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Historical Development of Shamateurism and Its Deep Dark Shadow To Football In Ethiopia

Abreham Tewelde1, S. S. Hasrani2, Yassin Ibrahim3, Kesatie Legesse4

1 Ph.D research scholar, Department of Sport Science, Mekelle University, Ethiopia 2 Professor, Department of Sport Science, Mekelle University, Ethiopia 3 Professor, Department of Management Studies,, Mekelle University, Ethiopia 4Associate Professor, Department of Sport Science, Mekelle University, Ethiopia Corresponding author: Abreham Tewelde, Ph.D research scholar, Department of Sport Science, Mekelle

University, Ethiopia email :[email protected]

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the challenges of Shamateurism. Football in Ethiopia is not only market oriented and professionalized, but also does not financially sustain itself. On the other hand, the budget of the football clubs and the salary of the labor market is sky rocketing from time to time. Therefore, we set-out to assess this paradox of organizational structure and management. To analyze this, a qualitative and exploratory case study through interview and focus group discussion, as well as literature survey (such as: public announcements, regulation, and policy) and personal observation were used. Top management officials in the Ethiopian Ministry of Youth and Sport, higher officials of Ethiopian Football Federation, prominent football club leaders at Ethiopian premier league, sport academicians, sport journalists, experienced „A‟ licensed coaches and international referees, and prominent Football spectators were interviewed plus conducted at group discussion. Though, the result indicates that there is confusion in discriminating shamateurism from Semi-professionalism. However, significant number of the interviewees and participants in focal group discussion and key informants indicated that football in Ethiopia is not self-sustaining. Therefore under this research, the definition of Shamateurism and its limitations to football development in Ethiopia were investigated, in addition, comparison Shamateurism in spite of Amateurism, Professionalism and Semi-professionalism. In conclusion Shamateurism is the dark shadow of football in Ethiopia.

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Key words: - Shamateurism, football federation, Amateurism, Professionalism, Semi- professionalism,

Introduction

Historical development of football Shamateurism in Ethiopia

Football in Ethiopia has a long journey from the beginnings of which come across three stages with their similarities and differences. The early stage were (1968:22) “from foundation 1948 until 1976,” without official governmental structure and financial allocation based on the philosophical pillar as Yednekachew one and key founder of EFF speaks (1968:28) “amateurism and the Olympic spirit.”

The second stage was from 1977 to 1997 surviving for 30 years with official governmental structure and financial support, established based on the Soviet Union and East Europe Socialist countries and the main motto was accounted to Alem Eshete(1982:52) “football encouraged for class struggle, unity and development” then the philosophy grows to state-amateurism and systematized as an illustration of the documents of EFF described (1978/9:13) “any football player should be an amateur and based on the amateurism principle, sport professionalism is prohibited in Ethiopia.”

With this in mind, because of the competitive balance and the effect of globalization the game slowly hold on the interest of all actors such as the club owners (all of them were governmental companies), the labor market (players and coaches), fans and the media. Due to the practice clubs slanting to win, in consequence owners and clubs gradually losing their amateur ethos then values of Amateurism replaced by „under-the-table‟ payments, as a result EFF cornered between the ethos and the demand. In this respect EFF loosen its power of control and can‟t play a significant role to protect the basic principle of Amateurism or didn‟t sweetened the ground to the demand for transforming football to semi-professionalism.

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Under those circumstances football transformed to the third stage at 1998 by establishing the league with some amendments of rules and regulations via cross out the article which prohibited the professional players. Consequently football comes to be a favorable coincidence to transform to local/semi-professionalism. At the time most market oriented and profit making governmental organizations and endowment companies show their intent by participating at the league and to support football of the nation by the benevolence of the company leaders, whereas the canceled article didn‟t supported by relevant and proper article to encourage semi-professionalism and denounce „under-the-table‟ payments.

However the situation and legal ground was not convenient only but also had not guarantee to these organizations then sky-rocketing the salary of players from thousands to hundreds of thousands and the annual budget also escalate from tenth of thousands to tenth of millions birr (local currency). Consequently these market oriented and profit-making companies slowly and by design escaped from football. Despite of the fact that even though those companies are big business oriented and profit-making corporations their participation were not took football as a business or as a means of business, rather to surmount the social responsibility of their company. Accordingly, the clubs encoded from market oriented and profit-making companies to not-for- profit municipalities, and the principle also changing from company amateurism to municipal amateurism, likewise event though organized in a league system football clubs and the league are not self-reliant and totally their budget is under government.

