Gombe State is one of the two states in Nigeria that are blessed with two clubs that are competing in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL). The northeast state boasts of the state owned Gombe United and the privately owned Doma United football club.
The other state that shares this honour with Gombe State is Abia, which is sponsoring Enyimba and Abia Warriors. Until the relegation of Dakkada United last season, Akwa Ibom State also enjoyed this honour of having two clubs in the NPFL.
Now, it is interesting to note that the two clubs from Gombe United are poles apart in terms of their performances in the ongoing NPFL season. While Gombe United are already faced with relegation, Doma United, who are in only their second season in the topflight, are doing excellently. In fact, they are eying one of the continental tickets.
A breakdown of the two clubs’ performances shows that the government-owned club, Doma United which is owned and sponsored by an individual, has won six, drawn four and lost only two out of 12 matches to stand third on the table with 22 points while the government-owned club, Gombe United are presently languishing in relegation zone where they are placed 17th on the table with a miserable 12 points from four wins, zero draw and eight losses including the 3-0 home defeat to city rivals, Doma United.
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Why it has become necessary to comment on the sharp disparity in performance between the two clubs is to once again buttress the already-known fact that privately owned clubs are managed better and are more successful than those that are funded by the government. For those who have continued to advocate the withdrawal of state governments from the sponsorship of foorball clubs, the sharp contrast in the performances of the two Gombe clubs is a motivation to speak louder.
It is said that government owned clubs are usually conduit pipes to siphon public funds. Most times, governors use such clubs to settle their political godsons. Therefore, there is hardly any sign of professionalism in such government-owned clubs. Money allocated to the clubs is hardly accounted for because most of the club chairmen are like demi-gods. Permit me to make reference to the confession of a former club chairman when I asked him if he was competent enough to preside over his club. He told me frankly that he knew nothing about football but was appointed by the governor because of his political value. Indeed, he fumbled and wobbled with the club till they were relegated to the lower division.
On the other hand, clubs that are privately owned are usually more successful because the mismanagement that the government clubs are subjected to is minimal. The individuals who own the clubs most times place merit above primordial considerations. While government clubs are most times said to be for ‘youth empowerment’, those privately sponsored clubs are operated as business ventures. The private clubs base their recruitment of coaches and players on merit, but players and coaches in government clubs are most times recruited on the basis of man-know-man. At times, it is ethnicity and religion that influence the selection of players and other officials.
Therefore, a thorough investigation into the reasons for the current decline in the performance of Gombe United will reveal most, if not all, of the unprofessional behaviours that usually sink clubs that are sponsored by state governments. Already, it is an open secret that Gombe United are not as motivated as Doma United. For those who don’t know how government clubs are run in Nigeria, this is surprising. But for those of us who know that funds or call it subventions to such clubs are usually shared among top government officials, there are no surprises.
What happens is that in most states that sponsor clubs, the Deputy Governor is usually the Chairman, while the man who carries out the day-to-day running of the club is the vice-chairman. So, anytime money is released to the club, the Deputy Governor who is also the Chairman of the club takes home a reasonable chunk of the money while the vice- Chairman decides on what to do with what is left.
Sadly, a greedy deputy governor would dip his hands deeply into the allocation. By the time the vice-chairman also keeps part of the money for himself, what is left is hardly enough to pay salaries and prosecute 38 league matches. This is partly the reason most clubs are heavily indebted to their players and coaches. Before they were relegated in the 2021 season, Heartland were notorious for owing their players and coaches. Only a few clubs like Kano Pillars and Katsina United, who have invented the strange practice of giving their players and coaches civil servants status, are spared this usual hullabaloo over salaries and allowances.
So, if anyone is wondering why Gombe United are steadily declining, he should wonder no more. The ‘Savannah Scorpions’ as Gombe United are called are only manifesting the problems that are associated with government sponsored clubs. The bad situation in most of the government owned clubs is made worse if the governor is not interested in sports. Maybe Gombe United are not blessed with a sports loving governor, which is why their case is getting out of hand.
On the other hand, Doma United, who are operating on a lean budget, are being more successful because of their adherence to meritocracy and fiscal responsibility. Moreover, the good run of the three privately owned clubs in the ongoing NPFL season, Doma United, Remo Stars, and Sporting Lagos is helping to the case of those who have persistently called for government disengagement from the sponsorship of football clubs.
At the time of press, Remo Stars were topping the table, Doma United were in third place, and debutants Sporting Lagos in ninth position. Meanwhile, public-owned clubs like Bayelsa United, Heartland, Akwa United, Gombe United, and Niger Tornadoes with all their government funding are gasping for breath in the relegation zone.
Now you know why Gombe United are struggling while ‘small’ Doma United in only their second season in the NPFL are moving mountains. In sports, private clubs usually perform better than government owned clubs. So, wonder no more.
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