Top division football clubs in Ghana are known for their captivating names. Apart from a few indigenous names like Asante Kotoko, Abuakwa Susu Biribi, Wassaman, Bofoakwa Tano and Adansiman, there are exciting English names like Accra Hearts of Oak, Cape Coast Venomous Vipers, Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs and Sekondi Eleven Wise. Incidentally all the above mentioned clubs are referred to as traditional clubs.

The reason for this tag may be to strike a difference between them and institutional or factory clubs like Panbros, Gihoc Stars, Akotex, Ghanacan, Defence Stars etc. that sprang up in the seventies. One may argue that there is not much in the name of a Ghanaian football club, but when suddenly Ghana began to have non-league clubs like Madina Stoke City, Adabraka Manchester United etc. some purists began to express fears that our football clubs may soon be losing their indigenous identity if these non- league clubs in future progress into the top division and eventually enter the international arena.

The worse fears of these purists came to pass in 1988 when Accra Manchester United blossomed into a first division league club and registered to feature in the 1988-89 national premier league. An obviously embarrassed Ghana Football Association had to step in and Accra Manchester United craftily metamorphosed into Man U. The Accra based Man U, after struggling defiantly to earn some reputation in the league ended up being involved in a match of convenience that saw them losing 20-0 to Brong Ahafo

United at Sunyani, in the final league fixtures of the season. Man U together with three other clubs, B.A.United, Hasaacas and Eleven Wise, were suspended for two years by the Football Association.

That is another story altogether. The subject matter is on names.

Since there is no legislation against Ghanaian teams adopting the names of English Premier clubs, we soon had Arsenal from Berekum in the Brong Ahafo region who are apparently taking a lot of inspiration from Arsene Wenger’s boys in north London and are now consistently in the top brackets of the Ghana league.

Perhaps it is this same inspiration that has led Bechem Chelsea also from Brong Ahafo (no pun intended) to adopt the name of Mike Essien’s team also from London. The name Chelsea has catapulted the Bechem boys to the premier division next season but upon second thoughts the club has decided to go local and they will be known as Brong Ahafo FC. This is not a bad change, but I would have preferred a name like Brong Ahafo Stars since we already have Brong Ahafo United and the abbreviation for the two clubs may cause some confusion

In fact it was Brong Ahafo Stars, formed at the instance of former Sports Director Ohene Djan in 1962 that later changed to Kwasi Owusu’s Bofoakwa Tano.
It is my wish that St. Mirren of Accra that has also qualified for the Premier league next season will do the nation a favour by looking for a non- Scottish name.
Local names will help football followers worldwide to know the difference between the Ghana Premier league and the English Premiership. I know I may be treading on dangerous grounds because people will ask this perennial question; after all what is in name? It is a debatable subject.