In summary, from the above clarification the current football was hinge on the mix-ups of amateurism and semi-professionalism, by then the sequence comes easily surrendered by Shamateurism. In either case it is very crucial to arrange the ideals and concepts based on the development of football on the following methods as Beech & Chadwick stated (2004:5) “clarify the foundation, codification and commoditization on the way of amateurism and/or professionalism.” However, even though the problems are visible still no one recognizes Shamateurism as a problem, yet MYSAE, EFF, sport academicians, football professional associations, clubs and club owners the labor market and the media taking the practices of Shamateurism as the stage of local or semi-professionalism. In the most compelling evidence

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Vol-15-Issue-5-May -2020 there are some confusion interpretations regarding to the terminologies of amateurism, professionalism, semi-professionalism and Shamateurism. In conclusion „Shamateurism‟ is still the deep dark shadow of football in Ethiopia.

Background of the study

Like other similar social sectors football is suffuering and still torture by the fall-apart transition from the ideological changes of fudal to capitalism and to Socialist movementsagain back to the market based developmental state poletical economy. On the consequences the improper overthrow of the poletical changes shadowed to the darkest and most violent period in the current football. This ideological upsets bringing inappropriate version on amateurism and professionalism. accordingly this ideological struggle innate as Kazuo Uhiumi stated (2007:43) “in the eastern block occurs the state amateurism, and in the west originates the company and college amateurism.” For the reason that in Ethiopia especialy the 2nd stage football followed the state amateurism principlewith the deadlock to professionalism, as a result slowly and totally to dispersed the amaterusim ideal and not deservedly transformed to semi-professionalism based on the development of football of the nation, finally the run through of „under-the-table‟ payments came as a normal practic. Buteverybody acquired as the stage of semi-professionalism. As a result, Shamateurism setle comfortably as a proper gideline to football, but football still cornerd and suffered by dependecy.

Significance of the study

Commercialized and professionalized football is an entertainment industry which its management is an exceptionally unique and unpredictable sector. (Football management Sue Bridgewater: 2010:4)

Football in Ethiopia is not self-reliant and totally hinge on at the shoulder of the government. Similar with, there is no legal ground for determining the relationship between amateurism and professionalism, consequently amateur clubs and the competition itself absolutely dismissed, and then the mix-ups of amateurism and professionalism helps Shamateurism to stay safely. In this

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Vol-15-Issue-5-May -2020 respect this study is very important to show the vulnerabilities of Shamateurism and indicating how to organize the amateur and professional football with a clear relationship to resolve Shamateurism.

Reviews of Related literature on Shamateurism in Ethiopia

According to Uchiumi the historical development of Shamateurism was seen to make the ideological shelter in the early of 50s, in this case the cold war gift to sport was arose (2007:43) “in Soviet Union and East Europe socialist countries spread the state amateurisms or the shamateurism and in the west capitalist countries showed the expansion of company, college, and military amateurism or the Shamateurism.”

Today‟s football faces conflict Caused by differences between the two fundamental distinctive competition ideas. The clash among the interest of professionalism and amateurism and the organizational task in connecting the competitive football event functions. In this regard it shall have obliged to give emphasis on the unity, harmony and healthy relationship of the two parts on the event values to protect football from Shamateurism.

From the organizational structure and management nature of football point of view the organizational management of football is different, according to Brown et.al an amateur football arranged in the horizontal solidarity and professional football leagues are (2010:400) “competitive franchises,” and to attract the football customers each member clubs of the league should have an opportunity to compete, then (2010:400) “the basic requirement is a conclusive structural management for competitive balance.”

The other aspect of organization in football clubs are based on the following codes. As markedly by Pedersen and Thibault 2014:86) “public, nonprofit, and commercial.” accordingly, every organization organizes, structured and managed according to their main objective. With this in mind (2014:87) “the main goals of commercial football organizations (clubs and leagues) are make a profit. In this case the amateur arranged in the horizontal solidarity and the professional football teams and leagues are commercial organizations.”

