With the GLO Premier League, one season has just come to an end. And surely another season, the 2013/2014 will soon begin.
The various clubs that have qualified to partake will engage in preparation to strengthen and re-equip their teams. Floating of players and recruitment of those considered to be better would take place.
In the same way both the RAG and the GFA will take another look at the league list of our referees. As usual, both those referees already on the list and those who are desirous of joining will be exposed to the usual FIFA physical fitness tests.
There is no doubt that the selection and placement exercise this year will be very tough for those to be selected and the selectors. My guess is that the FIFA list we should have will influence the calibre and quality of referees to be put on the list. The just-ended league season has thrown into the limelight a lot of young and talented referees.
This is good for the list. There are so many good but exhausted referees on the list. Almost all of them may be good, experienced and ready to continue with refereeing. But considering the FIFA list, they should be made useful in the local league.
Again the GFA, has for a long time been advocating a shortlist of referees who can be properly catered for and managed. The financial resources at the disposal of the FA do not appear to be sufficient enough to reward the referees as they deserve. The thinking is as exists in private businesses, like the private banks and other financial institutions.
The principle is to keep only the very efficient few who would perform the same volume of work that a larger number would perform. That angle of approach is, however, only guided by financial considerations.
On the other hand, the RAG finds it difficult to agree with this particular way of thinking. The RAG has many qualified referees who have been marking time on the Division One List and even outside that list. There appears to be no lid put on the number of referees who can be put on the DOL list.
That appears to be a solution, since a lot of referees have been languishing on the DOL list for many years. And because of the age problem in refereeing, many of these referees will never have their names on the elite premier list. And so the problem of taking care of a large number of referees may continue to exist.
It appears the GFA will have its way this time. The reason being that this year most of the very influential executive members in the RAG cannot seek for re-election. That will be during the forthcoming RAG Congress scheduled for November 2 and 3 this year in the Brong Ahafo regional capital, Sunyani. Yes, the Congress is in Sunyani and not in Cape Coast as previously published in this column.
These big men will be departing their executive positions for ever. Yes forever, because they are all around 70 years and above, even with previous age manipulations to enable them to stay long on the referees’ list. And since they will not be in office after November 3, they will shift their positions from supporting the referees to supporting their positions at the FA.
This issue brings into sharp focus the relationship that should exist between RAG— elected executive officers and the FA. During the immediate past congress in Koforidua in 2009, a proposal was made to have congress pass a resolution that would debar the RAG General Secretary and the National Instructor from any GFA Committee.
That proposal was directed at the then General Secretary, my good self, and Mr Agbovi. What do we have now? The person having the highest position in RAG is not only on GFA Committees, but he is also holding a monthly-paid full-time job at the GFA. Where are the proponents of the earlier proposal?
My unsolicited advice to members of the RAG is that we should all think of and institute measures and rules that will inure to the benefit of the association as a whole. Targeting individual executive committee members, perhaps, on ethnic or personal levels, should not be encouraged.
This year, this November offers us all a brand new chance to elect new officers to take charge of our affairs. We should go beyond our individual needs and put the needs and aspirations of the whole association first before us. Before the last congress there was one young referee who manoeuvered to join his regional delegates to give him the chance to get a particular executive officer elected so that he would become a FIFA referee.
He initially succeeded, but he is yet to get his name among the FIFA referees. He will be, indeed, lucky to get an invitation this year to even join the physical fitness test for would-be FIFA referees.
The RAG Congress will surely come. We pray that our regional branches will introduce new and better proposals that would promote unity and progress of the RAG.
By Godsway Glah / Graphic Sports / Ghana
