Uji Brenda
1 October 2008
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From the shapeless leather that the Chinese kicked in the long period gone, to a formal affair, after the English laid ground rules for it, football has attained passion that no other vocation has reached.
But beyond the passion, it generates, the "beautiful game" as is recently called, also spins billions of dollars to the numerous web of interests that is woven around it. Never has any phenomenon gripped the world's passion as football, yet it has terrible drawbacks and this is not just because, plato, the famous Greek philosopher said that sports is the domain of fools.
The first people to have played the game of football are the Chinese. According to historians, the Tsu Chu Dynasty started the practice of kicking a leather ball filled with feathers and hair into a goal post. The player was allowed to use only the head, chest and legs while hands were not permitted. Many other nations adopted and modified the game. When the English finally developed it into the contemporary football game with comprehensive rules and regulations in 1863, they probably had no inkling about how far the round leather game would go in the world. Today, football, popularly called the beautiful game by adoring fans, has blossomed into a mega-buck empire. Those tapping from its wealth span all works of life as the number of its followers and fans keep rising each day.
Football is obviously the sport receiving the greatest amount of attention from governments of several nations. Top priority is always awarded football as a national sport. In Nigeria, the NFF (Nigerian Football Federation) regulates football activities, both on the local and international scene. It also lobbies for hosting rights for the nation and works towards getting sponsorship from the government and other private institutions for football matches. Millions of naira are budgeted yearly for the NFF to carry out its activities. Apart from that, football players, especially those of the national team (Super Eagles/ Super Falcons) often receive presidential reception after a success in any international match, with their various state governors hosting them to grand receptions thereafter. All these activities gulp down huge sums of money. They form part of football's mega empire.
Apart from national teams, there are the football club sides. These consist of people from different states and countries coming together to form a football team that is eligible to play against other teams. These football clubs come in all levels and vary in organization. They can be in streets, towns, cities, states or international in outlook. Whichever way, they are all out to tap from the rich empire of football. The biggest of these clubs are the international sides. They play in tournaments called Leagues. Probably the most popular of these Leagues is the English Premiere League, with the Big Four- Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool as those with highest fan base. It is astounding how much these club sides spend on their players as salaries and buying fees. In 2006, Chelsea succeeded in buying/ signing on Nigeria's John Mikel Obi at the cost of £16 million. Is that too much? Well, in 2001, Zinedine Zidane was transferred from Juventus to Spanish club side Real Madrid at the cost of £47 million ($66 million, or approximately 1,650,000,000 naira!)And this buying and selling goes on and on as players are moved from one club to the other, with some going to the highest bidder if many clubs are interested in a particular player. These club sides form the nucleus of the football empire. But where does all that money come from?
Advertisements and sponsorships are the backbone of football wealth. Many multinational corporations are now involved in sponsoring football games. Apart from this being a social responsibility, they serve as great opportunities for publicity and advertisement. Players' jerseys are often emblazoned with their various sponsors names. The football pitch is also surrounded by adverts from different companies. It's amazing the ingenuous ways developed by people to advertise in football. This can be understood given football's awe-inspiring fan base. Football is said to be the television program with the largest number of viewers in the world. Adverts placed there are viewed by billions of people all over the world and presents an excellent platform for marketing. This is more so if the game involves two notable football countries or clubs. Another interesting thing to note is that football forms the most popular theme for advertisements, especially on the television. In Nigeria, every company that knows what it is worth advertises using football themes. Name all the big companies-MTN, Glo, Zain, Peak milk, even banks, and you'll see that football plays a big role in their advertisements. Could this also be because of the affinity people are generally believed to have with football? All these companies, through their adverts, contribute in enriching the football empire.
Then of course, there are the many small scale businesses springing up from football. Because of football large followership, there is a need for the production of goods and services to satisfy fans' demands. One aspect of such is the football kit production and selling. Kits such as jerseys, shorts, hand bands, soccer boots, head warmers, jackets etc are usually emblazoned with players or club names and sold to people. This provides much needed income to some individuals. Uchenna Uzu sells jerseys and other football accessories in Utako market, Abuja. According to him, this is big business as people are always interested in buying accessories of their favourite club sides. Those with highest demand are accessories branded with Arsenal, Manchester, Chelsea or Liverpool emblems. Other souvenirs may not in any way be associated with the football game but are readily welcome by fans as long as they are branded with any name related to football. These include belts with customized buckles, notebooks with branded covers, branded wristwatches, towels, wallets etc.
