Part II - Interview with Bolaji Douglas

[amoky]

Bolaji Douglas goes deep into his experience in the Nigeria League, referees, financial remuneration stadia and other issues


https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/p ... 0504566462

[Enugu II]

Kai, so una just dey collect cement for BCC then? Na waa ooo.

In any case, my top part is the club that got to the sign stating 400km (?) to Maidugri and then turned back and forfeited the game.

Man, the travel distances for league games in Nigeria are ridiculous. In fact, I write about it in one book comparing it to the extremely short distances traveled via plane in the EPL. The travel in Nigeria is just ridiculous e.g. Lagos to Maidugri.

[oloye]

Kai, so una just dey collect cement for BCC then? Na waa ooo.

In any case, my top part is the club that got to the sign stating 400km (?) to Maidugri and then turned back and forfeited the game.

Man, the travel distances for league games in Nigeria are ridiculous. In fact, I write about it in one book comparing it to the extremely short distances traveled via plane in the EPL. The travel in Nigeria is just ridiculous e.g. Lagos to Maidugri.

Calling it ridiculous is an understatement because even if you are able to afford to do it by air, logistic wise it is a nightmare of its own. Apart from that, I think unless one has done it by road before, one will be cheating themselves of the pleasure of exploring the beautiful landscape nature blessed us with.

A couple of time we have travelled to Lagos by air from Gboko, but after travelling to Enugu a journey of up 2-4 hrs,then get to Enugu go through the hassles of getting a flight and delays, you get to Lagos worn out, not much difference from going by road, but you have incurred a huge cost, because it is expensive.

If you want to take a flight to Maiduguri, it is even worse, go to Enugu, grab a flight to Lagos first and then another one to Maiduguri, if I can remember at the time these are not even daily flights to Maiduguri.

Although most of the capitals have airport at the time, they were not economically profitable and once the Nigerian Airways parked up, these airports became redundant. Take Markurdi for example it simply became an airforce base.

Back then 60 percent of the roads were good, so if you play for a club that have a decent bus, the road journey inmho was the best. It was long yes, but men that was one way to explore and discover Nigeria. There are about 6 or more or so bridges that linked the southern part of Nigeria to the North, most of these one was able to cross as a result of road travel. I will do it over and over again, those days were my best days in Nigeria.

As gruelling as the Maiduguri journey might sound, that stretch between Bauchi and Maiduguri, if you have a comfortable car, offers you an enjoyable drive, I speak of then, 450km of almost straight road on a level plane. You can take on 6 to 7 cars at a stretch when you over take, because the road just stretches out in front of you. Thank God they made Damaturu back then a small town in the middle where we tend to have a break. Now it is a state capital, it was beautiful watching it transform into a state capital at a time. The state capital of Yobe. Truth be told ours is a beautiful country but we just lack what it takes to manage it and enjoy what it has to offer too sad.

[Chief Ogbunigwe]

Kai, so una just dey collect cement for BCC then? Na waa ooo.

In any case, my top part is the club that got to the sign stating 400km (?) to Maidugri and then turned back and forfeited the game.

Man, the travel distances for league games in Nigeria are ridiculous. In fact, I write about it in one book comparing it to the extremely short distances traveled via plane in the EPL. The travel in Nigeria is just ridiculous e.g. Lagos to Maidugri.

Calling it ridiculous is an understatement because even if you are able to afford to do it by air, logistic wise it is a nightmare of its own. Apart from that, I think unless one has done it by road before, one will be cheating themselves of the pleasure of exploring the beautiful landscape nature blessed us with.

A couple of time we have travelled to Lagos by air from Gboko, but after travelling to Enugu a journey of up 2-4 hrs,then get to Enugu go through the hassles of getting a flight and delays, you get to Lagos worn out, not much difference from going by road, but you have incurred a huge cost, because it is expensive.

If you want to take a flight to Maiduguri, it is even worse, go to Enugu, grab a flight to Lagos first and then another one to Maiduguri, if I can remember at the time these are not even daily flights to Maiduguri.

Although most of the capitals have airport at the time, they were not economically profitable and once the Nigerian Airways parked up, these airports became redundant. Take Markurdi for example it simply became an airforce base.

Back then 60 percent of the roads were good, so if you play for a club that have a decent bus, the road journey inmho was the best. It was long yes, but men that was one way to explore and discover Nigeria. There are about 6 or more or so bridges that linked the southern part of Nigeria to the North, most of these one was able to cross as a result of road travel. I will do it over and over again, those days were my best days in Nigeria.