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In the general principle, every organized competitive football events must fight to exist by securing their revenue. So as Mullin, Hardy, Sutton, described any event base sport organization such as (2014:12) “professional and amateur clubs have all looked for better way to attract and maintain consumers for survival, and they know that they compete for time and money.” Granted that, the spectator sport sectors (such as football) are a show business, and to make available the entertainment through the performance of the players to attract the spectators to enhance the revenue. According to Masteralexis,Barr andHums (2015:77) “revenues may come from a variety of sources including ticket sales, franchise and merchandize sales, media contracts, sponsorship and transfer of players.”

Concerning to the organizational structure and management there are decisive functional model relationships among professionalism and amateurism, in this case there are two functional models the American and European ideals. From this point of view the two basic practices as Krüger (2005:2) indicated “the American model is laydown at the system of horizontal solidarity”. which both the amateur and professional sports are equally participating and competing each other friendly to the market, so their existence determined by themselves and the market. However said Krüger (2005:2) “in Europe the relationship between the practices are lying in the model of vertical solidarity,” this means the existence of amateur football determined by creating an opportunity for involvement from the financial incomes or benefited from the money generated by the top professional clubs.

In the most compelling evidence both horizontal and vertical solidarities are essential solutions to resolve the mix-ups of amateurism and professionalism or to divert the hazards of Shamateurism, but both are not equally important to any country, in contrast EFF practiced by taking amateurism or professionalism by avoiding silently the other one as a solution. In the same way to choose whether the horizontal or vertical solidarity, it is very important to understand the developmental stage of football, and restructure the organizational management of football based on the chosen shared aim. Otherwise, Shamateurism settle in comfortably by contradicting the two basic principles by the name of solidarity, this is what happens in Ethiopia.

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In Ethiopia there are two different experiences towards payment or football recruitment to the labor market under the value of amateurism. In view of that (1968:122) “EFF recruited a three years contract fulltime coach at the early stage in 1952.” Though, the uncompromising principle erodes by the governing body in the name of familiarizing modern football. The second experience was from the early of 80s all the 1st division football clubs were recruited the players based on „under-the-table‟ payments in the form of job, house renting, bonus etc.

As a result, EFF cornered between the ethos and the actual demand, then EFF loosen its power of control and it can‟t play a significant role neither to protect its basic principle of Amateurism nor to sweeten the ground to the demand for transforming football to semi-professionalism.

Though to avoid the hazardous of Shamateurism, it is very important to design a proper organizational structure of amateurism and professionalism, according to Stewart, there are three phases, 2007:20 “the amateurism, the traditional professionalism and the contemporary professionalism.” to elaborate the stages asStewart described “the amateur stage is member- focused and participating at community level, its financial viability is sustained through gate receipts, members fee, donations, and food and drink sales, the second stage is the traditional professional structure which more dependent at sponsorship and government subsidies, whilst maintaining its gate receipts and local support. It‟s primarily concern is attached with sport development and point towards the corporate sports model. The third is contemporary professionalism is focus in revenue generation rather than sport development and regarded as a business-centered model.” From this clarification football premier league of Ethiopia can nearly categorized at the traditional professional structure.

In some cases Shamateurism can use as a transitional period to semi-professionalism. Whereas the transitional process from amateurism to semi-professionalism or taking Shamateurism as an advantage is not smooth and well-ordered, because the transition was begun from „under-the- table‟ payment, so it needs high-minded and insightful leaders to understand the threshold terrible at the organization of football. For instance as Lanfanchi et.al (2004:24) stated “the Lancashire clubs request to escape from London-based FA in 1884,” while at the time FA tried

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Vol-15-Issue-5-May -2020 to protect and control by punishing the paid players… but, otherwise FA continued with its decision the other risk was exposed FAs existence, and as expected (2004:24) “the demand was convenient for the professionals…” then FA allowed professionalism under control of it.

Another experience is (2004:79) “subsequent the first world war, European footballers instigated to receive money to play football.” and this phenomenon indicates break the ice practice of Shamateurism. But Lanfanchi et.al (2004:80) stated “the national federations realized the effects of Shamateurism and resolve the problems by introducing professionalism by setup the British model professional leagues.”