Another business that is also booming because of football is that of fuel. In Nigeria, periods of power outage often coincide with big football games. But fans who are interested in viewing don't get put off as many quickly buy fuel to power generator sets. Some even buy in advance, so that they won't be caught unawares by power failure in the middle of the match. Thus, fuel dealers are also enabled to tap into the football wealth. Then of course there is the rise in the number of Viewing Centers. These are places where provision has been made for matches to be televised on huge screens and open to the public for a certain fees. This idea was borne out of the fact that people watching a football match together always enjoy it more than watching alone. The viewing in such centers usually comes along with provision of refreshment. And more money is pumped into football's world.
It is no longer a new thing, seeing children gathering in open spaces and kicking around a football. They all derive enormous excitement from this. So many young people want to become footballers and football sensations. They watch every match, copy the latest skills of great footballers, analyse and criticise every game and play local competition with their peers. At the backs of their minds, they may be dreaming of becoming the next Kanu Nwankwo or Ronaldinho. Some get so drawn into football that they become fanatics. Fred Orban goes to a public football field in Abuja to play everyday. He is not in any football club. When asked why he was devoting so much time to the game, he said that he has hopes that one day, his star will shine and he will get connected to any local club. He practices always so that he will be fit when the time comes and from there, his good performance will catch the eyes of bigger clubs or even the national team. Then, his bucks will start rolling in. He is just one of millions of young boys who have aspirations in the football game. This great attraction is not only for the love of the game. It is also borne out of a desire to tap into football's megabuck empire.
But like every big empire, football has its own couple of ills. These ills are the reason why some critics would rather advocate for a reduction in football hype. One problem is that of football and football club side fanaticism. Fans of the game get so engrossed in following it that anything that attempts to break their attention to the game is seen as an enemy. For some people, the two hours of a typical football match must be unbroken. Some parents find it hard to send their children on errands once an "important" match has begun. Recently, some students in Nigeria wanted the date for exams shifted because the world cup was coming up at the same time as the exams. Also, the allegiance to different club sides has led to many violent quarrels, sometimes fatal, between individuals. Angry fans have often battered football officials and opponents if any game does not end in their favour. On September 8, 2008, a man was reported to have been shot in the back while arguing over a football match with other viewers in Charlotte, USA. The irony is that some of these people do not stand to gain anything directly from the clubs they are supporting.
For other football hopefuls, the temptation is to go abroad and join any small club and pray that their skill will one day get them attention. Such people adopt every possible means to get out Nigeria and get a club to sign them on. Few are successful with the help of agents or friends. For many others, they are unlucky and fall into the hands of dubious characters that pose as qualified agents and in the end, extort hard earned monies from players and disappear altogether. Many such unfortunate players have been stranded overseas and some take up odd jobs or get deported. All this happens in the face of the attraction and opportunity posed by football business.
Despite all these, football is one game with good attributes that can never be separated from it. Football has provided countless jobs for people who may otherwise have been jobless. This ranges from those who merchandise in football kits and souvenirs, the officials, and the players. Many illiterate individuals have made great players. One is Rashidi Yekini of Nigeria. He was an illiterate, but he made some fortune from playing football.
Then there is football's singular potential to unify people. People of different races, beliefs, religions, ages and sexes are all brought together in the event of a football match. Its followership cuts across all barriers. It's amazing the way Nigerians unanimously tune in to watch the Super Eagles during a world cup, and the thunderous shout of G-O-A-L that rents the air when the team scores, or the collective expression of relief and thanks to God when their opponents miss a chance, or even the collective disappointment when the team losses a chance. Every football club fan is a potential friend of a fellow fan. Many people have become friends and made new contacts in viewing centers. It is all about football's power to bring people together.
Football has definitely carved a big and unique niche in the life of people all over the world. Its empire does not seem ready to quit growing. And people will still continue to tap from the riches it has created, as its fan base keeps getting stronger and stronger. The beautiful game will always occupy a cherished position in the hearts of many.
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