I Warned Heartland FC, But ...

I WARNED HEARTLAND FC, BUT …

      The last time I checked, the ‘almighty’ Heartland Football Club (FC) of Owerri popularly known as the Naze Millionaires alongside Warri Wolves FC and Ikorodu United FC, had gone on relegation following the outcome of the just concluded Nigeria Professional Footbal League (NPFL), which saw football clubs of Rangers, Rivers United, and Wikki Tourist occupying the first, second and third positions, respectively.

      For clarification purpose, in sports leagues, particularly football, promotion and relegation is a process where participating teams are transferred between two divisions, lower and higher, based on their performance for the completed season. In such routine, the best-ranked team(s) in a lower division are promoted to the immediate higher division for the next season, and the worst-ranked team(s) in a higher division are relegated to the immediate lower division for the next season.

      This implies that the highly revered Heartland FC have been demoted to a Nigeria’s lower division. By hierarchy, in descending order, the four major football divisions in Nigeria are the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), Nigeria National League (NNL), Nigeria Nationwide League, and the Nigeria Amateur League (NAL). Hence, the relegation recently issued to the aforesaid team would see them participating within the scope of Nigeria National League (NNL) during next season.

       The development is a big blow indeed for a club like Heartland that had never been relegated before now. The only club that had such honour on its shoulders alongside Heartland was Rangers FC of Enugu. Going by the recent outcome of NPFL, the latter (Rangers) still enjoys the honour; this significantly means that it is only Rangers that are yet to be relegated among all the existing professional football clubs in Nigeria.

       What does the above analysis signify? It obviously indicates that the Heartland FC have just recorded a history. Mind you, history could be described as good or bad. In this case, the history made is not just bad, but unspeakable. It’s very painful that a well-respected club like Heartland would be rubbing shoulders with a club such as Ikorodu Utd among others of low repute that joined the NPFL barely during the last season.

       It’s not anymore news that from the commencement of the said season, Heartland FC were performing woefully to everyone’s displeasure. In spite of all the changes cum sacking made at the beginning, the occult bird kept crying furiously in the nearby bush. I personally raised alarm in that regard towards ensuring that the team’s administration was restructured; yet after the slight administrative change made by the state’s governor Chief Rochas Okorocha, nothing tangible was realized.

       I was more concerned about the team’s unsteadiness, not just because I’m a stakeholder in the state but owing to the fact that I’m their staunch fan; this was the reason I went extra mile to disclose the foundational plight that was ravaging the club. But, it was pathetic to acknowledge that that very rudimentary predicament wasn’t addressed by the appropriate quarters. I took time to let people understand that the origin of the continued downfall of the team was traceable to the act of mixing sports with politics.

       I don’t want to start mentioning names, not to avoid troubles but in order to save space as well as time. Those who have been following the Naze Millionaires would bear me witness that the governing body that was previously in charge of the club never lived up to the expectations. Even after the dissolution of the board, the cartel was still invisibly in charge, thereby constituting a lot of nuisances. Many saw the anomaly but couldn’t utter even a word. Some spoke but they did so under their respective beds. Whilst, the few who summoned courage to let out their grievances were relegated to the background.

       Though a lot of antics were really taking place, it’s equally worthy to note that the ghastly auto crash encountered by the team penultimate month in Maiduguri, Bornu State, which saw many players and officials injured, contributed immensely to the team’s downfall. Owing to contingencies or unforeseen circumstances, it’s always advisable for any football team to have a reserve, but it appeared Heartland lacked such provision.

       Come to think of it, even the playing/training ground of the affected team, Dan Anyiam Stadium is nothing to write home about. Take a walk to the stadium and see things for yourself. It would be recalled that, initially, the Nigerian League Management Company (LMC) ordered that no match should be played on the said stadium, among other stadia across the country, until some issues of compelling importance were addressed. Rather than putting up a formidable remedy, a facade was introduced in the name of ‘rehabilitation’.

       Someone might pinpoint that the Heartland’s downfall was mysterious and sudden. I beg to differ from such notion. The club’s crisis was never mysterious – all the problems being faced by the club were very glaring; neither was the downfall sudden – the concerned authority saw it coming and had every needed opportunity to boycott it, but chose to overlook it. It’s very bad this is happening at a moment we are expected to look beyond the oil and gas sector. Until we all comprehend that the entertainment, tourism, and agricultural sectors remain the only way out, we will continue to get it wrongly.

       Honestly, I warned Heartland FC, but they wouldn’t listen. It’s high time we treated this hard-hearing syndrome ravaging our dearest society, the Eastern Heartland. Think about it!

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

(TheMediaAmbassador)

-Researcher, Blogger, Public Affairs analyst & Civil Rights activist-

Chief Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research

& Career Development - Owerri

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frednwaozor@gmail.com

Twitter: @mediambassador