Freetown, Sierra Leone — Rodney Michael has stepped down from his role as chairman of Mighty Blackpool Football Club, citing undue interference from a Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) presidential aspirant.
Michael claims that efforts to accommodate this aspirant compromised his leadership, prompting his resignation on principle.
In his resignation letter, Michael informed the club’s executive committee that his shares in the club would be transferred to the Mighty Blackpool fan club. He urged the committee to appoint a trusted leader to guide the club forward.
This development has sparked concerns about the growing influence of SLFA election politics on Sierra Leone’s football clubs, as tensions between club administrators and aspiring FA leaders intensify. The club has yet to release an official statement regarding Michael’s departure.
Rodney Michael is a seasoned football administrator in Sierra Leone, with a career spanning several decades. He began his administrative journey at the age of fourteen and has since held various significant positions within the football community. Michael previously served as the Chairman of the Bo District Football Association and was the Chief Executive Officer of the Edmond Michael Foundation Football Club, a division one club based in Bo City. In 2021, after four decades of service, he dissolved the Edmond Michael Football Foundation, emphasizing the need for privatization in football investments.
In September 2021, Michael was appointed chairman of Mighty Blackpool FC, one of Sierra Leone’s most successful football clubs.
Under his leadership, the club experienced a resurgence, including an unbeaten run during the second round of the league and securing multiple sponsorship deals. His efforts were recognized in 2022 when he was nominated for the Chairman of the Year at the National Sports Awards.
Michael has also been active in football governance at the national level. He declared his candidacy for the SLFA presidency in 2020, advocating for transparency and structural reforms within the association. However, less than 24 hours before the SLFA election in June 2021, he withdrew from the presidential race, citing emotional and physical stress following a legal battle to clear his eligibility.
In November 2023, Michael represented Sierra Leone Premier League clubs at the inaugural Annual General Assembly of the African Club Association (ACA) in Cairo, Egypt, where he was elected as an ACA board member representing WAFU Zone A.
Michael’s resignation from Mighty Blackpool FC marks the end of a significant chapter in his extensive career in Sierra Leonean football.
