League system
According to Wikipedia, The Football League, established in 1888 by Aston Villa director William McGregor, was the first professional football league in the world.
Since its founding, however, many other leagues have been founded in England. Over the years there has been an increasing effort to link all these leagues together in a Pyramidal structure allowing promotion and relegation between different levels.
The primary motivation for this drive is to maintain the possibility that any club in England may dream of one day rising to the very top, no matter what status they currently hold.
In a study made by FIFA in 2006 there are around 40,000 clubs registered with the FA, which is 11,000 more than any other country, the closest being the Brazilian Football Confederation, who have 29,000 registered clubs. Even without taking relative population into account, England has more football clubs than any other country in the world.”
The primary motivation of the GFA in The Gambia was to protect existing GFA League clubs residing within the Greater Banjul Area, prevent clubs from the Regional Leagues from entering the GFA League Divisions and to help GFA League clubs sell players to international clubs.
Even today there is effort to prevent the GFA League, the Regional League and the Nawettan League from linking together ‘in a Pyramidal structure.’
So the drive ‘to maintain the possibility that any club in The Gambia may dream of one day rising to the very top, no matter what status they currently hold’ does not exist in The Gambia presently.
For the League to have a Pyramidal structure, the existing GFA League must be changed.
Below I have presented three alternatives of a National League Structures for consideration:
1. Alternative One:
Increase the number of existing GFA League clubs in Division One and Two and form a third Division mostly composed of the Regional League Clubs. This concept is similar to the one influenced by FIFA. The advantages for this alternative are:
a. The existing league clubs will not be displaced
b. There will be a smooth transformation of the Regional League to the existing GFA League structure
c. The tension created by the feeling of isolation of the Regions by the GFA may stop.
d. Later community-based clubs will dominate the League
e. Increase the number of clubs participating in the GFA League.
f. Pool for the selection of football players will increase.
The disadvantages are:
a. The lack of professionalism in the existing GFA League will continue
b. Low turnout at League matches will continue for years to come.
c. Sponsorship will be difficult to get both for the League and clubs, hence, financial problems for the GFA.
d. Infrastructural development will be very slow due to the fact that many clubs will still not own their own football field.
2. Alternative Two:
Leave the existing GFA League and form a new super League/Division based on certain category such as to join you must have your own football field, club must be named after a community, deposit a certain amount of money, etc. Somewhat similar to how the English Premier League was founded. Senegal is currently experimenting with this alternative. The advantages for this alternative are:
a. The existing GFA League and league clubs will not be displaced
b. Any club (GFA League clubs, Regional clubs, Nawettan clubs, District clubs, etc) that can meet the categories set up by the new league is welcome to join.
c. The tension created by the feeling of isolation of the Regions and Nawettan clubs by the GFA may stop.
d. Community based clubs with large fan clubs will dominate the League and high turnout at League matches will become a reality sooner than later increasing media interest.
e. Increase the number of clubs participating in the GFA League.
f. Professionalism in the League will begin increasing competition between League clubs
g. Sponsorship will be easy to get due to the high spectator turnout (both for the League and clubs), hence, money for the new League, the clubs and for the GFA.
h. Better quality players will be identify for our national teams
i. The movement of players between clubs will help the League and club owners, as well as, put more money in the hands of couches, trainers and players
j. This new League will create a lot of employment.
k. Encourage GRTS to sponsor and televise live matches of the League
l. The new League will force the GFA League Division One and Two to become more professional
m. Pressure for Local Authorities and club owners to develop football field infrastructural and facilities will increase.
The disadvantages are:
a. It will reduce the number of spectators going to existing GFA League matches and low turnout at GFA League matches will continue for years to come.
b. Competition for the use of football fields between new League clubs, Nawettan clubs and other local users will increase.
3. Alternative Three:
Dismantle the existing GFA League, Regional League, etc and form a new national league with 32 clubs who can only qualified and enter the League Division based on performance at a nationwide football competition, similar to the Super Nawettan Competition. The advantages for this alternative are:
a. The existing GFA League and league clubs will all become professional sooner than later.
b. Any club (GFA League clubs, Regional clubs, Nawettan clubs, District clubs, etc) that can meet the categories set up by the new league is welcome to join.
c. The tension created by the feeling of isolation of the Regions and Nawettan clubs by the GFA will be reduced or disappear (however, it may increase but on the side of some club in the Greater Banjul Area).
d. Community based clubs with large fan clubs will dominate the League and high turnout at League matches will become a reality sooner than later increasing media interest.
e. Increase the number of clubs participating in the GFA League.
f. Professionalism in the League will begin increasing competition between League clubs.
g. Sponsorship will be easy to get due to the high spectator turnout (both for the League and clubs), hence, money for the new League, the clubs and for the GFA.
h. Better quality players will be identify for our national teams
i. The movement of players between clubs will help the League and club owners, as well as, put more money in the hands of couches, trainers and players
j. This new League will create a lot of employment.
k. Encourage GRTS to sponsor and televise live matches of the League
l. The new League will force the GFA League Division One and Two to become more professional
m. Pressure for Local Authorities and club owners to develop football field infrastructural and facilities will increase.
The disadvantages are:
a. The tension may increase between Regions/Nawettan clubs and some club in the Greater Banjul Area).
b. Competition for the use of football fields between new League clubs, Nawettan clubs and other local users will increase.
Premier League
According to Wikipedia, the Premier League was founded in 1992 after England’s top clubs broke away from the Football League in a successful effort aimed at increasing their income at the expense of clubs in the lower divisions.
Links with The Football League were maintained, and each season the bottom three clubs are relegated from the Premier League and replaced by three from the Championship.
The Premier League is contested between 20 clubs each season. Each club in the Premier League in any given season owns one twentieth of a share in the league itself, meaning that they are all supposedly equal owners with equal rights and responsibilities.”
This is alternative two, which has been tried and tested by the English already and in my opium the best alternative with some minor adjustment for The Gambia. Some insight of how such a League can be established is give below under the history of the English Premier League.
