BY BOCKARIE ALIEU (232news.com)
More than four business houses have in the past sponsored the Sierra Leone premier league. Among them are the Mercury Betting and Lottery Company, Sierra Leone Commercial Bank, Africell Mobile Company, The Orange Mobile Company (Airtell) and then Comium Mobile Company. Due to the impasse that was between the Football stakeholders and the FA during Isha Johansen’s regime, the league stopped for some years. The stakeholders organized different leagues but it was not recognized by the FA by then. During that period clubs stopped to take part in international club competitions. The league lost its momentum due to the fracas that was between the FA and the stakeholders. The league momentum returns back when President Bio intervene with huge money to start the league after so many years. At that time Saffa Abdulai was the premier league board chairman. He ran the league for one year and was replaced by Allieu Vandi. Fans at that time were expecting the FA to give the Saffa lead board another one year but the FA said a board is entitle to run a league for only one year. Allieu Vandi took over but his first year was obstructed with the outbreak of the COVID19. This season again it the league has been obstructed by the lack of the only playing grounds the Siaka Steven Stadium which is presently under repairs. The repairs forced some clubs in Freetown to transfer their home matches to the provinces with those in Freetown playing their home matches at the various community fields. The lack of good playing field reduced the gate takings drastically. Apart from Mercury International which have an issue with the FA most of the business houses have decided to back out due to the above mentioned constrains. The way forward fans have appealed to the FA president and his executive to go all out and bring the business houses close to the game. To the clubs they should form fan base and go out for sponsors to source funds for their clubs.
