Our people don cray: Why do Nigerians love the EPL

[Prince]

I don't want to argue too much as this is one of those instances in which everyone has their opinions. But even from the clip Folem showed, starting with the first animation of the Eagle flying, the lack of professionalism and attention to detail is glaring. I could do a better animation job in a couple of hours and I'm no expert myself. That in itself screams, this is an inferior product.

The commentary is average. It is clear that they have not done their homework. I am no expert but I would say commentary is not just about a play by play account; but an in-depth knowledge of the game, players, clubs and rules. It does put me off when commentators don't know all the players and cannot give us a snippet of who they are. Past clubs, caps, goals, assists etc. For someone like me who doesn't follow the League you need to start personalizing things so that we can form attachments asap.

The punditry for me is almost half the game. It's no mistake that the EPL, NBA, NFL spend almost as much time and resources on pre and post game analysis.

I guess the point is you cannot appeal solely to patriotism. You actually need to put out a product that can compete, this is not 1980 that we had to wait for Tuesday to watch match of the week in the British, German leagues and Serie A. We have just too many options.

It is all about packaging, Commentary is very important, We need to know the background of this players, how they came from Mushin with no education, used to train with no shoes under the bridge, tell us who used to play under those bridge like Obi or something, This commentators are not student of the game. I am reading heavy D book on Nigerian football really fascinating, How Thunder Baloguns was not chosen, we used to have the JALCO Cup against Ghana every year how some players where accussed of collecting bribe to let Ghana beat us, You need to package the whole story.

The greats like Ernest Okonkwo were students of the game they watched Naija, they were passionate,

I listen to cricket commentary, a five day game with little or no activity and they make it interesting that millions listen online

I went to watch the Star Sixes in 02 this are players that have passed their prime and still managed to make it look interesting.

Also make the Arena intersting, peper soup joints, dinner places, night clubs, make it a spot and Hub. Let agents and scouts come, sports marketers, sports writers, make money from viewing centers around the stadium let them watch their EPL especially if a naija player or aplayer with naija heritage is on display.

Make the damn thing intersting even if it is rubbish football create a buzz around the whole thing..

And you think many of your suggestions are not already in place? How many NPFL match commentariess have you or airwolex listened to in the last 2 years to make this judgement on the current state of football? Or is it all based on previous biases?

You don't sound like a Test fan if you think little or no activity takes place for those 2 hour sessions of bowling/batting/fielding or umpiring errors, DRS i.e Crickets VAR. Maybe T20 is your fix.

Fabio of NTA news,
Iwatched England v South Africa Joe Root as Captain,

At Mama Calabar we met with Odegbami a while back, guys were telling giving hm information about the party he went to when he was suppose to be in training, the man could not believe it. Listen to guys on this board talk about Principal Cup, Enugu Rangers what someone said...... we dont have that anymore

Fabio is a "dinosaur" probably retired and I don't think NTA is a NPFL TV partner or sponsor. Who was SA Captain?

Faf du plessis or something like that I like the new black guy for SA the guy can Bowl.
Anyway back to the topic, I just dey offer my suggestion,

[folem]

This is the funny thing about Nigerian businesses. I don't know if Folem is in the NFF or something.

There is a problem, people are not buying your product...you ask for opinion and you are given, next thing you are abused that you don't know anything and that you don't know the product and that you are biased and you are lying you haven't consumed the product recently.

Okay I don hear. I will stick to EPL and Champions League.

NFF is not in charge of running the league. Who abused you on this thread? Have you actually consumed the product in recent times to give an informed and unbiased opinion?

[cic old boy]

I have no problem with people watching anything they want to watch. I'm the same. I watch the EPL. I only watch occasional clips of the Naija league. The problem is claiming a foreign club-side as your own. It becomes an obsession, groupie behaviour, etc. It's like falling in love with Kim K from watching her brain-dead antics on telly.

[Waffiman]

you could replace Nigeria in that article with several countries, even outside the continent

Spot on. The EPL is a global phenomenon. One so important that the Government of the country has exempted it fron Brexit because of the money it brings into the economy.

Here is the revenue it generated from the 2013/14 season.

For a comprehensive breakdown, here are the figures from the 2013/14 season.

http://www.consultancy.uk/news/2946/pre ... uk-economy

Some key data from this report.

GDP contribution
The effect of the various revenue streams created by the Premier League and the involved clubs generates considerable direct, indirect and induced value to the UK economy. Together they generate more than £6.2 billion in economic output, of which £3.4 billion contributed to the overall UK GDP in the 2013/14 season.

In comparison, according to Sport England, all sports in the UK generate a direct GVA of around £20.3 billion, with EY’s study into the Premier League and its clubs finding a direct GVA of £2.22 billion, suggesting that £1 of every £10 of value is generated by football’s top-flight competition. Indirect activities generate £620 million, while induced economic activity adds a further £490 million.