As gruelling as the Maiduguri journey might sound, that stretch between Bauchi and Maiduguri, if you have a comfortable car, offers you an enjoyable drive, I speak of then, 450km of almost straight road on a level plane. You can take on 6 to 7 cars at a stretch when you over take, because the road just stretches out in front of you. Thank God they made Damaturu back then a small town in the middle where we tend to have a break. Now it is a state capital, it was beautiful watching it transform into a state capital at a time. The state capital of Yobe. Truth be told ours is a beautiful country but we just lack what it takes to manage it and enjoy what it has to offer too sad.

[Enugu II]

Kai, so una just dey collect cement for BCC then? Na waa ooo.

In any case, my top part is the club that got to the sign stating 400km (?) to Maidugri and then turned back and forfeited the game.

Man, the travel distances for league games in Nigeria are ridiculous. In fact, I write about it in one book comparing it to the extremely short distances traveled via plane in the EPL. The travel in Nigeria is just ridiculous e.g. Lagos to Maidugri.

Calling it ridiculous is an understatement because even if you are able to afford to do it by air, logistic wise it is a nightmare of its own. Apart from that, I think unless one has done it by road before, one will be cheating themselves of the pleasure of exploring the beautiful landscape nature blessed us with.

A couple of time we have travelled to Lagos by air from Gboko, but after travelling to Enugu a journey of up 2-4 hrs,then get to Enugu go through the hassles of getting a flight and delays, you get to Lagos worn out, not much difference from going by road, but you have incurred a huge cost, because it is expensive.

If you want to take a flight to Maiduguri, it is even worse, go to Enugu, grab a flight to Lagos first and then another one to Maiduguri, if I can remember at the time these are not even daily flights to Maiduguri.

Although most of the capitals have airport at the time, they were not economically profitable and once the Nigerian Airways parked up, these airports became redundant. Take Markurdi for example it simply became an airforce base.

Back then 60 percent of the roads were good, so if you play for a club that have a decent bus, the road journey inmho was the best. It was long yes, but men that was one way to explore and discover Nigeria. There are about 6 or more or so bridges that linked the southern part of Nigeria to the North, most of these one was able to cross as a result of road travel. I will do it over and over again, those days were my best days in Nigeria.

As gruelling as the Maiduguri journey might sound, that stretch between Bauchi and Maiduguri, if you have a comfortable car, offers you an enjoyable drive, I speak of then, 450km of almost straight road on a level plane. You can take on 6 to 7 cars at a stretch when you over take, because the road just stretches out in front of you. Thank God they made Damaturu back then a small town in the middle where we tend to have a break. Now it is a state capital, it was beautiful watching it transform into a state capital at a time. The state capital of Yobe. Truth be told ours is a beautiful country but we just lack what it takes to manage it and enjoy what it has to offer too sad.

It is really a nice story to listen to. Man, what happened to the guy who had loads of cash lined up after the BCC payment? Na real waaa oooo! How exactly did clubs like Rangers or Stores compete against likes of BCC at the time based on the obvious pay disparities?

[oloye]

Kai, so una just dey collect cement for BCC then? Na waa ooo.

In any case, my top part is the club that got to the sign stating 400km (?) to Maidugri and then turned back and forfeited the game.

Man, the travel distances for league games in Nigeria are ridiculous. In fact, I write about it in one book comparing it to the extremely short distances traveled via plane in the EPL. The travel in Nigeria is just ridiculous e.g. Lagos to Maidugri.

Calling it ridiculous is an understatement because even if you are able to afford to do it by air, logistic wise it is a nightmare of its own. Apart from that, I think unless one has done it by road before, one will be cheating themselves of the pleasure of exploring the beautiful landscape nature blessed us with.

A couple of time we have travelled to Lagos by air from Gboko, but after travelling to Enugu a journey of up 2-4 hrs,then get to Enugu go through the hassles of getting a flight and delays, you get to Lagos worn out, not much difference from going by road, but you have incurred a huge cost, because it is expensive.

If you want to take a flight to Maiduguri, it is even worse, go to Enugu, grab a flight to Lagos first and then another one to Maiduguri, if I can remember at the time these are not even daily flights to Maiduguri.

Although most of the capitals have airport at the time, they were not economically profitable and once the Nigerian Airways parked up, these airports became redundant. Take Markurdi for example it simply became an airforce base.

Back then 60 percent of the roads were good, so if you play for a club that have a decent bus, the road journey inmho was the best. It was long yes, but men that was one way to explore and discover Nigeria. There are about 6 or more or so bridges that linked the southern part of Nigeria to the North, most of these one was able to cross as a result of road travel. I will do it over and over again, those days were my best days in Nigeria.

