GLO Premier
League side, Heartland FC of Owerri have
frowned at allegations that they had manipulated Article A.2.1.2. of the League
Management Company (LMC) which allows the registration of and or withdrawal of
feeder team players from the main team.
Club’s Media
Manager, Cajetan Nkwopara said in a statement in Owerri on Sunday said that the
allegation which appeared on a Lagos based sports newspaper last weekend was ‘
an un-intelligent fabrication by a
mischievous and disgruntled mind seeking
to get back at Heartland after all other options may have failed him.’
“Heartland
did not in any way infringe on the rules cited in the report. Emeka Oparaugo who was mentioned in that
report was not registered as a feeder team player. He was signed from Campos FC
and registered as a full-fledged player with jersey no. 20. He was properly
cleared from his former club, Campos FC before being registered in Heartland
FC,” Nkwopara stated.
“The second
player, Ewulum Alex played for a youth team, Orlu Utd based in Kano State. He
was still under-aged for a professional contract and was signed by our feeder
team after attending and passing an open screening exercise. The Kano
State-based youth team specifically released him to our feeder team from where
he was later promoted alongside three other to the main team.
Ekezie
Chukwuwike , the third mentioned player also came to our feeder team in the
same manner as Ewulum but his was from an Enugu State based youth team while
Peter Ogwu Clement also mentioned, was never registered by Heartland FC.
For all the
four players registered from the feeder team, their jersey numbers range from
36 to 40 as specified by the LMC rule, “ he explained.
“When we
organize screening exercise for the feeder team, a lot of youths from many
community or local based teams participate and when they are selected, they are
properly acquired in line with their amateur status. No law forbids a youth
player who has played for a community team from joining a feeder team and no
law also demands that a feeder team player must be a greenhorn who never played
in any academy, school team or community team and competition.
For
instance, the duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidiebere Nwakali who played for
Taye FC were at the verge of joining Heartland FC feeder team before they went
to the National U-17 Team then camping in Calaber. After
the World Youth Championship, they were taken by Manchester City who put them
in the feeder team until they matured for the main team.
The Heartland FC spokesman also stated that
the LMC article in contention was provided for and made available to all clubs
at the beginning of the season to encourage premier clubs operate feeder teams
where young talents can be developed and not ‘revoked’ to favour certain clubs
as the report had suggested.
“At the
beginning of the season, we had need to promote and register about four players
from the feeder team and by mid-season, we withdrew and replaced those that did
not meet expectations in line with the provisions of the article. Those
withdrawn were sent back to the feeder team,” he explained.
The
newspaper report which had based its allegation on an account by an unnamed
Heartland FC insider also, claimed that the General Manager, Prince Okechukwu
Ibe had cut players salaries in other to get even with his predecessor, Chief
Fan Ndubuoke but this again, Nkwopara said was a total falsehood.
“Even as we
speak, these two gentlemen, Chief Ndubuoke and Prince Ibe do not know and have
not met each other. On a number of occasion, Chief Ndubuoke had had to commend
the team whenever we did well. The attempt to drag his name in at this moment
is simple mischief.
The guideline
for fixing players salaries was agreed between the players and the state
government in a meeting presided by the governor where it was also agreed that
an improved salary structure should replace the sign-on fee system and this was
widely reported in the media at the beginning of 2013/14 league season.
The LMC contract
regulation also permitted a review of players performance by the clubs if they
wished. This review leads first to player grading and secondly to increment of
salaries or otherwise. All the salaries
of players quoted in that false report lacked factual evidence and would not
merit our mention again here.” Nkwopara.
The
Heartland FC spokesman said the source of the false allegations against Heartland was obvious to
every member of the team and even those outside who had links or dealings with
Heartland.
“To the
people inside, the source of this falsehood is not strange. Everyone knows whom
this ‘mole in the house’ could be but the fact remains
that he misfired.
The fans
know exactly those who fought us from outside and immediately they joined the
club, we started losing games through sabotage even before this present
administration came into place.”
