Media reports depict that there are some behind the scene moves by certain interest groups to get the premier league increased from 16 to 20 clubs.This is happening on the eve of the Ghana Football Association congress to ratify the relegation of three clubs from the Premier League and endorse the qualification of three others in the league.

This type of agitation used to be a familiar scenario in Ghana football in the past.It was fashionable in those days and all sorts of unscientific theories were propounded at the end of every season to show why the league should be expanded. Under some unseen pressure, last minute alterations were made much to the detriment of a well programmed league. Subsequently management of the league became unwieldy and standards were woefully compromised.

After a lot of experimentation from a 20 club league to 12, 18, 16, 12 again, then 14, the league has seen a lot of progress in the last decade with 16 clubs and it is my considered opinion that in the 50th year of the league, this cannot be the time for retrogression. Let’s move forward. The coming season will be full of international engagements at both national and club level and the plan by the Football Association to kick off the season on Nov 23 must stand.

The argument by the agitators that an enlarged league will unearth hidden talents and ensure that teams with large support base remain in action is not backed by any evidence.I would also like to debunk the assertion that we had quality competition in the 1964/65, 1967/68 and 1971 league with as many as 20 clubs participating.

The records show that in the 1964/65 league, there was a terribly wide gap between the top and the bottom clubs. Asante Kotoko, the winners bagged 50 points as against 12 each by the two bottom clubs Harbour City and Wassaman. Indeed Wassaman conceded a total of 122 goals as against 20 scored. The last seven clubs in the league ladder did not even get half the number of points bagged by the champions. Sekondi Eleven Wise 24, Koforidua Mighty Rovers 24, Obuasi Adansiman 23, Brong Ahafo Stars 20, Agona Fankobaa 14, Harbour City 12 and Wassaman 12 were at the bottom rung in that order.

The 1968 league with 20 participating clubs produced similar statistics. Asante Kotoko won with 47 points and the last seven clubs did not even get half of those points build up by the champions. Agona Fankobaa 20, Koforidua Rovers 20, Accra Standfast 19, Ho Mighty Eagles 18, Akim United 13, Bofoakwa Tano 12 and Ho Sunset 9 followed in that order.

In the 1971 league that also featured 20 clubs, Accra Hearts of Oak won with 60 points and this is how the last seven clubs fared- Koforidua Rovers 30, Swedru All Blacks 26, Kumasi Highlanders 26, Tamale Gbewaa 25, Tamale Savanna Stars 23, Ho Sunset 19, Ho Mighty Eagles 16.

Let us assume that those were the formative days of the league and it was necessary to spread the net as wide as possible. We have come a long way. The 16 club league is ideal for the nation. One thing the league should be grateful for is the way Col. Paul Nkegbe, then in charge of the Ministry of Education and Sports during Kutu Acheampong’s regime, albeit undemocratically slashed the number of clubs for the 1972 league from 20 to 12. By the stroke of a pen eight clubs - Accra Panbros, Koforidua Rovers, Swedru All Blacks, Kumasi Highlanders, Tamale Gbewaa, Tamale Savanna Stars, Ho Sunset and Ho Mighty Eagles lost their first division status. Col. Nkegbe said the number of 20 clubs was too wieldy and he was proved right.

The 1972 league was keen and exciting. Kotoko won with 32 points just two points ahead of Bofoakwa Tano. Accra Hearts placed third with 25 points just one point ahead of Kumasi Cornerstone. Four clubs- Accra Great Olympics, Sekondi Eleven Wise, Akotex ,and Cape Coast Dwarfs all had 21 points apiece, Brong Ahafo United 18, Abuakwa Susu Biribi 17, Sekondi Hasaacas 15 and Cape Coast Venomous Vipers followed in that order.
I am backing my preference for a 16 league for Ghana with these facts and figures and further submit that Sekondi Eleven Wise, Bechem Chelsea and Accra St.Mirren have fought a deserving fight to gain promotion to the premiership and they must be recognized as such.

Tema Real Sportive, Accra Zaytuna and Accra Great Olympics must sportingly accept the fact that they have lost their premiership status and they should go back to the drawing board and amend their ways so that they can return to the premiership in future with fresh ideas. Gaining premiership status through manipulation of the rules governing the competition must be a thing of the past.

We should not lose sight over the fact that, without demotions and promotions the league will lose a large amount of its competitive ingredient. And as the sages say without shocking results, inconsistencies and surprises football and for that matter sports in general will cease to be an attraction.

Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.