Stationery Stores’ investment on youth teams paying off, says Adebajo
The proprietor of Stationery Stores FC, Tilewa Adebajo, has listed reasons why the Lagos darling team is finding it difficult to hold its ground in the Nigerian elite division.
Stores, founded in 1958 by Israel Adebajo, once ruled the Nigerian football scene, producing great stars like Sam Opone, Peter Fregene and goalkeeper Peter Rufai.
Known as the ‘Flaming Flamingoes’ or ‘Adebajo Babes’, Stationery Stores FC had some of the most fanatical football supporters in the good old days of Nigerian football.
But the club went to oblivion for many years before it was resuscitated through one of the founder’s children, Tilewa Adebajo.
Two years ago, Stationery Stores FC surfaced at the Onikan Stadium, but the joy was short-lived, as the club could not flow along with top premiership sides due to high cost of running participating in the league.
Speaking with The Guardian at the National Stadium, Lagos, Adebajo said: “The parent company (Stationery Stores) is not as buoyant as it used to be and it is not easy for them to support football.
“For Stores to play in the premier league, we require at least N200 million. And the best we can get in return is N20 million, which means, I have to source for N180 million from outside. We have to put together four or five sponsors to actualize it,” he said.
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