ensure the appointment of only seasoned and thorough officials with uncompromising integrity.

Evaluating LMC Interventions and Causes of the Relapse

Many followers of the game accuse managers of the league of complicity in the disruptions that bring the game to disrepute.

They accuse LMC  unequal treatment of clubs, which often trigger bad blood among team officials

A club official, who pleaded anonymity, said Kano Pillars and Enyimba, among some of the elite clubs, are treated differently from what other clubs experience.

“Kano Pillars have escaped with so much that other clubs’ supporters believe no matter what they do, nothing will happen to them.

“What is the essence of banishing Kano Pillars to Kaduna? Is that a punishment?

“It is just like the case of banishing Enyimba to Calabar when they should have been taken to far distant centres, as punishment. There is so much inconsistency in the way disciplinary measures are applied.”

He pointed at a matchday 23 encounter between Kano Pillars and Katsina United, which was marred by violence and vandalism at the Sani Abacha Stadium Kano.

The incident was on a day Kano Pillars were returning to their home turf for the first time after a two-year ban due to fan violence and disruption of games. The referee stopped the match in the 82nd minute.

A few days ago, former chairman of Kano Pillars, Suraju Yahaya, allegedly beat up a linesman for not disallowing an equalising goal scored by visiting Dakada FC at the added time. He mounted pressure on the referee, who later cancelled the goal.

Null Hypothesis

LMC partiality as well as engaging Referees without Integrity has encouraged Intimidations by club officials and their thugs, who are eventually shielded and allowed to go Scot free above the Nigerian criminal laws are some of the issues fueling the relapse of fans violence in NPFL.

Alternative Hypothesis 

Most NPFL clubs being funded by state Government may have led to club officials careless of Fans satisfaction(Entry ticket revenue),  sponsors satifaction (Sponsorship revenue) or television station satisfaction (Television right revenue). This is the root cause of  the shambolic organisation of the league and the consequent club instigated fans violence.

Both LMC and Club Owners suffer from Marketing Myopia (Business short-sightedness) wanting to win at all cost in the short run, while destroying the economic nomenclature of the league at would have paid off on the long run.

.

Safely Rating of NPFL Match Venues

The NPFL match venues are widely regarded as " Theatre of War" and spectators attending the games are not guaranteed of any form of safety. There's 70% probability that any NPFL match will end up in violence, with several disruptions of the game by club officials or their thugs.

Safety warning should be placed on every NPFL venue; warning spectators that attending the games is at their own risk.

The Nigerian police or law court should ban fans attendance of NPFL matches untill LMC and club owners put their house in order.

The Way Forward

Criminal Justice and Government Interventions

LMC seem to have lost control of human capacity management at all levels. Despite various outrageous reports against the administration of sport and especially football in our country, we have not seen any responsible move by the government to take practical steps to curb the menace. Instead, our football is left to keep crawling like a physically challenged institution.

This ignorance or ‘I don’t care attitude’ by the government is rendering a lot of our youths helpless. Things have gone out of control with the involvement of security agents who are ready to take sides with the highest bidder. 

The highest form of insecurity is the inability of the government to protect players and provide the environment for them to freely use their talents as professionals and punish every criminal tendency during matches. No one can challenge anyone because everyone is involved in one form of corruption or another.”

Protecting NPFL Brand Nonmenclature

Adelabu, a sports scientist said: “My question to our administrators, players, referees and supporters, who are now babysitters for English Premier League and other leagues across the world, is: “If the other leagues across the world are run and marred with violence the way we do in Nigeria, will they be interested in them?

“Throughout my football career, I never thought a referee could determine who wins a match until I started Eko United FC. My players were so frustrated that they openly begged me to offer bribes to match officials so that they will stop robbing them of their victory.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Nigerian fans are too sophisticated to be fooled by any match official, who is ready to rob Peter to pay Paul. They want to enjoy the game and be guided by the performances of the teams to satisfy their emotions. But most of the time, some satanically possessed football managers and match officials always distort this psychological process, which often leads to violent reactions from the fans.”

Club Managers and Referee Must be Made to be Accountable By Law

Adelabu urged custodians of the game to ban football managers and referees in the NPFL, whom he described as toxic to the game.

He said: “Every football manager should be asked to defend how he spent his budget at the end of the season. Many clubs have a special budget for match-fixing. It is affecting the future of our players and the game beyond our imagination.

“When I was playing for IICC, I scored in so many away matches and won many away matches without any form of violence, because the fans witnessed a superior tactical display of football intelligence. These days, many match officials have destroyed some players’ careers through match-fixing; thereby provoking the players, as well as the fans, to violence.

Reduce Number of Referees and Use only Persons with High Integrity record:

There is no need to gather together all Dick and Harry to officiate the games. There must be a high standard rating of match officials. Only referees with high integrity rating should be allowed to officiate NPFL matches.

“One of the best ways to deal with the issue of hooliganism is by encouraging responsible people like doctors, professors, lawyers, magistrates and army officers to be enrolled as referees and match commissioners for NPFL.”