The TPL, Socialiga: The history, the split, and the future

This is a story of leagues that were created by social media for the love of football.

The biggest social media platform in Nigeria remains Facebook, but as regards engagement and conversations Twitter arguably floors Facebook.

Facebook is filled with mostly family, and somehow, users wanted an escape from the ‘monitoring’.

Enter Twitter.

As Nigerian Twitter grew, the conversations included everything from politics, to leaked nudes, to social issues, and the big one, football.

As conversations grew and friendships were made, people felt a strong need to bridge the gap between the online and offline life. Someone found a way through football.

Efeoghene Ori-Jesu said:

"One day I half-jokingly challenged people on Twitter and said that since they know so much about football why don't they just put it on the field, show their skills. Let's play football and let's see how good you are."

Enter Olufemi Adebule (@bule_jr), the man who brought the idea to fruition as co-founder and is currently the MD/CEO of the TPL franchise.

Because it was created at a time when club football season was over, the first four teams were based on teams based on their supporters; The Red Devils (Manchester United), The Blues (Chelsea), The Guns (Arsenal), and the fourth, which was a combo of other fans, The Rebels.

A female division was also created.

On the first edition on May 29, 2014, pulling a crowd of around 500 people, the four-team, one-day tourney was a huge success. And what was supposed to be a one-hit-wonder event became a rolling stone, and thus, a Movement.

And so, the second edition, TPL2 followed. And 3, 4, all huge successes, each one bigger than the last with brands like Samsung, Anakle, Tecno, Skull Candy, Access Bank, Uber and others, partnering with the league and its teams.

By the 3 edition, The Saints FC joined, more brands came, and more fans cheered.

 

THE FALLOUT

As the league evolved and became bigger, a board was formed with the aim of creating some type of structure for the league. Although seen as a good move, some aspects didn’t go down well with many stakeholders in the TPL, particularly 5 teams; The Royals FC, The Cubs FC, The Red Devils FC, The Knights FC, and the Saints FC.

The only team that met the new guidelines with no resistance was the The Guns FC.

By August 4, the board sent out new guidelines which required each team to give assent. The aggrieved teams felt signing this document would “make them marionettes”, according to a joint statement released by the aggrieved teams.

They also claimed, according to the statement:

“The TPL were only interested in milking us dry, without taking into proper account the fact that teams had placed such huge financial burden on themselves and their players, without getting any form of financial assistance from the TPL”

What followed was a series of back-and-forths, deadlocked meetings, demands and counter-demands, written protests, etc.

But “the final straw”, according to the aggrieved teams, was when The TPL announced 6 new teams without notice to the older teams on the 21 of October.

More back-and-forths followed. And nine days later, The TPL asked the aggrieved teams, besides The Knights FC, to sit out the tournament.

They didn’t.

After the teams rejected the suggestion, including The Knights FC, they abandoned the sit out, and The TPL.

They walked out. Only The Guns FC remained.

The TPL did not release any statement regarding this move, although a TPL insider claimed that even though there was some truth in their claims, it was also embedded with lies.

And this happened;

 

THE SOCIALIGA

On November 17, a new league was announced, The Socialiga, with Oladimeji Williams as CEO.

It comprises of the 5 teams that left the TPL; The Royals FC, The Cubs FC, The Red Devils FC, The Knights FC, and the Saints FC. One more team has joined.

“The Socialiga belongs to not only the five founding teams which are the primary shareholders, but also everyone out there that supports us i.e the fans, players and other well-wishers. We therefore promise to run this league of yours in a transparent, responsible and efficient manner,” a statement from the board said.

But the team at Socialiga are looking at something bigger. Their football league will no longer be a one day event. They intend to extend it over a 3-4 month period.

Also, they want something that’s not only a football league, but something everyone can be a part of.

According to a statement released by the Socialiga, they have one mission; to return to what they consider the main reason they started in the first place, to play for the fans, and for the football.

 

THE VERSUS

According to the execs at The TPL and Socialiga, they’ve both moved on and there’s no bad blood. But one thing they might not admit, although the fans agree, is that they are rivals.

What has begun and will continue is the “who is better” banter.

Take their next major events for example. They are both fixed on the same date; the 19 of December 2015.

The venue for Socialiga will be at Children International School (CIS) Funke Usman Zainab Street off Admiralty Road, Lekki Phase 1, at 11am.

The venue for the TPL 6 is the Mini Campos stadium, Igbosere, Lagos Island, at 10 am.

The good thing is, since these leagues were created for the fans, the fans comparisons will continue to matter, and in a way, push them to want to be better.

And perhaps, one day, all fans will converge at one venue, to watch the ultimate match; A TPL All-stars vs Socialiga All-Stars match, for bragging rights, for fun, and most importantly, for football.