In Solidarity with the families of 22 innocent citizens that lost their lives in the 22nd May 2017 suicide bombing at the Manchester City
(Intersociety, Onitsha Nigeria: 25th May
2017)-The leadership of Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety)
gladly congratulate the entire management, players and teeming global fans of
the Manchester United Football Club of England for winning yesterday (24th
May 2017) the 2017 EUROPA League Championship trophy and securing automatic
qualification for the next UEFA Championship Competition. The Chelsea Football Club of England is also
congratulated for winning the 2017 English Premier League trophy; likewise its
counterparts in Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Holland, Portugal, Belgium, etc.
We also wish to
console the families of 22 innocent citizens that lost their lives in the 22nd
May 2017 suicide bombing at the Manchester City Arena during a grand concert
performed by an American singer, Ariana Grande in which 59 others received
varying degrees of injury. The 24th April 2017 electrocution of at
least seven innocent Manchester United fans and injuring of over 10 others in a
Calabar makeshift house following fall of an active electric cable on top of
the house in which the electrocuted innocents and the injured and survivors
were watching a EUROPA League championship quarter final match between
Manchester United of England and Belgium based Anderlecht Football Club, is
sadly and sorrowfully regretted.
As an avid
supporter of the Manchester United Football Club of England, Intersociety and its rights advocacy
team sees its EUROPA Championship
victory as a victory too many. Apart
from the trophy itself, which is proudly priceless; the victory has also made
England and members of the Commonwealth proud and broken the age long record of
Spain and its former Colonies which appeared to be the sole record breakers in
the world of league championship football competitions by consistently
recording the winning of EUROPA and UEFA championships and winning in recent times of the highest number of world football best players and their runners up as well as being the first to clinch five
slots in the UEFA Championship Competition with five Spanish La Liga teams.
The victory of
the Manchester United Football Club in the 2017 EUROPA League Championship has
not only made the team the proud and eyes
of England and Commonwealth, but also broken the age long record by
clinching five slots for England and its Premier League clubs in the next UEFA
Championship Competition. This is first time the English Premier League will be
going to the UEFA Championship Competition with five English Premier League
teams; whereas the Republic of Spain, which has held the record in the
immediate past, will be represented by only four teams.
The Club,
Manchester United Football Club of England had since 1878 or 139 years ago when
it was formed, remained a borderless
religion and a formidable center of cultural
rights aspect of human rights in England by being peopled, worshipped,
cheered and supported by tens of millions of citizens across the world
including Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Christians and Judaists and Animists who cut
across Africa, Europe, Americas, Middle East, Asia, Oceania and Caribbean
continents and sub continents. In China, for instance, there are at least six
million Manchester United fans. This is more than half of the entire population
of Republic of Rwanda’s 11.2 million people.
The history,
including strengths and weaknesses, rise and fall and challenges and successes
of the Manchester United Football Club; should also serve as a lesson to
African governments, their parastatals and wealthy citizens in matters of
promotion of football and other sporting activities.
Formed in 1878
as Newton Heath LYR Football Club by
the Carriage & Wagon Department of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Depot at Newton Heath, England, the Club nearly went extinct in 1892 following
its inability to settle its £2,670 debts (equivalent of £260,000 today) after
being served with a winding-up order; forcing
its leadership under Captain Harry Stafford to shop for four businessmen willing to invest £500
each in return for a direct interest in running the Club, resulting in the emergence
of John Henry Davies as its first President. The Club changed its name to
Manchester United Football Club in 1902. It went public for shareholding stakes
in 1990 and in 2003; Malcolm Glazer of the Glazer Family became a majority
shareholder in the Club. Source: Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia: 2017.
Today,
Manchester United Football Club has towered and triumphed over its basket-loads
of challenges to become one of the richest Football Clubs in the world. The
Club has also won several prestigious trophies both in England and at the
European level. These include 20 Premier League titles, several FA and League
Club trophies, three EUFA Championship trophies and the newest EUROPA League
trophy which it is winning for the first time.
Our tribute also
goes to the Civil Service Football Club
of England, which was founded in 1863 or 154 years ago. The Civil Service Football Club of England
is unforgettably golden having co-founded the modern football in England
particularly the FA Cup Competition founded in 1871.
The return to
prestigious UEFA Champions League Competition of five English Premier League
giants, namely: Manchester United, Chelsea Football Club, Tottenham Hotspur
Football Club, Manchester City Football Club and Liverpool Football Club is a
huge welcome development and a golden opportunity to oust and end the recent
dominance of the European Football Competitions particularly the UEFA and
EUROPA Championships by Spain and Germany in addition to age long domination of
the world best players records by Spain.
Time has come
for the English Premier League to take back its pride of place in the European
Football competitions. We urge the Manchester United Football Club to go all
out for next UEFA Championship trophy and world best football players’ record
and stop at nothing in bringing the prestigious trophy back to England and
Commonwealth. The Club should also go for best utility players in this coming
transfer window and ensure that all its wings are manned by capable, competent
and talented matching players. The oneness and spirits of the players including
the injured ones as well as the technical and coaching crew are commendable and
encouraging.
On the other
hand, football as natural symbols of religion without borders and races; and human rights must at all times be
theoretically and practically made to look as same by the authorities of the
world and regional football governing bodies such as FIFA, UEFA, FA and CAF.
That is to say that the secularity doctrine governing the game must be upheld
at all times and separated from religious and cultural fanaticism and
fundamentalism.
Democratic
tenets must also be upheld at all times. A situation whereby tenures of the
Presidents of UEFA, CAF and FIFA, etc are made to last for more than maximum of
10years of two five-year tenure, is democratically and universally abominable.
The immediate past President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF),
Issa Hayoutu of Cameroon was allowed abominably to serve for 29yrs as CAF
President (1988 – 2017).
That is to say
that there is extremely important need to fully democratize FIFA, CAF, UEFA,
etc. Member-States of FIFA must also be mandated to be more proactive and
responsive to human rights, rule of law and democratic processes in the
respective countries. All the football governing bodies and authorities across
the world must denounce terrorism and religious extremism and join hands in the
global fight against terrorism. More searchlights should be beamed on referee
associations particularly in England and Europe as well as other FIFA organized
football championships across the world so as to monitor and checkmate the
scourge of poor and vindictive officiating of matches by referees.
There shall be a
proviso in players transfer processes particularly in England and Europe
whereby a percentage of the transfer proceeds will be dedicated to charity and
promotion of human rights campaigns and justice around the world particularly
in Africa, Middle East, the Caribbean and South America. Wealthy players and
coaches should also be encouraged to follow suit by imbibing the culture of giving, humanitarianism and philanthropy; for
overall betterment and sustenance of the global society, humanity and environment.
Signed:
For: Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule
of Law (Intersociety)
Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board Chairman
Mobile Line: +2348174090052
Email: info@intersociety-ng.org
Barr Florence Akubilo
Head, Campaign & Publicity Department
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