Sports

Football Players and Their Restrictions

Published

6 years ago

June 18, 2019

As viewers and fans, we often see football players and their luxurious life. They possess something that everybody wants. Players have massive wealth and fame by doing what they love, and what are best at. Playing in front of thousands of fans, scoring, goal-saving, iconic dribbles are iconic moments that every fan dreams of.

There is a big “but” in this situation. The players have a lot of restrictions considering their life and their activities. The biggest restriction and the one that is hardest to regulate is betting. With the rise of the Internet and online betting sites, sports betting has never been easier. While it is easy to just talk about the restrictions, it is much harder in real life.

Firstly, players are always on a strict diet. In order to maximize their performance, clubs have nutrition experts that provide meal lists to the players. The list contains what to eat, as well as what not to eat. Basically, players are being ordered on what their meals should look like.

Secondly, as mentioned before, it is forbidden for players to gamble and go out to party. Betting on games is probably the most regulated rule because it can affect a player’s form in accordance with the betting. There were numerous scandals in the past, where players, coaches and even referees were accused of match-fixing. This has always been a big problem for the regulators.

Nightlife is also forbidden since the player is seen in public, and that often leads to a PR nightmare for the clubs. Proof of this are the numerous drunk players that were seen by paparazzi in the past, doing some illegal activities by being drunk.

The players train two times a day, and they must obey their managers and higher staff. They are paid handsomely, but all of that comes with a big negative side. International duties are a must, so the players are not allowed to miss a game on which they are called upon.

Faking football injuries is also forbidden. Some past scandals involve players faking different types of injuries in order to prevent themselves from playing certain games, or just to rest. Stuff like this leads to big punishments, including bans from football, paycheck cuts, and big fines.

Next up, misconduct during games can lead to big trouble for the players. They are obliged to respect the delegates, referees, managers, rival team players, and even fans at the stadium. Any kind of misconduct can be a way to a player’s punishment, whether is financial or otherwise.

Gareth Balehas spoken about their treatment recently. He described it as being a prisoner under contract, and that a lot of the people fail to live up to the expectations. A big number of them that fall under the pressure and it is destroying their lives. Some of them retire early, some of them go bankrupt, some of them turn to drugs and alcohol. He is one of the players that are treated badly at his club, and his agent was open about his displeasure with the club and fans.

Sports

New W.W. Whyte Tournament Focuses On Talent Discovery – Engr. Alabere

Published

3 days ago

November 19, 2025

The Tide

The Chairman of Grassroots Initiative, Engr. Promise Alabere has reiterated that the New W.W. Whyte Secondary Football Tournament was to discover hidden players from the grassroots and groom them to stardom.

He stated that the his organisation is partnering with the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC) for the football tournament, adding that in the first edition 32 players were discovered and NDDC, and his organisation are to fixing them into various clubs.

Engr. Alabere said this while briefing sports journalists last Tuesday, in Port Harcourt, and expressed optimism that the second edition which have 22 secondary schools participating would be exciting and impressive.

” The essence of this tournament is to catch them young because in the 1980s and 1990s most of the players that played for NNPC, Sharks and other big clubs in the country were discovered through this competition.

” Even me I was a product of the W.W. Whyte tournament, as I started playing for the Nigerian Police football club when I was in class four. But this competition stopped about 20 years when two schools resort to bloody clash during one of their games.

According to him the second edition expanded to schools in six Local Government Areas, saying that it will be better than the previous in terms of organisation and others.

“We want to make this edition more exciting and beneficial to all participating schools because the first edition was on experiment but this edition is no longer an experiment” he stated.

The Chairman of Grassroots Initiative,used the forum to advice all participating schools to conduct themselves in a good manner and adhere to rules of the competition.

He equally thanked NDDC for being its major sponsor of the tournament.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Hoopers Ready For NPBL Title Defence – Captain

Published

3 days ago

November 18, 2025

The Tide

Rivers Hoopers captain Victor Anthony Koko has said that his team is mentally ready for the challenge of retaining their Nigeria Premier Basketball League title when the 2025 season Final Four phase holds from November 21 – 23 in Port Harcourt, Tidesports source reports.
The Kings Men, who won back-to-back NPBL titles in 2023 and 2024 unbeaten, are chasing their seventh title.
They will be up against Lagos Legends, Gboko City Chiefs, and Nigeria Customs, as they hope to retain the title they won last year and also pick the ticket to next year’s Basketball Africa League.
Following the conclusion of the Final Eight earlier this month, the KingsMen have had time to fine-tune preparations ahead of their title defence at the Final Four, with the skipper stating that he and his teammates are fully prepared to retain the championship.
“This time around, everyone is ready; everyone is mentally ready. We understand what is at stake, so we need to go all out. And right now, with the level of energy I’ve seen from my team during practice, I don’t think we’re going to be a team that just wants to have fun [on the court]. We’re a championship-winning team, and we want to retain that championship,” he stressed.
Koko has won the league seven times in his career, and he is looking to help the Port Harcourt club reach its height.
“I want us to win the 2025 NPBL title. It’s on my mind, day and night: Hoopers Champions. And I’m assuring our fans that we’re not going to let them down. It’s happening here in Port Harcourt, and we’re going to make them proud.”

Sports

Barau Beat Rangers To Move Out Of Relegation Zone

Published

3 days ago

November 18, 2025

The Tide

Nigeria Premier Football League newcomers, Barau FC have zoomed out of the drop zone after they defeated Rangers International FC 2-0 on Sunday in a rescheduled tie played in Kano.
The Maliya Boys got their goals through Muhammed Umar and Joseph Kemin in the 26th and 76th minutes to record their third win of the season
They have moved to the 16th spot with 13 points from 12 games but the loss by the Flying Antelopes see them slid to the seventh spot with 19 points from 13 games.
The home win is no doubt a relief to Barau FC head coach, Ladan Bosso who has seen his job brought under scrutiny following the Maliya Boys impressive start to the season.