Leone Rock Premier League… El Clasico Turnout Exposes Poor Marketing of the League
By Bockarie Allieu
(232news)
The fixture between Mighty Blackpool FC and East End Lions FC is widely regarded as the “El Clasico” of Sierra Leone football. The two clubs are traditional rivals, with Blackpool representing the western part of Freetown and Lions representing the eastern part.
Historically, this match draws significant attention from football fans both locally and internationally.
However, during Week 15 of the Leone Rock Premier League, when Mighty Blackpool hosted East End Lions at the SLFA Academy Field, expectations did not match reality.
Prior to the match, fans had expressed concerns that the SLFA Academy Field would be too small to accommodate supporters, given the large fan base of both clubs. Surprisingly, the opposite occurred — attendance was low, with fewer than 300 spectators present.
The poor turnout raised serious concerns about the marketing and promotion of the league. Some club members questioned what had happened to funds reportedly allocated for advertising and marketing.
According to concerned supporters, promotion should be done through strong collaboration with media houses to publicize fixtures effectively. They also suggested that hosting clubs should revive traditional community outreach methods, including public announcements using megaphones across communities in Freetown and the provinces.
Fans have called on the Premier League Board to revive interest in the competition and attract supporters back to the stadiums — even if not at previous levels, at least close to it.
They argued that the temporary non-use of the National Stadium should not be an excuse, noting that smaller competitions held at similar venues continue to attract large crowds.
Week 15 results were as follows:
- Abacha City 2–2 Bhantal
- Wilberforce 1–0 Freetown City
- Ports 0–1 Star Sports Academy
- Luawa 0–2 Old Edwardians
- Wusum 1–0 Bai Bureh Warriors
- SLIFA FC 1–3 FC Kallon
- Diamond Stars 2–2 Bo Rangers
- Mighty Blackpool 0–2 East End Lions
- Kamboi Eagles 4–1 Bullom Stars
The league continues this weekend with several key fixtures, including FC Kallon hosting Diamond Stars at the Approved School Field, while league leaders Star Sports Academy will face Luawa FC at the SLFA Academy Field.
