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It
is the dream for every club manager or player to play at the top
flight in order to showcase their talent, earning some money and
improve their livelihood.
Football is life they say and those involved in it should
develop and raise their standard as they stand to benefit a lot.
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Action from
last season league |
And, as Liberians join millions of people around the world to
promote the progress of the world’s most popular sports, the
global leather, the Liberia Football Association (LFA) is about
to stage another marathon but ‘unachievable’ league season.
Beginning this weekend, soccer crazy fans will begin trooping the
league’s usual venues, the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS), the
Doris Williams Sports Stadium in Buchanan as well as the
Unification Town Sports pitch in Margibi County.
Firstly, the local football house has put a halt to the
relegation issue. The decision is whole-heartedly welcomed by even
the most unrealistic fans.
Taking into account the Liberian system, where there is not much
competition due to just a few numbers of clubs in the first and
the so- called premier leagues, it was appropriate that the local
football house abort the relegation issue to increase the number
of clubs, which would bring more competition.
Because, the more the clubs, the stronger the competition and the
lesser the clubs, the weaker the competition. The FA should be
hailed for such a worth while undertaking.
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Mighty
Barrolle's Toe Bryant |
But
the timing with such salient decision leaves one to raise eyebrows
as to whether the FA seems indecisive.
Why
in fact should the local football governing body make such a
decision with just few days to the commencement of the league?
Though, there were contrasting views on the matter, in the not
too distant future the LFA should be timely in making such
decisions.
Now
that this relegation issue is put to an end, another National
league season is beginning this weekend.
But
the objective of the league is however question, after clubs
failed to travel in Africa to compete with their counterparts on
the continent, as this has impeded the promotion of younger
talents to clubs on the outside as is done in other countries.
With club presidents digging in their pockets to finance their
respective clubs, there are no incentives or subsidies given to
complement their efforts.
Another season is coming where clubs play without benefiting from
gate intakes. This is because the clubs tend to owe the FA instead
of it being the opposite.
After a match, spectators are head counted and clubs in turn pay
for yellow or red cards received during league matches thus being
indebted to the FA.
Following every marathon league season, it is the LFA that stands
to benefit leaving the clubs in a deficit.
Another league season is coming where there are conflicts in
drawing up fixtures. Clubs will either play more games in less
than a week, which is mainly done in the second division, thus
making players to go through torrid times due to fatigue and
injury.
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| Coach
Ray Moulton- Which way? |
Or
clubs having a month break after a game as is done in the first
and premier divisions makes players inactive and match rusty.
Another season is coming where players leave for modest and lowly
rated league in Asia with clubs on few occasions footing the
traveling bills of their players only to be ostracized and left in
the cold with respect to receiving transfer fees.
With all these factors, pundits are not looking at the opening of
the league season with much interest.
But
are instead pondering as to whether the FA is actually set to
develop football in the country.
Does the FA now have sponsors for the league? The pundits are
anxious to know.
Though there are no TV rights, will the clubs too have the names
of the players on the back of the Jerseys? What is the role of the
Premier, First and the Second Division Clubs President Association
in these critical periods of football development?
Clubs Presidents have been accused of being reticent in engaging
the FA on issues of football transformation in the Liberian game.
Football followers would concord that the standard of football in
the country continues to degenerate due to a lot of lapses at the
helm of the game.
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Liberia
football-crazy fans at ATS |
Much of the players are unexposed, because they are mainly focused
on playing on the local scene for almost a fun fare, the news of
sporting authorities intend using only the local lads for the Lone
Star in international competition is worrisome.
Liberia undoubtedly has a reservoir of talents, but once there is
not a well structured program to harness these talents, our aim of
developing the game so as to be on par with other countries will
be a hoax.
As
the new league season begins on Saturday, let’s hope that this
time around clubs will break the jinx of traveling for continental
competitions. And, the LFA would be able to make amends in
improving relevant issues outlined.
Let
fair play be the order of the day and may every one be the winner. |