Fans enjoy return of Premier League football to Ogun

The promotion of Remo Stars Football Club from the Nigeria National League, NNL to the Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL, has positively rubbed off on the followership of the round leather game in Ogun State.

Happy with the return of Premier League football to the Gateway Sate, football enthusiasts in their numbers now storm the stadium to watch matches of the newly-promoted Remo Stars Football Club.

Remo Stars FC is founded and financed by Kunle Soname based in Ogun State and it is one of three privately owned teams in the elite division of the Nigeria League

PREMIUM TIMES understands the two home matches played so far by the club at Gateway International Stadium, Sagam‎u witnessed impressive turnout of spectators.

Interestingly, footballers of the Ogun State Government owned Gateway FC who narrowly missed out on promotion from the NNL to NPFL are also part of the impressive crowd always eager to watch the well-packaged privately owned  Remo Stars team.

Some of the football fans who spoke with our correspondent said they were comfortable with the club, having attained the promotion, which they described as added advantage to soccer development in the state.

A former Chairman of Ogun State House of Assembly Committee‎ on Sports, Femi Allen-Taylor while speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, said the promotion of the club was a tonic to encourage soccer lovers in the state.

“As we can see influx of soccer fans at the stadium. This is a confirmation to turn around of soccer development in the state. The turnout of fans has continued to increase at the stadium,” Mr. Allen-Taylor said.

Another soccer fan, Dimeji Awoyemi, said the lost glory of soccer in Ogun State is gradually returning, stressing that the performances of the club has continued to encourage more soccer fans to the stadium.

He also commended the club ‎management for showing commitment, and also applauded the club proprietor for pumping human and financial resources for the developmental growth of the club.

Mr. Awoyemi, a former Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Ogun State Council, expressed optimism that the emergence of the club, would positively change soccer status of the state.

In a related development, the Chairman of the Club, Kunle Soname, disclosed that his incursion to raising a football team was aimed at discouraging youth from crime‎.

He made this known on Thursday while featuring as a guest of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, Ogun State Chapter, held at Moshood Abiola International Stadium, Abeokuta.

He said the promotion of the club to the Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL, which is the highest level of local football in the country was as a result of hard work.