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NPL kicks off October 23 with record 24 clubs

NPL kicks off October 23 with record 24 clubs

Posted: 2010-09-29 10:45

The Nigeria Premier League (NPL) will now commence on October 23 with a record 24 clubs including Bayelsa United, after a meeting between football officials and the Nigerian Sports ministry.

Bayelsa United, one of four relegated clubs at the end of last season, have consistently fought against their relegation, claiming they should have been awarded three vital points against Wikki Tourists in their final game of the season, when the match was abandoned by the home team.

Last weekend, the NPL announced that the season will kick off October 2, when the earlier date of September 25 was discarded by the NFF.

But even that new date was rendered unfeasible by a plethora of protests from various stakeholders led by Bayelsa United and including referees, and the players' union.

Bayelsa chairman Victor Rumson Baribote threatened to go to court to halt the League kickoff if his club were relegated, a threat that prompted the meeting with the sports ministry.

The current decision means that all four previously relegated clubs will now contest in the 2010/2011 season along with four newly-promoted clubs.

So Bayelsa United, Wikki Tourists, Gateway and Ranchers Bees will keep their places in the Premier League where they will be joined by promoted clubs Crown FC, Bukola Babes, JUTH and Plateau United.

This enlarged representation means the League will now have to draw up new fixtures, and sources at the NPL also told KickOffNigeria.com that the League is considering splitting the league into two streams of 12 teams each, with a playoff for the Top Four teams to decide the League winner.

Four clubs would then be relegated from each stream at the end of the season, with two promoted on both sides to return the competition to its normal 20 clubs at the end of the current season.

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Philosopher : 2010-09-29 11:27

hmmmm.

rambukar: 2010-09-29 11:49

Nigerians are the most inconsistent people in the world. See how administative ineptitude makes us a laughing stock in the commity of nations. See what bribe and favouritism can do to a league. God help us.

NWA NAIJA: 2010-09-29 12:12

Wonders shall never end.

NWA NAIJA: 2010-09-29 12:19

CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR DEAR COUNTRY, BECAUSE AM TOTALLY CONFUSED.

The word.: 2010-09-29 12:32

this is show of shame.......i cant believe this. relegated teams admitted again to elite league. i want to ask one simple question. WHERE IN THE WORLD HAS THIS HAPPEN BEFORE?

Eric: 2010-09-29 14:12

Sounds really strange!!

Mr. Mallam: 2010-09-29 16:08

Who will dare to relegate bayelsa united at the stage,,the darling team of our dear president..GEJ..i love this country..

Mr. Mallam: 2010-09-29 16:08

Who will dare to relegate bayelsa united at the stage,,the darling team of our dear president..GEJ..i love this country..

Austin: 2010-09-29 16:28

This just shows that Mr. President was right in barring us from international football until we sort ourselves out. For some time now, we have had teams score mindboggling amounts of goal on the last day of the league in order to stay afloat. Now other teams got wiser and resorted to bribing officials to conjure goals and points. a team that abandoned a match at home was not sanctioned, and the team on the pitch (Bayelsa Utd.) was to be demoted! What nonsense. This goes to show that we are not yet ready to develop our football. We should ban ourselves now before FIFA come in to do it for us!

Austin: 2010-09-29 16:31

@Mallam, you are make conjectures that are baseless. THough your line of thought may be appealing to conspiracy theorists, the facts are clear that a team playing at home walked out on a match against Bayelsa, and the away team, Bayelsa, should have been awarded 3 goals and 3 points according to the statutes. But because of corruption that was not done and then you believe Bayelsa should be the team to be punished for the no show? Come on ... be reasonable.

nigeria one: 2010-09-29 18:50

This goes to show the inaptitude of the top officials of the NFL.Now let me ask those tribalist forumites among you:who head the nigeria football league,a northerner or southerner?shame to you!

nigeria one: 2010-09-29 18:51

This goes to show the inaptitude of the top officials of the NFL.Now let me ask those tribalist forumites among you:who head the nigeria football league,a northerner or southerner?shame to you!

The word.: 2010-09-30 06:15

Eto'o is exceptional. what i love about him is simple and humble life style: no fancy crazy hair-do, no useless tattoo, no unnecessary scandal[for person of his status, unusual] his simplicity, just everything about him is perfect. he was more racially attacked [when he was in spain] more than most modern african players still compose himself [instead he walked out of the pitch].

ETO'O IS MY HERO!

EKO : 2010-09-30 07:00

@moneyman d answer to ur question is -NIGERIA

Jaybee, Rx UNIBEN : 2010-09-30 08:49

Nigeria z notorioz 4 bulshtz n thz isnt an xceptn. Am nt suprizd!..

Prince Davis: 2011-05-23 21:58

waaoo does this site exist? am excited to be a member

Polly: 2011-09-23 10:07

Who even cares? No one watches the damn "league" anymore. In Port Harcourt, the clubs even pay their "fans" to watch their matches.