Furthermore the third experience for the challenges of Shamateurism was the United States of America (USA) practice, notably at the late of eighteenth and early nineteenth sport was demanding to reform and showing some complications, as Shank and Lyberger illustrated (2015:6) “sky rocketing salaries, agents, greed among teams and players. Despite of the greed, sports grew in popularity and became a more desirable market platform.” while in 1906 one of the wise heads that run the association and assistance of the President Theodor Roosevelt effort the challenges was resolved and as Shank and Lyberger clarify (2015:6) “the consequences of Shamateurism realized then, reorganized the platforms of amateurism and professionalism arranging the structural management of the leagues.”

Research Methodology

The concentration of this qualitative study is to explore the challenges of football Shamateurism of Ethiopia from the historical perspective. Hence for the research is originated as Hancock and Algozzine cited to Meriam (2002) under “the historical practices of football concerning to discover the challenge of Shamateurism” by direct observation, interview, FGD, key informants and document analysis were conducted.

The researcher prefers case study to investigate the mix-ups of the existing occurrence of Shamateurism and to clarify the official circumstance. Therefore, as Yin (1994:13) give details and acquaint by Gray (2004:123) stated “case study is a realistic examination that Studies of the

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Vol-15-Issue-5-May -2020 existing occurrence contained by its actual circumstance.”Therefore, football as a social activity the research facilitates by way of a social research, as Jones and Gratton (2004:4) stated, “considering why happening and asses the source of correlation among variables.” then the research strategy is a qualitative case study. The nature of the research type is explanatory. From this point of view the research design as Gray sited to Robert K. Yin (1994:36) expressed (2004:132) “single embedded approach with multiple units of analysis” is chosen. Correspondingly, the researchers designed not only based on the research‟s objective but also including making supportive to another research and assessment as Colton and Covert remarked (2007:10) “the study shall inspire other researchers to assess based on the reliability and validity of the research including the design.”

The purpose of sampling is as an illustration of Dawson the contemplation of the researcher is “to do possible effort in cast about convenience samples,” similar with this the care is to collect acceptable information from respondents, as Jones and Gratton stated (2004:100) “to gain adequate information from a smaller group is very crucial in selecting justifiable samples to the case,” though samples should be very close to the subject.

Thus, to get sufficient and confidential data the respondents were the strategic leaders of MYSAE (the policy maker) and EFF a governing body of football based on purposive sampling, from professional sport organizations related to football „A‟ licensed football coaches, international football referees and sport journalists a minimum of 5 years‟ familiar with the league selected purposively then used the snowball techniques, from football clubs, first clustered by their nature of club owner (governmental, endowment, individual, association and municipality) and existing period at the league minimum for 9 years (half-life of the league). From this point of view, St. George, Ethiopia Coffee, Dedebit and Hawasa city clubs are selected. Accordingly, from these 4 clubs club leaders, coaches and players were conducted.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Analyses and Results

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Respondents view about the critical challenge and general understanding of the concepts of football and the analysis possibly taken as follows. The researcher understood about the general thinking and belief on the basic football event concepts such as amateurism, professionalism, semi-professionalism and Shamateurism, and finally thoroughly discussed at Shamateurism. From this point of the respondents view captivating as follows, for amateurism is the worn-out value and categorized under the unpaid players, in place of professionalism the spectacle of modernity and characterized by paid players, towards semi-professionalism the amateur management with paid players and/or corporate governance, towards Shamateurism respondents are not familiar. From this point of view the thematic view of the respondents are possibly taking for analysis are unpaid player and worn-out value, the paid player and modernity, the amateur management and paid players as well as corporate governance and finally unfamiliar are the themes.

Discussion

FIFA is the governing body for the global football, and comprises of the six alliances which are the principal organizations for their interior national football associations. According to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) (2009:10) “amateur, professional and semi-professional football clubs are members of their national football associations.” Then each national association has a duty to incorporate and encourage both the amateur professional and semi- professional football clubs to develop and sweeten an opportunity for players.

EFF is the governing body for football of Ethiopia, and has a duty to organize events by itself or establishing an authorized competitive body like leagues, associations… to sanction and control the game based on the event objective So that in football there is two types of events, the amateurism and professionalism.

