Club Bosses Oppose Premier League

February 20, 2003

    The Liberia Football Association's desire to inaugurate a Premier Division during the 2003 league season seems to be hitting on the rock.

     During the closing program of the 2002 ONS League Season, held at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium(ATS), the LFA officially disclosed the debut of a premier division come the commencement of the 2003 league with eight qualified clubs participating.

    The clubs expected as the first competitors in the premier league are LPRC Oilers, LISCR FC, Monrovia Club Breweries, Mighty Barrolle, Invincible Eleven (IE), Mark Professionals, Alliance FC and Bosco United Sports Association (BUSA).

    However, several calls have come from various sectors of the game denouncing the proposed premier league.

     Mr. Pennoh Bestman, president of Black Star, was the first club official to make public his reprobation on the premier league.

      Of late, the vocal sportsman has been joined by two more sports administrators, Andy Quamie and Edward Forson.

      Speaking to The INQUIRER SPORTS last Thursday, Watanga's president, Andy Quamie said it is not yet time for Liberia to run a premier division. Mr. Quamie's outfit, Watanga has just been promoted to the first division, a stage which used to be the elite of Liberian soccer prior to the proposed Premier League, noted that football most especially a premier league is not an event.

     Citing a lot of reasons, Mr. Quamie said it is not yet time for a premier league owing to the lack of finances, facilities, sponsorship among others. Making references to other countries in the West African region like Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon which are running premier leagues, Mr. Quamie noted that the clubs participating in those countries are well sponsored through the instrumentality of the FAs of those countries.

     "There are mechanisms which he said the local football house could put into place if it feels football in the country is really declining", Mr. Quamie observed.

    The proud Watanga boss said he has already informed the LFA through a written document of his club's position on the proposed premier league.

    Although he claimed LFA has violated the statutes of the local football house by failing to circulate Congress documents on time, the Watanga prexy is hoping that the premier league inauguration will be on the agenda for discussion.

     According to the local football house statutes, documents for the Congress which was slated for yesterday and today, should have been sent to its members at least one month to date of session.

    However, according to Mr. Quamie the documents were yet to be sent to the clubs up to the time of the interview.

    When the LFA was contacted recently as when the local football house will convene its annual congress, Chief Scribe Yanqueh Borsay said the assembly was scheduled yesterday and today but has been postponed to a later date.

    The LFA's chief scribe hinted this paper that the postponement was necessary so as to afford the FA's financial auditors complete their job.

    For his part, INQUIRER's "Outspoken Sports Administrator '02" and former vice president for Operations of the Invincible Eleven Majestic Sports Association (IEMSA), heavily criticized the FA's decision to rush a premier as unrealistic and self-centered.

    Mr. Forson speaking at two separate honoring programs recently, said running a premier league was only to benefit officials of the local football house and not in the interest of the clubs.

    He said the LFA lacks the capacity to finance the competition as a result, the burden will rest on the shoulders of the clubs.

    Mr. Forson also accused the LFA of engaging into unnecessary spending. The former IE's executive cited an instance where he alleged that LFA failed to pay his club's share from a game due to the lack of money despite funds that was generated from the game.

    Mr. Forson first made the allegation at the Salesians Tigers' honoring feat and that of the Cardinals. For some ordinary football lovers, there will be fewer games for the clubs should the premier league go ahead. That is, each club will be required to play fourteen games per season.

    Earlier, Mr. Bestman said the number of clubs in the premier are less than the clubs in the first division and second division something he noted was of abeyant intention.

    He however, hoped that the Congress which is the highest decision making body of the local football house, will see reasons to abort the proposed premier league.

    But Mr. Bestman said if the Premier league should be imposed on the clubs, he will choose a suitable venue on his own for the games of Monrovia Black Stars.

    There is no official report yet from the LFA as to whether or not some executive committee members of the LFA share the views of these outspoken sports administrators.

    As things stand now, it is after the Congress that Liberians will really know the status of the proposed premier league.

   If the premier league is aborted, it is obvious that the usual two-way format of the sixteen-teams chase will be followed.