The good thing about seasons and events is that as one ends another one prepares to start. And so are football seasons, including our national league season. Indeed, the 2013/2014 season will officially end when our FA holds its congress, may be later this August. At the Congress those three teams slated for relegation from the National Premier League will be shown their exit, while Accra Great Olympics, Feyenoord and Brong Ahafo United will see their return once more to the premiership.
On the refereeing front, the Referees Association has almost completed its selection process to determine the number of referees to be recommended to the FA for both the Premier and Division One lists. As part of the selection process, a total number of 674 referees, made up of 440 in the southern zone of the country, that is, Greater Accra, Volta, Central, Eastern and Western regions, and 340 from the northern zone, that is, the Upper West and East regions, Northern region, Brong Ahafo and Ashanti regions went through the stipulated FIFA physical fitness tests.
Although almost 99% of the referees successfully went through the exercise, only about 60% of them will be put on the two lists.
The just-ended season, started with 45 middle league referees and 55 assistants on the Premier League. And that was for the first round of the matches. The number of middle league referees was reduced to 30 for the second round matches. The reduction was based on the fitness and performances of the referees during the first round.
But the problem being faced by the referee selectors at the RAG level is that the Football Association is now requesting that the RAG should submit a list of only 40 referees and the same number of 40 assistants for the 2014/2015 Premier League season.
The argument of the FA strongly championed and supported by Mr. Abra-Appiah’s Premier League Board (PLB) is that the league needs only the top-notch referees, including those on the FIFA grade to do the job.
The league administrators also feel strongly that due to the limited financial resources (referee allowances), a fewer number of referees will end up happier and better rewarded financially. That is when a fewer number of referees handle matches more often, like every other week, they would end up being paid better.
This is logical common sense. On the other side of the debate, is the argument of the RAG executives that, a large number of equally qualified and competent referees would be left in the lurch, feeling unused and dissatisfied. These categories of referees would, therefore, be left to add more years to their already over-aged profiles on the unattractive and difficult Division One League list.
Already, the FA is asking for new referees who would be joining the Premier League ‘not to be more than 30 years of age’. The RAG does not agree to this directive. Their view is that with the current ages at which referees join the association, this directive would prevent very experienced ones from officiating at the Premier League level. And that it should be a mixture of below 30 years and up to 35 years.
To this end, the RAG executives are asking for a meeting between them and the FA, perhaps, initially with the PLB to arrive at a conclusion that would satisfy both sides. This problem has been long-standing. It would be beneficial to our football for the two sides to come to a satisfactory agreement. The present relationship and understanding between the GFA, the end users of the services of our referees and the RAG, the producers of referees, is unique and good. FIFA regulations and statutes do not tolerate any interference in the control and usage of refereeing services.
Indeed, referees are supposed to be part and parcel of the various FAs. Referees are supposed to be duly registered with football authorities and be at their beck and call. This is designed to avoid incidents of referee strikes and boycotts.
Admittedly, both the GFA and the Referees Association have very good cases. For example, since the GFA does not pay referees because their names are on the referees lists, it does not lose financially if and when the number of referees exceed its suggested number of 40.
Referees are like wine, the longer they stay, the better they become. Luckily, the physical fitness exercises that referees have to go through help to eliminate those who would not be able to cope with the needed speed and performance during play.
This year’s physical fitness exercise itself was well organised. There were no causalities and failures. The technical handlers under the leadership of CAF-FIFA Instructor, Joseph Wellington, the deputy fitness instructor, Charles Dowuna, Joe Debrah, the Vice Chairman of RAG and other executive committee members did very well.
The other side of this year’s exercise was the invitation and participation extended to some former but experienced referee instructors and executive members. This was very useful and vital. Some of us were actually invited and sponsored financially by certain individual referees.
The leadership of referees has experienced some disunity and rancour. More and more involvement of some past executives, who have served RAG in many ways, will help bring unity and progress. It would be useful for this show of unity to be maintained. It is good for those involved and also for the active and young referees. Sometimes, some active referees don’t know which of the divide to go near and seek advice.
The question of physical fitness test brings to mind our female referees. The FA is said to have confirmed the position of FIFA that our female referees who wish to handle premier league matches should be subjected to the same physical fitness qualifying marks like their male counterparts.
Both FIFA and the FA may be right, logically. But again the same logic could be used to allow our female referees who are good to handle premier league matches. The fact that in the past it worked and worked well should be a better case for the female referees. Our current only female executive committee member, Linear Addy, retired FIFA female referees Vivienne Aggor, Mercy Tagoe-Quarcoo and current FIFA referee, Christie Zigah, all handled premier league matches competently.
Indeed, they were considered not only as good as their male counterparts, but indeed one of them. Mercy Tagoe-Quarcoo was adjudged the best referee by the GFA, in 2007.
The problem created by their exclusion from handling premier league matches is that they have become less active and exposed, since we don’t have a virile women’s league. Meanwhile, some of them are FIFA referees and need to be active. The authorities may have to take another look at their new directive.