Field count
The Premier League and its clubs also support a considerable workforce through jobs, numbering 103,000 FTEs in the 2013/14 season. The overlarge number of these jobs (95,483) stem from indirect (60,145) impacts, with induced impacts producing nearly 30,000 jobs, while direct impacts account for the remaining employment opportunities. The main reason for the large number of indirect employment comes from the labour intensity of its value chain, such as hospitality, catering and retail.

The Premier League itself employed only 99 people directly in 2013/14, but further supported 5,478 jobs through the value chain (which includes those supported as a result of parachute payments and solidarity contributions) and 2,294 through induced effects.

Tax receipts
On the back of the massive economic impact, the Premier League generates considerable revenue for Government coffers, with the combined contribution of taxes hitting the £2.4 billion mark in the 2013/14 season. Employee PAYE contributions is the largest segment at £941 million, followed by employer National Insurance contributions at £475 million, while employees contribute around £276 million. VAT generates around £390 million, with corporate tax and business rates (on all facilities and stadia) generating £298 million and £25 million respectively.

The Premier League contributed £88 million in taxation in 2013/14, while twenty clubs accounted for the further £2.32 billion.

Football tourist spending
An analysis featured by Consultancy.uk last week revealed that the UK economy pockets €940 million, up from €815 million in 2010, from tourists who travel to Britain to attend a football matches in one of its stadiums.

The 2013/14 revenue of £3.6 billion is now dwarfed by the most recent revenue data the EPL generates for the nation's economy. As at the 2016/17 season, the EPL generated a whooping £4.5 billion.

It is no surprise that other countries in Europe are desperate to get their hands on the type of money the EPL generates. They are looking at ways they can improve and get their leagues to generate the same kind of revenue.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.telegr ... 01617/amp/

There is nothing unique about Nigerians and their love for football and the EPL. There is nothing Nigerians do that is not done in many other nations around the world.

No need to get nationalistic and start looking for explanations elsewhere. Nothing wrong with Nigerians, that is not wrong with citizens of other nations that makes the EPL a global phenomenon.

[fabio]

Faf du plessis or something like that I like the new black guy for SA the guy can Bowl.
Anyway back to the topic, I just dey offer my suggestion,

Rabada is quite good!!

[fabio]

You don't sound like a Test fan if you think little or no activity takes place for those 2 hour sessions of bowling/batting/fielding or umpiring errors, DRS i.e Crickets VAR. Maybe T20 is your fix.

I bet Princess falls asleep when watching test match after 12 very left deliveries..

[jungle-jawara]

I don't want to argue too much as this is one of those instances in which everyone has their opinions. But even from the clip Folem showed, starting with the first animation of the Eagle flying, the lack of professionalism and attention to detail is glaring. I could do a better animation job in a couple of hours and I'm no expert myself. That in itself screams, this is an inferior product.

The commentary is average. It is clear that they have not done their homework. I am no expert but I would say commentary is not just about a play by play account; but an in-depth knowledge of the game, players, clubs and rules. It does put me off when commentators don't know all the players and cannot give us a snippet of who they are. Past clubs, caps, goals, assists etc. For someone like me who doesn't follow the League you need to start personalizing things so that we can form attachments asap.

The punditry for me is almost half the game. It's no mistake that the EPL, NBA, NFL spend almost as much time and resources on pre and post game analysis.

I guess the point is you cannot appeal solely to patriotism. You actually need to put out a product that can compete, this is not 1980 that we had to wait for Tuesday to watch match of the week in the British, German leagues and Serie A. We have just too many options.

I personally thinks marketing is the most important key to promoting our league. We have a large market to tap into, we are just doing the wrong things. For starters what attracts Nigerians? Awoof, start off by giving N1m at half time of major games, ask trivia questions during the game. Lots of ways to attract Nigerians, and believe me, the game will change. The game will be attracting so much money people will be pouring into invest. You will get résumés from international commentator wanting to be part of it. Do you know why the SA league has very good mascots? There was had prizes for the best mascot at games and that is how that stuck







It is all about packaging, Commentary is very important, We need to know the background of this players, how they came from Mushin with no education, used to train with no shoes under the bridge, tell us who used to play under those bridge like Obi or something, This commentators are not student of the game. I am reading heavy D book on Nigerian football really fascinating, How Thunder Baloguns was not chosen, we used to have the JALCO Cup against Ghana every year how some players where accussed of collecting bribe to let Ghana beat us, You need to package the whole story.

The greats like Ernest Okonkwo were students of the game they watched Naija, they were passionate,

I listen to cricket commentary, a five day game with little or no activity and they make it interesting that millions listen online

I went to watch the Star Sixes in 02 this are players that have passed their prime and still managed to make it look interesting.

