History of Calabar Rovers Football Club
Calabar Rovers Football Club is one of the commonly known football clubs in Nigeria founded and based in the city of Calabar, the capital City of Cross River in the year 1977. It was established under a Brazilian coach named Paulo Luiz Campos, who was a recognized football manager in His country home.
It is a branded face of CRS football that was founded with the sole aim of attaining a top ranking in the Nigeria Football League Association.
The team uses U. J. Esuene Stadium as their home ground for their athletic training, competition matches and related other football events taking place within the state. The club was one of the Nigerian Second Division team established in the year 1979.
Calabar Rovers club wisely implemented a quick pattern in their playing skills which helped them to gain promotion and was moved to the top in 1981 just two years after their establishment. It was recorded that the team was relegated in 1993; due to the reason of making no other major award or rather an acknowledgement of merit for decades after they have won the annual Football Association Challenge Cup during the national semi-finals.
The club had some of their players sent off in 2006 as they were demoted in favour of Akwa United after they lost the match they had with the team on the 12th of August, 2006 with a recorded score of 13 – 0 and thereafter the team were lowered in the league.
In 2008, the team was sponsored by the United Cement Company after the Rivers State government constructed a rigid plan and brought them back from relegation. They were involved in the 2008/2009 Nigerian National League which after they entered under the sponsorship of UNICEM for complete five seasons of active participation. After the UNICEM support and sponsorship, they have been addressing their league as Unicem Rovers Football Club in some cases.
The team also acquired Dankat FC league slot in 2009, and then entered into play and share agreement of 12 million naira with Dankat Football Club of Kano. Owing to this agreement, they played their first season of that year mostly in the northern division.
Calabar Rovers expressed feeling over the accumulated debt of their official's salaries and allowances of 2015 season as they protested in front of the state governor's office as the 2016 season had already commenced in February 2016.
There was a remarkable experience for the club during the year 2016 on their way to honour a national league game at Omoku Rivers State Nigeria against Go Round FC of Omoku. According to Sports Vanguard news Nigeria, the team were attacked by 15-man armed robbery gang. Their chief coach and the driver were handled roughly and they finally absconded with their bags which contained pieces of jewellery, playing kits and expensive items.
