GRi Sports Ghana
24 - 05 - 2001
Referees Association condemns George Amoako
Ade's Olympiakos to win premier league in four years time
Referees Association condemns George Amoako
Accra
(Greater Accra) 24 May 2001
The Ghana
Referees Association (RAG) has described Mr George Amoako’s reference to Mr
Wilson Sey as a village referee, as very unfortunate.
A spokesman
of the RAG who bargained for anonymity said such comments negate sportsmanship
could derail the developmental goals of Ghana football.
In an
interview with the GNA, the official said, the referee of the said match, is
one of the most experienced Class one referees around, having been a class one
for the past 10 years and has a degree from University College of Education,
Winneba.
The source
said, Class one referee status is the highest position a referee can attain in
the country and that the only difference between a FIFA badged is that the
latter can handle matches outside the walls of the country.
“At the
moment, the country has only seven FIFA referees which cannot go round all the
league centres, meaning that we have to rely on the class referees who are
equally good or even better than some of the FIFA badged ones.
“Class one
referees, have handled many Hearts and Kotoko matches including last years
encounter which Hearts won without any blemish and no one complained.
He said in
the May nine match, none of the players complained about the winning goal
Hearts scored but both teams congratulated each other at the end of the match.”
He added
that the incident that generated the violence happened after the match.
The source
said many of the big European and South American countries like Britain and
Germany have 10 FIFA referees each, which supposes that every time there is a
big match a FIFA badge referee must be at the centre of affairs, a situation
which is impossible to attain.
Asked if
the changing of referees for the match on two occasions and the consequent
choice Wilson Sey by lottery suspicion among supporters that officiating would
not be fair on that day, the source said that problem should be laid at the
door steps of the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
He said it
was the GFA, which rejected the first choice of referees appointment by the
committee for the match.
“FIFA rules
forbid a referee from giving reasons to any decision taken during a match and
that has forced most of them to keep quite on the decisions they take.
“The rules
also insulate the referee from any action that goes on outside the field of
play, be it violent or not and FIFA can take punitive action only if it affects
play.”
He urged
all those who wish Ghana soccer to develop to refrain from comments that are
likely to bring the game into disrepute.
GRi…/
Send your
comments to news@ghanareview.com
Ade's Olympiakos to win premier league in four years time
Accra
(Greater Accra) 24 May 2001
AC
Olympiakos, a newly formed division one team, owned by Mr Joseph Ade Coker,
former president of Accra Great Olympics, has set for itself a target of four
years to capture the Star Premier League title to enable it compete with the
best on the continent.
At the
inauguration of the club in Accra, Mr Coker said even though the club would be
participating in the first division league for now, results from friendly
matches played gives him the hope that the team's qualification to the premier
league would be a matter of time.
"This
is no bragging matter, it is our vision and we know looking at the
determination of our players backed by sound support of our management we shell
make it" he said
Olympiakos
was formed on Sunday, April 14, 2001, following successful negotiations between
Kingdoko Company Limited, owner of Okwawu Youngsters Football Club and Acorn
Group of Companies before being re-christened Olympiakos.
"In
short, Acorn bought Okwawu Youngsters founded by Yaw Bremang Boamah and
Alex
Adjekum Boamah from Kingdoko who also bought the club in August 2000 and have
since transferred the entire ownership and interest to its new owners.
"Olympiakos
is coming a few months after the unfortunate circumstances that forced me to
severe my relationship with the wonder club, Accra Great Olympics and this has
tempted people to suggest the club formation is to rival Olympics which is
not."
Mr Coker
said the selection of the name and its motto "You never walk alone"
was done with the view of building bridges on fruitful corporation with it more
illustrious namesake in Greece, which would be realised in the near future.
He later
introduced a six-member management team, which includes himself as the
President with the rest being Mr Herbert Lawson, Mr Sinar Amartey, Mr J.A
Allotey, Ricky Nikoi and Ahene Truly.
In a
goodwill message read on his behalf, Nii Kojo Ababio, James Town Mantse, who
also accepted the position of a life patron of the club urged supporters and
players of the club to do their best to ensure that the noble objectives set by
the management come into realisation.
Closing the
ceremony, the chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Nurudeen Jawula, former chairman
of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) asked all to be mindful of potential
pitfalls in their way to achieving objectives set for themselves to avoid the
problems that they faced during their Olympics era.
GRi…/
Send your
comments to news@ghanareview.com