Also make the Arena intersting, peper soup joints, dinner places, night clubs, make it a spot and Hub. Let agents and scouts come, sports marketers, sports writers, make money from viewing centers around the stadium let them watch their EPL especially if a naija player or aplayer with naija heritage is on display.

Make the damn thing intersting even if it is rubbish football create a buzz around the whole thing..

[Odas]

Apologies if posted. Did not see anywhere.
Crazy stuff. More Chelsea shirts sold in Lagos than any other place except London! Wow.
These shirts cost a pretty penny and I send thousands home a year to people because they all say they a suffering. Then i get home and my cousins don already buy new Arsenal, Man U, Chelsea, Madrid and Barcelona kits. Home and away. If only we had this sort of passion for our local teams!

http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/19/africa/ni ... index.html

I am making the same mistake(s) and is beginning to learn the hard way by saying "no." Please and to all, STOP sending money home. They are richer than we are.

You know for a fact, you are not going to stop. And you personally look for any excuse to enter WU offiz.

Yeah, I know. It is HARD to stop, especially when it involves one's "blood" relatives

[Gotti]

you could replace Nigeria in that article with several countries, even outside the continent

There is nothing unique about Nigerians and their love for football and the EPL. There is nothing Nigerians do that is not done in many other nations around the world.

No need to get nationalistic and start looking for explanations elsewhere. Nothing wrong with Nigerians, that is not wrong with citizens of other nations that makes the EPL a global phenomenon.

Nope! There is...

The Japanese and Koreans are crazy about the EPL, but regularly sellout local J-League and K-League games. When I was in Dubai, even the UAE local league games (that is in a country with hardly any history of or tradition in football) were regularly sold out - or at least played before sizeable crowds. Heck, I once even found myself in Kuwait of all places and went to a football game (because SE's Shehu Abdullahi was playing) and was met with a large enthusiastic crowd and a modern grass pitch (the irony of plush grass pitches in the desert when we can hardly maintain decent pitches in Nigeria is an entirely different story). So, yes, Nigerians are "unique" as their obsession about every minute detail of the EPL (some wag once noted that Nigerians will tell you who Peter Crouch's father's girlfriend is) is only matched by their apathy and ignorance of the Nigerian domestic leagues. That does NOT really indicate a 'love for football' as much as a love for something else. Just saying!

[balo]

I have no problem watching 3SC games if I could get them. I had an FTA Satellite installed at the house with the hope I could catch some of them games. But for where! I gave up. The only Naija Channels I got were NTA Online and Emmanuel TV.

[heavyd]

This is the funny thing about Nigerian businesses. I don't know if Folem is in the NFF or something.

There is a problem, people are not buying your product...you ask for opinion and you are given, next thing you are abused that you don't know anything and that you don't know the product and that you are biased and you are lying you haven't consumed the product recently.

Okay I don hear. I will stick to EPL and Champions League.

NFF is not in charge of running the league. Who abused you on this thread? Have you actually consumed the product in recent times to give an informed and unbiased opinion?

Folem what exactly are you saying? that there is no room for improvement?
Look the proof of the pudding is in the eating... If the product is good People will consume it. Especially when their is an excellent alternative readily available.
The League, NFF and clubs need to really up their game in order to attract locals to their product. That is all what Airwolex and Prince are saying

[folem]

Folem what exactly are you saying? that there is no room for improvement?
Look the proof of the pudding is in the eating... If the product is good People will consume it. Especially when their is an excellent alternative readily available.
The League, NFF and clubs need to really up their game in order to attract locals to their product. That is all what Airwolex and Prince are saying

Improvements still needed. Fair criticism needed too.

[/video]

[folem]

SAS is less than 30K capacity though.

[Waffiman]

you could replace Nigeria in that article with several countries, even outside the continent

There is nothing unique about Nigerians and their love for football and the EPL. There is nothing Nigerians do that is not done in many other nations around the world.

No need to get nationalistic and start looking for explanations elsewhere. Nothing wrong with Nigerians, that is not wrong with citizens of other nations that makes the EPL a global phenomenon.

Nope! There is...

The Japanese and Koreans are crazy about the EPL, but regularly sellout local J-League and K-League games. When I was in Dubai, even the UAE local league games (that is in a country with hardly any history of or tradition in football) were regularly sold out - or at least played before sizeable crowds. Heck, I once even found myself in Kuwait of all places and went to a football game (because SE's Shehu Abdullahi was playing) and was met with a large enthusiastic crowd and a modern grass pitch (the irony of plush grass pitches in the desert when we can hardly maintain decent pitches in Nigeria is an entirely different story). So, yes, Nigerians are "unique" as their obsession about every minute detail of the EPL (some wag once noted that Nigerians will tell you who Peter Crouch's father's girlfriend is) is only matched by their apathy and ignorance of the Nigerian domestic leagues. That does NOT really indicate a 'love for football' as much as a love for something else. Just saying!