However EFF has not a clear rules and regulations even though unblemished stand about football competitions based on amateurism and professionalism. In reality at first and second stage the federation had a clear stand towards amateurism and professionalism, for instance at the first stage as the rules and regulations of EFF indicated (1968:28) “undoubtedly, the uncompromising

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Vol-15-Issue-5-May -2020 at any cost policy of EFF is amateur sportsmanship” similarly at second stage also (1990:14) “football in Ethiopia set on under the principles of amateurism, so football professionalism is prohibited.” In reality football amateurism, professionalism and semi-professionalism are event base systems and values which arranged and categorized the event under the given principle, and then semi-professionalism is important in mediating the two basic principles and also leading the game for business plus governs in the professional status.

In modern day world amateurism and professionalism are classified and categorized as an important social and sporting activities, by then they organized and structured based on their legal protocol, but requests a clear arrangement in the relationship between them. Meanwhile both are specifically important for football development. So the main factor to protect football from the dangerous mishmash confusion of amateurism and professionalism is very important clearly demarcating the relationships and the boarders between them. Otherwise Amateur football and the teams are situated for discriminatory influences. Moreover, football is a creation of industrial revolution, and it is a means to change and advancement, for instance Africa and the football world expressed to football (2008:186) “a special means of assisting for development.”

Amateurism and professionalism or semi-professionalism are equally important and situated football for continuous growth. Similar with this football is an important medium empowering the community to exercise and learn from football as Sewart stated (1987:172) “abiding by law, integrity, conflict resolution, shared value and unity.”

Accordingly football amateurism just for Ethiopia is not an easy and on the way choice. It is an autonomous complimentary and uncompelled social activity which creates an opportunity and the place where the players to qualify their ability more or less to be a professional. In addition, the system can develop by creating effective and efficient semi-professionalism as a transitional phase, so amateurism is not evaluating simply by player‟s payment and as a worn-out backward value, because both football amateurism and professionalism are organized with communal or commercial contextual, so football amateurism is a value. According to Porto sited to Allison about amateurism (2016:302) “a social activity which grounded the desire on the expansion of its

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Vol-15-Issue-5-May -2020 practices and ability that the choices are not enforced by market and communal measure of rate.”However most respondents thought is on the impossibility in this era through the development of professionalism, and then amateurism is inadequate and already worn-out value.

Similarly, semi-professionalism is a legal and procedural transition from amateurism to professionalism, so semi-professionalism also a critical need for Ethiopia to protect from inconvenient management and sweetened to self-sustain football. As the historical development of football of Ethiopia accounts both the 1st and 2nd stages were prohibited professionalism however they didn‟t properly protecting amateurism or else establishing a semi-professional football events based on the national football development. In this respect any payments didn‟t indicate semi-professionalism, unless otherwise „under-the-table‟ payments accommodating as a transitional phase. In reality the mitigating solution is organizing, arranging and legalizing the amateur and semi-professional football events independently, but cooperate each other for mutual growth.

To summarize different scholars categorize leadership in different styles,in like mannerin Ethiopia the EFF and PL leaders as well as the clubs are managed as Bridgewater clearly stated (2010:27) “by assigned volunteers based on the group style which the leader acts as the chair for decision which are made by the group.” For this reason the quality of the leadership is determined by the strength of the assigned volunteer group leaders, in addition the organizational arrangement and leadership practice indicate the premier league football can easily arrange at semi-professionalism level.

According to the assessment the researcher understood there are some consciences views such as both amateurism and professionalism could not be harmonized at the same time in a nation, under-the-table payments taking as a way to professionalism and finally the awareness of Shamateurism is low and most of the respondents are not familiar. In this case the realizing to the demand of football is low and undifferentiated Shamateurism as a problem even though market- oriented and profit-making companies were relinquished from football and replaced by social- oriented municipal football clubs.

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Conclusion

Football premier league of Ethiopia is dependent and not self-reliant, on the contrary sky rocketing the annual budget of the club and the salary of the players. Likewise the traditional thinking for professionalism, semi-professionalism and amateurism are directed towards the past. As a result market-oriented and profit-making governmental as well as endowment companies which can be a source to initiate commercialized and professionalized football in the procedure of semi-professionalism are give-up from football. Rather the official leaders and stake holders of football and the league are not considered as a problem. In this respect football at premier league needs an arrangement in organizational structure and management. In conclusion Shamateurism is the dark shadow of football in Ethiopia

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