Jones Attuquayefio was a lighthouse
Jones: “Sir, this stance is too hard. It can only help the regeneration of Hearts, which is a mighty team, but conversely destroy the careers and lives of these boys. We (not “they”) are sorry. Players will always behave like players so forgive them and l promise to use my experience and expertise to tame them for better results. We will all be happy one day soon.”
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MR ATO AHWOI:
“Well said Jones. Colleagues, I, on behalf of the Board, have accepted the apologies and assurances. T.T (i.e. Ashford) retrieve the letters and tell them what time they should report tomorrow to complete the registration process.”
I chose to preface this tribute with a narration from the minutes of an intra – Hearts of Oak meeting just to lead everyone into the life and personality of the great Sir Cecil Jones Attuquayefio; a determined, courageous, principled, disciplined, passionate, dedicated and clever personality.
Perhaps, in an industry where sometimes lack of appreciation and gratitude become totem poles, either ignorantly or naively, it is also pertinent to state categorically that when there is a ROLL CALL of those who, in spite of enormous challenges, not once, twice, but thrice (CL. Super Cup CAF, Confederation Cup) took the club to continental glories .i.e. patrons, directors, players, management,techincal/administration staff and supporters, Jones will be more than significant. And until this benchmark is overhauled, we shall always revel in this glory sans apologies to anyone.
Jones won the CAF Champion League
That Hearts of Oak won the 2000 CAF champions league was not devoid of serious challenges before and during the competition. By December 15,1999 the CAF date to complete the provisional registration, about 70 per cent of the players had revolted, “claiming their pockets were not reflective of the two previous unsuccessful appearances in Africa.” to them, the worse issue was that the club was rather spending money on recruiting new players to reinforce the team, hence the reluctance to register.
A few days later the Board Chairman, peerless Uncle Ato Ahwoi, returned from abroad and convened the meeting afore-mentioned, prior to which he had got me to get ready 21 letters of resignation with each player’s name.
These were given to them to sign, and for that matter, the end of their relationship with the Club.Lo and behold, for the first time the players saw a different Uncle Ato, and the preceding dialogue (above) concluded it all; Hearts took advantage of the 2nd deadline of 15th January, 2000 to complete the process.
No wonder, when we beat Esperance 2-1 in Tunis (1st leg finals), Jones alongside his Assistant coach and nephew, the late Ofei Ansah, came to my room, and as we celebrated, he modestly said, “if we win the trophy, it is not the result of this 1st leg, but the outcome of all what Hearts of Oak had COLLECTIVELY done throughout this period. Ashford, thank you for your support.” He reminded me of the prophetic lines in my report to the Board upon my return from Cairo where I represented the club during the balloting for the group stage in May 2000 after a CAF Seminar for Administrators.
From a rather remote relationship as football people, my first major and serious contact with him was in the early 90’s when the Board of Directors led by the then Acting Chairman, late Professor John Evans Atta Mills, appointed him to the dual role of Chief Executive Officer/Head Coach. Though a well thought-out decision, a rather unruly, militant and ignorant group of supporters resisted this appointment, and created an unfavourable working environment for him. Short-lived as it was, I enjoyed the “8am -3pm” schedule in the Tudu office and “3:30-6pm” segment on the training pitch, opposite the Department of National Lotteries.
One day he left the office for the training grounds, encountered some challenges from the fans, drove off, and called me in the evening from home that the chapter was closed, and added he may or may not come back. Hearts was the loser.
Visionary Ato Ahwoi
In 1998, the visionary Uncle Ato assessed the situation, and convinced his colleague directors that Jones was the only person to give Hearts the desired results. Board Secretary (now Director-General of SSNIT), Mr. Ernest Thompson, who is also a close pal of Jones, was tasked to lead the overtures. Based on history, I was sceptical and wasn’t surprised with the initial challenges that dogged this initiative. Finally, with support from the late Alhaji Ibrahim Sly Tetteh, Ernest Bediako and Alhaji Hearts, among others, the deal was clinched. Hurray!!
The unprecedented achievements bore ample testimony.
With more than one player competing for particular positions in that Hearts team spoilt for choice, and sometimes with management’s prejudiced preferences for certain players, Attuquayefio had stoically justified why for example; Sammy Adjei, Nanor or Dida should be in goal or (Ampah/Duah/S. Tetteh) or (Copson/Adja/J. Ansah), (Fameyeh/Osumanu/Ishmael) or Adjogu/Taylor should play in a match. For him, “a coach has to be authentic and not alter his personality according to the tidal changes; he must be updated and know how to make the right choice(s)”.
Cracking jokes and “toli” over “1931” (i.e. Club Beer) and barbecue with friends was the norm. Once during a postmatch celebration, supporters had hoisted him shoulder-high, and by the time they lowered him some bad guys amongst them had emptied his pocket. As a result, he adopted the practice of being one of the first to get to the dressing room after the final whistle. “Tsienuu or (Charlieman), ashweee ye bie nee, before they think I have thoughted,” he will jovially add.
Positively, this attitude underscored his strategy of picking the thoughts of his “Reserve tank” – Prosper Harrison Addo, Andy Armaah Quao and Ernest Adote Thompson on some administrative issues before raising them with me. He had called Ernest “The Meteorologist” because of his penchant for calling people sometimes at ungodly hours to discuss potential threats and offering remedies. Call that interference, but in 95 per cent of the cases, ignore them and you are worse off.
Still in high spirits and the elements, he once told Nii Ayi Bonte II, Stephen Akwetey, Ernest Thompson, Alhaji Hearts and yours truly that Hearts of Oak should gratefully compensate great Olympics (Oly Dade, Agosu) with $100,000 for providing them with players like Charles Allotey, Charles Taylor, Dan Quaye, Osumanu Amadu and Ali Kwame Maouas; a chairman like Harry Zakour and a coach like himself, to facilitate our several domestic and continental achievements, especially the year 2000 glory which involved all these seven ex- Agosu heroes.
In March 2002 the man closed another chapter when things weren’t too good for the Club, and just two years later it was “The Return of Bruce Lee”, taking over from Ernst Middendorp, after another bout of persuasion. Subsequently, he transposed the difficulties on the road into motivation, and the result was the first-ever CAF Confederations Cup victory.
I shall contentedly say that from 1993 when Ghana Soccer went professional, very few or even no coach can stand parallel with him in terms of league trophies and FA Cups.