As gruelling as the Maiduguri journey might sound, that stretch between Bauchi and Maiduguri, if you have a comfortable car, offers you an enjoyable drive, I speak of then, 450km of almost straight road on a level plane. You can take on 6 to 7 cars at a stretch when you over take, because the road just stretches out in front of you. Thank God they made Damaturu back then a small town in the middle where we tend to have a break. Now it is a state capital, it was beautiful watching it transform into a state capital at a time. The state capital of Yobe. Truth be told ours is a beautiful country but we just lack what it takes to manage it and enjoy what it has to offer too sad.

It is really a nice story to listen to. Man, what happened to the guy who had loads of cash lined up after the BCC payment? Na real waaa oooo! How exactly did clubs like Rangers or Stores compete against likes of BCC at the time based on the obvious pay disparities?

Rangers had more than money, they had tradition and history, that was what the likes of Shooting, Stores, Insurance would draw on when they need inspiration.

Rangers does not need money to inspire them, they were formed for a cause, but the likes of Iwuayawun would need mullah to motivate. Even BCC with the cement, we know we carry the aspirations of the tiv people, but the cement helps us to see clearly

As for the man you mentioned, he is late now. He was a disciplined man, so I am sure he did something tangible with the money once the shock went away.

[Prince]

The treatment you received when you got injured was that common place in the league? The Port Harcourt stadium always in puddles

[oloye]

The treatment you received when you got injured was that common place in the league? The Port Harcourt stadium always in puddles

There were no medical personnel who specialised in treatment of sport related injuries. If you fracture your leg for example you will be lucky if you are able to come back into the game. You are simply treated like any other fracture injury and no physiotherapy treatment after. Often times many would go traditional, not unusual to see them when they heal the leg look out of shape. That was why most times fracture signals the end of your career unless it is a simple one that does not require special attention.

With ligament and joint injuries such as knee damage, that is even worse. Pray it is a not a a serious one, serious for lack of specialised treatment.

For two seasons I struggled with my knee injury feeding on pain killers to play. I travelled to Benin to see a professor who was supposed to have treated Keshi at some time, the man drew some fluid from the knee some some traces of blood, he told me all I needed was to rest the knee. Rest for how long he never told me, but he told me I did not damage anything.

Fine except that after resting for a couple of weeks and I went back the knee was still bad. I was then sent to a physio in Ibadan, it was in his waiting room that I started reading the books describing certain knee ailments.. One of the description fitted what I was going through, my knee was locking up, which it would require me to move it around at a certain angle to free it up. I was told it had to do with meniscus damage, a tear of the knee cartilage, the padding between the knee joints.

I mentioned this to the physio, he told me ágh don't worry yours is not that bad. Treats me for a week and told me I was OK, but I need to strengthen the muscles around the knee before going back fully.

By now I was fed up, I was beginning to suffer from the side effect of self medication and the pain killers I was now abusing. I was farting like hell... One of the side effects of over use of indocid. So I told myself that if the knee relapse, I would pack it in. When it happened I just packed it in.

A few months later when I had moved over to London, I was still wondering if I could go back, so on advice of some friends and recommendation of a doctor friend, I went to Harley street to see a consultant. It took him less than 20 minutes to diagnose that I had meniscus tear and I had torn my cruciate ligament. When I told him I had been playing with it, he said it was not possible.

He told me a key hole surgery that would take less than an hour would fix it and I would need to rest for about a month. But he gave me 50 50 chance of full recovery because of the damage. The cost of the surgery, 1,000gbp,back then about 200k naira.

I was furious and sad at the same time, furious because for two seasons for lack of the right facilities I put my health on the line and messed up my career. Sad because I thought of many others whose career had fone the same way. Me I was fortunate I had a second chance, many others don't.

If you were injured back then, pray it is one the normal hospital visit can fix, pray you heal before the end of the season, pray that you are a key member of the team. If none of the above the club would throw you out and wash their hands off you. The club is only obliged to look after you for one season, even at that, it is only if you are one of their top stars. I know and saw many who were simply ignored when it became obvious their injury required something more.

When I came to London and read that some players were exempted from playing because they bruised their toes... I almost went into depression.

Some clubs cannot even afford retaining a clinic to treat you. My first venture into club football was Housing corporation of Ilorin, I got injured in a match a damaged my ankle, from the field they took me to Ilorin General hospital told me they were coming, they did not, I hobbled my way to the taxi rank to find my way home. Surprisingly 2 months after they showed apologised and asked me to come back, I told them to get lost...

Playing football in naija was a risk, which one only realise now. I wrote some memoirs on my Facebook wall on my experience with sports injuries.