George Turnah FC's Ascension And The Fate They Must Be Concerned With

By Julius Bokoru

Last week, in a modest football pitch in Sagbama, West of Bayelsa state, there was a footballing contrast of sorts.

George Turnah Football club, a professional football club founded last year with a squad of dreamy young men who until recently couldn't have worn a complete football kit, held powerhouse Bayelsa united to a 1-all draw.

But that, alone, isn't as deep as the contrasts go. On one hand we have a rising momentum, a pride- maybe- of people seeking to do a Leicester City and create history from the raw materials of determination, emotions, passions and dedication. Then on the other hand there is- in the listless faces of Bayelsa United players in blue and their ever thinning staff- a side with a spent out force, exhausted, confused and well deservedly floundering in the elite league. They would have lost the match if George Turnah FC hadn't been too shy in front of goal.

United's trail to that game had left much to be desired while George Turnah FC blew away anything on their part, scoring 19 and giving out 4 in just 6 games.

Modestly funded by sponsors Celtic Pride Ltd, managed by Ada Gwegwe, a familiar face in the premier League and an effective scouting system that taps young, raw prodigious talents, the club has fast become, somewhat, the state's recent flag bear in football as it prepares for its first ever Nationwide League campaign in just under 16 months since inception.

Enthusiasm has been very high for football fans and enthusiasts in the oil Rich state for reasons amongst which are a need for the redirection of energies to creative endeavors in a time the region is grappling youth restiveness, an improvement of the national perception of the state against stereotypes of violence and more affectionately, the club's rise is at a time other clubs in the state are in decline.

They are on their way to the top, that, at least, is clear. What is not clear is how they would break a certain rise and fall syndrome plaguing football clubs in the state.

Halfway across the state, Nembe city FC is at least still in the premier league. But it had long lost spice, form, and dashed many a hope after its meteoric rise in 2012 when they won the Nigeria National league 1. The club, clearly writhing in financial and technical strangulation, is way beneath the trajectory set for it by hopefuls a few years earlier.

Bayelsa United is down and out after a similar cinderellic rise. In just the first few years after creation they clinched the Nigeria National League 1 title, The Super cup, a CAF confederations cup semi-final ticket and a brave champions League appearance. Afterwards are the gory, unfortunate decline of a club which was actually on its way to the zenith of Nigerian, if not African, football.

Ocean boys FC is perhaps the most heartbreaking of them all. Founded in 2002 at the Island of Brass, the club rose steadily from the shadows under Maurice Cooreman, a Belgian manager to clinch the Premier League and Super Cup Double in 2006, a string of continental assignments and then the FA cup in 2008. Then the decline was steady, almost inevitable like the sinking of a ship gashed at its hull.

Coach Ada Gwegwe had a long thought when, speaking with him on social media he assured of success and relentless, unceasing success.

He previously managed Ocean boys before they changed name to Divine Warriors FC and subsequently went into hiatus.

He has seen, first hand, the rise and fall of football club's in the state and he understands, perhaps, that real success for George Turnah FC would be to persist through the years, in glory days and especially out of glory days

Club founder and Chairman George Turnah has insisted that the club will get to the very pinnacle and 'remain there'. 'very soon we will see these boys on TV' he told journalists during one of the club's training sessions at Ogbia, gesturing his hands to the direction of a group of boys, teenage and early 20's, jogging under a tame sunset.

They will be on TV just like Nembe City, Bayelsa United and Ocean Boys before them, the haunting question is how long will they remain on the screen and on the radar?

Julius Bokoru is a writer, socio-political and sports critic. Based in Yenagoa, he is the author of the award winning book The Angel That Was Always There