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Mind Your Language
I must say I really admire the way the English football system takes to task officials who make remarks that are deemed to sully the good name of the sport.
Currently, my favourite manager Sir Alex Ferguson is on the carpet for describing Referee Alan Wiley as unfit to have handled the Manchester United – Sunderland match at Old Trafford that ended in a pulsating 2-2 draw.
Sir Alex has been officially charged for misconduct and the referees fraternity is putting stokes in the ember asking for a long touchline ban plus a hefty fine. So far the veteran manager is lucky that the spouse of Ref Wiley has not reacted for describing her husband as unfit. The world is now full of tricks and if care is not taken, some devious people can put all kinds of interpretation to the meaning of one being unfit.
I like the way sanity is being enforced into the game both on and off the field, especially in England. Officials are wont to mind their language because they stand the risk of being sanctioned for improper conduct. How I wish the same principle would be applied here in Ghana because there appears to be too many unguarded statements by club officials that could be interpreted even to undermine the authority of the football controlling body.
I am so much concerned about this trend that I had planned to suggest to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to emulate the English system of sanctioning football officials who make controversial public statements when I read a pronouncement in the state owned national daily The Ghanaian Times of October 29 by GFA president Kwesi Nyantakyi asking for a halt to the domination of Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts Of Oak in the Premier League. The two clubs have between them won 43 out of the 50 league trophies so far.
Hear him, “I am looking forward to some of the clubs breaking the duopoly of Hearts and Kotoko this year. They have dominated the Ghanaian league since the late nineties and it does not make it interesting. I am only asking for fair officiating from all the referees no matter where the match is played and I am sure surprises will spring up this year”.
I submit that such a statement should not come from the head of the FA, especially when it is on record that he owns a club, Wa All Stars, competing in the premiership. It could be misconstrued that he plans to pull the strings to rob Kotoko and Hearts of honours this year which is unfair.
In any case, I don’t support the notion that the domination of the league by two clubs doesn’t make the competition interesting. It is rather the opposite. The determination of the other clubs to upstage Kotoko and Hearts is the reason why all matches involving these two giants provide exceptional thrills and hit the headlines. And it is also the reason why companies are competing to sponsor the league. It is a good league, the passion of the nation.
By the way, check the list of champions in the English premiership for the last two decades. It will be difficult for one to say the domination of Manchester United does not make the English league interesting.
The publication did not state the occasion where the GFA boss made those remarks which in my estimation are controversial and needs further clarification. I believe if he quoted correctly in that case it would be in his interest and that of the nation for him to clear the air to avoid a situation where supporters of the two giants of Ghana football may jump to wrong inclusions if and when disciplinary actions are taken by the FA in good faith to clean Ghana football of any dirt in the cupboards.
Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.