My point was the EPL's success as a product and there was nothing unique about Nigerian's love affair with the product.

Besides, there are many countries with similar situation as us. We are not unique in what you described.

When we put the investment in our league and make it a viable product Nigerians can trust and believe in, like those countries with successful leagues, I am confident the crowds will return. Just look at our music and film industries as an example. I do not feel safe going to watch football in Naija from my experience.

[wiseone]

The EPL is the biggest sporting export in the world. In most countries in the world (except Spain, Germany, and Italy) people watch the EPL more than their own local league.

[cic old boy]

The EPL is the biggest sporting export in the world. In most countries in the world (except Spain, Germany, and Italy) people watch the EPL more than their own local league.

Your claim is not true about other European countries like France, Russia, etc, probably true about Scandinavia and not true about Brazil, Argentina, etc. In Latin America they tend to follow La Liga after their local league.

[Waffiman]

The EPL is the biggest sporting export in the world. In most countries in the world (except Spain, Germany, and Italy) people watch the EPL more than their own local league.

Your claim is not true about other European countries like France, Russia, etc, probably true about Scandinavia and not true about Brazil, Argentina, etc. In Latin America they tend to follow La Liga after their local league.

You examples maybe correct. But his assertion re, 'most countries' is correct. I also add, most people on planet earth who love football including people from the countries you have mentioned above watch the EPL. It is why it is easily the most successful Sports product on earth.

[wiseone]

Exactly. Even if we subtract the countries he cited, "most" of the world still remains. Never ceases to amaze me how many people do not realise that "most" and "all" do not mean the same thing.

The EPL is the biggest sporting export in the world. In most countries in the world (except Spain, Germany, and Italy) people watch the EPL more than their own local league.

Your claim is not true about other European countries like France, Russia, etc, probably true about Scandinavia and not true about Brazil, Argentina, etc. In Latin America they tend to follow La Liga after their local league.

You examples maybe correct. But his assertion re, 'most countries' is correct. I also add, most people on planet earth who love football including people from the countries you have mentioned above watch the EPL. It is why it is easily the most successful Sports product on earth.

[cic old boy]

Exactly. Even if we subtract the countries he cited, "most" of the world still remains. Never ceases to amaze me how many people do not realise that "most" and "all" do not mean the same thing.

I know the difference b/w "most" and "all". My point is that there are more exceptions to your "most" than Italy, Germany and Spain that you mentioned. Most countries with a strong footballing tradition watch more of their own football than the EPL.

[Waffiman]

Exactly. Even if we subtract the countries he cited, "most" of the world still remains. Never ceases to amaze me how many people do not realise that "most" and "all" do not mean the same thing.

I know the difference b/w "most" and "all". My point is that there are more exceptions to your "most" than Italy, Germany and Spain that you mentioned. Most countries with a strong footballing tradition watch more of their own football than the EPL.

See as my broda wan use wayo move the goalpost.

Let's not confuse things. In most countries in the world with some exceptions people watch the EPL more than their local league. I do not think this is even arguable. It is fact. Wiseone is spot on.

Now on to your assertion about 'traditional football countries' and your first take on the same point. You said,

"France, Russia, etc, probably true about Scandinavia and not true about Brazil, Argentina, etc. In Latin America they tend to follow La Liga after their local league."

What do you mean by traditional football countries? Do you mean countries where football is the number one sport? A country can have a football tradition but football is not necessarily the number one sport.

Football is not the number one Sport in France and Russia. Cycling and Ice hockey are more popular in France and Russia respectively. But their football tradition cannot be denied.

Of course you are correct in your assertion about traditional football countries like Spain Germany and Italy. The same also applies to Brazil and Argentina. In these countries football is king.

[Kneedeep]

Bros, but we love to "belong"...

If you hear Naijarians arguing about Kim Kardashian and Blac Chyna (sp?), you would be forgiven to think these folks are their neighbors or relatives.

Nna, I remember picking up some chicas in Enugu in the 90s when the 2Pac and Biggie thing was blowing up and one of them asked me whether I was down with the East Coast or West Coast. I was like "do you mean East or West Enugu?"

Una go kill pesin for this forum

[wiseone]

He is indeed. South Africa have had some outstanding fast bowlers over the years: Donald, Pollock, Schultz, Steyn, Morkel.... Good job they did not emerge in the same generation. They would have terrified batsmen across the world.

Faf du plessis or something like that I like the new black guy for SA the guy can Bowl.
Anyway back to the topic, I just dey offer my suggestion,

Rabada is quite good!!