Supporters’ Chairman Canvasses Dolphins, Sharks’ Welfare

Chairman of Dolphins Football Club Supporters Club, Mr. Otis Asonye has called on the Rivers State Ministry of Sports to look into the problems of players and management of all the state-owned football clubs.

Asonye, made the call yesterday in a telephone interview with Tidesports. He said, it was not enough to pay salaries and sign-on fees to players and coaches and leave the clubs to malfunction.

According to him, the appropriate authority responsible for the clubs should know the internal problems of the clubs with the view to solving them inorder for them to achieve success.

“ I will say that to pay salaries and sign-on fees to players and coaches, are not the only problems of the clubs, there are other problems that the teams are facing, like welfare and motivation, including misunderstandings between the coaches” Asonye said.

He believed that the recent unimpressive performance of the teams, especially, their 1 – 0 defeat by Heartland FC, last Wednesday, in the Federation Cup match was due to lack of motivation.

He said that it was disheartening that the players had not received their sign-on fees and some months’ salaries.

“My brother, this players have their families, most of them are breadwinners in their family, they need to eat and take care of their families.

“How can a player in Premier League be comfortable borrowing, most of the players are really demoralised and you know what that can do to their productivity,” said Asonye.

The Supporters Club boss, continued that one of the ways to get good results from every sportsman was to motivate him or her morally or financially.

He used the forum to appeal to the clubs’ sponsors to ensure that the players and coaches get their entitlements to enable them focus on getting the desired result.

It will be recalled that the new Commissioner for Sports, Hon Fred Igwe last week declared that he would focus on ensuring that athletes’ welfare were given priority attention in the state.

He also promised to ensure that the entitlements owed Sharks and Dolphins FCs were settled sooner than later.

Tonye Orabere