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| Full name | Bridge Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Bridge Boys | ||
| Founded | 1976 | ||
| Ground | Agege Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 4,000 | ||
| Chairman | Adebanjo Shalom | ||
| Manager | Danmola Lateef | ||
| League | Metro Pro League | ||
| Website | https://web.archive.org/web/20111007085819/http://bridgefcng.com/ http://bridgefcng.com | ||
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Bridge Football Club is a Nigerian football club based in Lagos that was founded in the mid-1970s. As a result of its association with the Julius Berger construction company, the club was known as Julius Berger Football Club until 2010. The club has won national championships and competed internationally. Players such as Odion Ighalo, David Adekola, Yakubu, Taribo West, Sunday Oliseh, Samson Siasia, Emmanuel Amuneke, Rashidi Yekini, Garba Lawal, and Mutiu Adepoju have played for the club.
History
Until 2006, the club played in the Nigerian Premier League, but their owners announced plans to close the club by 2008. However, outgoing chairman of the board of directors Mobolaji Johnson (a former governor of Lagos State) said in August 2008 that the company had steadied their finances and were prepared to fully fund the team in 2008-09.
They played their final 2008 home games at the University of Lagos after Onikan Stadium was shut down for the rest of the season. Berger temporarily relocated to Abeokuta for two years in 2004.
In July 2010, the team was bought by seven private individuals led by Emmanuel Ibru The club was renamed "Bridge Football Club". Bridge Football Club featured in the Nigerian National League (NNL) in the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 seasons and finished 3rd and 4th, respectively. The club has a staff strength of over 70, including players and coaches of their academy 'BRF Academy'.
However, in Dec. 2012 just before the 2012 Nigeria National League season the team tried to sell their league slot to Ekiti-based Fountain F.C. They withdrew from the league when the sale fell through. This left their future participation in Nigerian football in doubt, but they participated in the 2013 Lagos State Federation Cup and joined the Lagos-based Private Professional Football League 'Metro Pro League' for the 2013/2014 season and finished second (2nd) in the maiden season of the elite private professional football league.
Achievements
- 1991, 2000.
- 1996, 2002.
- Nigerian Super Cup: 2
- 2000, 2002.
- Metro Pro League: 2013/2014
- 2nd Position
Performance in CAF competitions
- CAF Champions League: 2 appearances
- African Cup of Champions Clubs: 1 appearance
- 1992: Second Round
- CAF Cup Winners' Cup: 3 appearances
- 1995 – Finalist
- 1997 – Second Round
- 2003 – Finalist
Sources
References
- "Akanni woos Berger back to Lagos". sunnewsonline.com. Archived from the original on 31 December 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
- "Hurrah! Lagos gets new club - Vanguard News". Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- Ajom, Jacob (6 December 2010). "Hurrah! Lagos gets new club". Vanguard. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- "Football | Nigeria". Archived from the original on 2 September 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
Further reading
- Berger Accept Omoruyi's Resignation
- Julius Berger To Reposition Bridge Boys Archived 11 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- Amuneke Bags Berger Job
- Why I left Berger- Amuneke
- Two clubs opt out of NNL (Supersport.com) 23–12–12
- Metro Pro League