FANS FOR FUN SETS TO HOLD WITH GLITZ AND GLAMOUR
“Football competitions are just not enjoyed as games but as a way of life in Nigeria. Many Nigerians are in love with the round leather game and are supporters of numerous club sides both home and abroad. At the same time it’s important to enlighten numerous fans that despite the thrills, excitement and intense rivalry enjoyed by fans, football is just a game, a beautiful one for that matter and it should be greeted at all time without violence.
In the light of this, the young dynamite, Olatunbosun Akande, the upwardly mobile dude who is working in rpartnership with the United Nations, brings to the delight of all and sundry a project entitled ‘Fans For Fun, Not Violence’
In a chat with the guy, he says, “Soccer or Football is a beautiful game that binds many people together but a scourge known as hooliganism with its ugly scenes of violence, continues to cast a long shadow over the sport. I view football hooliganism as unruly behaviour before, during or after the match which often results in mayhem. If you recalled the mayhem that occurred during the European Championship League finals in 2008/2009 between Manchester United and Barcelona which Barca won, a Manchester United FC fan killed four Barcelona FC fans in Bayelsa State in Nigeria also an Arsenal FC fan committed suicide in Kenya after the game between Man U and Arsenal same year, all these incidents need to be re-addressed, that’s exactly what we’ve come to do.”
True to his word, football hooliganism has become an order of the day with destructive behaviours such as brawls, vandalism and intimidation carried out by association football club supporters and fans. Fight between supporters of rivals teams may take place before or after football matches at pre-arranged locations away from stadium, in order to avoid arrests by police, or they can erupt spontaneously at the stadium or in the surrounding streets. A football firm is a gang formed to fight with members supporters from other clubs. While some firms, especially in southern and eastern Europe, have linked with far right politics or racism, other firms been associated with leftist or anti-racist views. The firms political views are not representative of all supporters of the teams.
On this note, the globetrotter called Olatunbosun Akande a.k.a. Teeboz the CEO/Chairman of MIH Global Limited said “in some cases of hooliganism, there were some undesirable elements who attended football matches with hidden agendas. Although they came under the guise of football fans, they got not their action from actions on the pitch but from instigating and participating in violence. Disruption starts with taunts and throwing object like water bottles or coins. In Italy, real criminal, known as ultras, are involved in football hooliganism. They are well organized supporters of soccer teams and the sad thing is that they are tolerated and fed by the soccer fraternity because of their wealth and connection”. The advocate of peace in the soccer corridor with his Global Peace and Sports Development project tagged FFF, Fans For Fun is already making grand plans to launch this enviable project having secured endorsement from the UN. Aside the entertainment aspect of the event, Bosun, we gathered, will also feature varied seminars which is slated to hold in March, 2010 and talk show that we re-orientate lovers of football nationwide.
The aim and objective of the project is also to help sports fully develop its potential , while curbing those negative activities that spoil its beneficial impacts such as violence.
“In carrying out this task effectively, we plan to work alongside UN, FIFA, all football governing bodies of each continents, all stakeholders, Federal, State and Local governments, law enforcement agencies, judicial authorities, telecommunication outfits, sports organisations, financial institutions, Embassies, supporters etc. so let‘s us all embrace it. I challenge those who support the beautiful game of football and their team to follow the example of Thierry Henry to combat racism and hooliganism wherever it rears its ugly head. I have no patience for those who ruin our game for the sake of their personal frustrations. As long as racism and hooliganism persist in football, the sport will never enjoy a good game. Let‘s all put the message of the UEFA president, Michael Platini in our mind which says ‘At the beginning of the year, I came to Brussels and in the presence of president Barroso, I denounced the evils that were menacing and continue to menace European sport. In February, somewhat provocatively, I launched the idea of a European Police Force for sport, but slowly my idea has taken off.” Bosun concluded.
