Concerned by the poor performance of the Heartland Football Club, Owerri, in the last football season, the Imo State chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), has offered some tips to the owners of the club on how to improve its fortune
As a critical stakeholder, it made its view available through a Communiqué it issued at the end of its emergency Congress held in Owerri last week. The club ended the season on 13th position grossing up 48 points contrary to the era it ruled Nigerian football.
Excerpts of the decisions reached are as follows
“Knowing that the league season has just ended and various clubs are taken stock of the season, Imo SWAN is admonishing the management of Heartland FC to do a sincere assessment of the players of the team in the recently ended season and to professionally disengage and settle with those whose services may not be needed ahead of the forthcoming season to avoid future litigations and bickering
“We implore Imo State Government to at the earliest make funds available to the management of the Club to ensure they fortify the squad with new quality players and also extend the contract of the retained players knowing that the NPFL transfer season is in full swing and other clubs have started making use of it to beef up their squad.
“We the Sports Journalists as a critical stakeholder will like Imo state government to set definite goals or targets for the Heartland FC management and technical crew at the beginning of the season and also provide the enabling environment that will make it possible for a proper and hollistic scrutiny of the club when the season ends. These will stand as a litmus test for our assessment as well as constructive and objective criticism.’’
It further urged the government to strengthen its media department and marketing unit so as to forster mutual relationship among stakeholders as well as attract sponsorships in order to strengthen the team’s financial fortunes.
While it lasted in the season Heartland was starved of funds leaving players owed till date. Where monies are released they are hijacked by the Deputy Speaker and Sports Commissioner who usurped the functions of the General Manager until he was pushed away.
