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Wanted: Nigerian football museum – part 3

By Tony Afejuku
29 October 2021   |   3:55 am
I am on the verge of rounding off this topic begun two or so Fridays ago. But first I wish to do two things. First, I am going to go back very quickly to cite the case or example of a British player, a black British player of the “modern era” brought...

I am on the verge of rounding off this topic begun two or so Fridays ago. But first I wish to do two things. First, I am going to go back very quickly to cite the case or example of a British player, a black British player of the “modern era” brought to the fore recently by a football writer and researcher Oliver Guiberteau. The story of the player should equally enervate Mr. Amaju Pinnick and the NFF he chairs and leads to establish a Nigerian Football Museum I am suggesting/recommending to them. Secondly, I will publish some readers’ responses to the case I have made so far for Nigerian Football Museum.

Now the black British player under reference that research has rescued from elusiveness and oblivion is Laurie Cunningham, actually of Jamaican descent, whose statue is in the “centre of a small east London park, just a stone’s throw from Leyton Orient’s stadium.” Laurie Cunningham was fondly called and described as an “electric trailblazer, Real Madrid’s first British player of modern era;” “an electric winger who glided effortlessly across the bogg pitches of the 1970s, swaying past defenders with poise and purpose.” Furthermore, he was the “first Briton to join Real Madrid in the modern era and one of the very black players to represent England;” “the Cristiano Ronaldo of his era.” One day I shall do a real essay on this black dancer-footballer and football artist who took England and Real Madrid by storm. For now, I am using him to illustrate further the need for our NFF and its chairman to give us a Football Museum that will etch for posterity our footballers, men and women, and those who made them realize their football dreams and helped them to glorify Nigerian football.

Did I misconceive myself by dwelling on the subject at issue? Representative communications from diverse readers are darting into attentive minds of further readers thus:

Good morning, my dear Brother. A subtle provocative piece pricking us to action via a brotherly pressure on Mr. Amaju Pinnick. I hope and pray he succeeds for his sake and for our sake. I last saw him donkey years ago when he and Davidson Owumi visited me at Giwa Amu [in Benin City]. My regards to him. Have a Blessed weekend.

As usual, poetic. One very important point here, sir. Your generation keeps records. This present age of Yahoo boys remembers nothing, recollects nothing and keeps nothing! Yes, very sad! Ask sir: how many of our heroes past have we honoured? How many of our living legends do we honour? Even this brilliant piece, how many members of this lost generation will read, digest, apply the wisdom and keep the material as archival piece for future references? How many? The Glasshouse is interested in how to share allocation or subvention and not how to preserve the wonderful memories of those who laboured in the past to give us today’s NFF? Again, you have played your role; posterity will record it that you brought this to the attention of the deaf generation?
Good morning, ace columnist. I’ve…. read the second part of your article. You’ve convincingly made a case for the establishment of a football museum. I expect the sports managers to make you a consultant.

Good morning, my dear Brother. A brilliant piece, as usual. Just one error. Daniel Okwudili was never at Amuokpe All Stars FC. He was a star at both Hussey College and the Warri FC of the 1950s. Have a blessed day.

This essay is a call to action by football administrators. It is rich in its historical evolution and nostalgic evocation of our football greats who have distinguished themselves in the past, but their glorious feats can’t be found in any kept document.

Therefore, your call for a football museum is absolutely timely and it smacks of patriotic inclination and commitment. Thanks for this admirable essay of national significance.

Good morning, Sir. I shared this excellent essay to different people and places. The essay is well organized and the points clearly stated…. I agree that the issue of a Nigerian football is long overdue, although we are yet to know if Amaju [Pinnick] and his henchmen in the Football Glass House feel the same way.

Let us hope your country man will listen. Has he called you? Has he gotten in touch with you? Is he bothered by the wisdom of today and that of last week? Which generation produced him, and the “generation of iniquities”? We will remind him of this wisdom when his tenure expires! History has recorded it that your country man did not lack advice while in office; his hubris is his perfidious generation!

These are some of the respective pictures that have been drawn by those who were convinced enough to take pleasure in the patriotic acts relating to my article and column. I left out those who telephoned me to express their ripe pleasure for eternity. Also, there is a fairly long WhatsAPP picture drawn by one reader who shares his skin, so to say, with me – kind of. I shall conclude with his concerning concern and more pertinent matters next week.

Afejuku can be reached via 08055213059.

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