Management's lifeguards keep Seasiders afloat

While their coach was sacked and replaced, players were busy traveling abroad for trials without the knowledge of the team handlers.  When it was becoming more glaring that, the fear of relegation was haunting the team, handlers under the leadership of Mike Idoko, sought Management approval for the full payment of players' sign-on and other allowances...perhaps, "that could ginger-up the players to face the imminent doom with the reality it deserved." 

But again, that was not to be as Team Manager Mike Idoko would later confide in nigeriasports.com: "Our team is the only team in the land that paid players' allowances of any nature in full. 

"We have done all necessary things possible to at least, remain in the premiership. but as it were, the players, even after collecting their entitlements, were disappointing.

"Can you imagine players traveling out for trials in Europe, without the conscents of the management?  See, for the better half of the 2005 season, that had been the predicament of our team.  We hardly played a match with our full squad. 

"Who to blame? No I must be sincere with you, the management has no blame at all.  How can one blame a management that has been so supportive in all  ramifications?

"The Technical crew?  Well, there could and are bound to be, some lapses here and there.  But our major bane, had been the attitude of the players, who would not do what they practise on the field.  Rather, some of them feel that they know all. 

 "Ask such players to shape up or get shipped-out?  No, not possible; not in the middle of the sea.  The journey had gone too far from the shore...it was like we were between the shore and the berthing place. 

"There was no way we could ask any one out then ... especially when some of the better feet were traveling without informing the handlers of the team," Idoko confessed.  But that was not all the Benue man had to grapple with besides his administrative callings.

 "Match officials were not helping matters at all. You could imagine how many times we were robbed through bad officiating.  What did we do? Well, what could we do than appeal through the official channels?

"We had to abide with the rules of the game, that the referee's decision is final.  We thank God Almighty that at least, we won something to show for our good behaviour both at home and away; even when we were robbed, we kept our cool.  We returned as the first team in the country to win the RAFIU LADIPO BEST CLUB SUPPORTERS AWARD and that goes to show how level-headed we played even in the face of provocations.