In our last week article, we discussed the need to adopt a Zero Tolerance for assault on our referees and indeed in football. Football is the most popular game in the world, and it is designed to entertain its participants and followers.
It is a big-time business that has helped to unite nations and indeed the whole world. But because of its competitive nature, football sometimes degenerates into violence and other nasty incidents. FIFA, together with other organising bodies, has tried to put in place laws, regulations and guidelines to do away with the nasty aspects of the game. It is, therefore, the responsibilities of all organising associations and bodies to ensure strict compliance and implementation of the laws, regulations and guidelines.
In line with these, referees and other match officials have been given powers, authority and duties to manage and control clubs, players and football fans. Among other duties, the referee is to Enforce the Laws of the Game. These include checking that the field of play, players equipment and the ball meet the requirement of the Laws of the Game. He is also to act as timekeeper and keep a record of the match including any misconduct.
In this regard, the referee is to decide how to enforce the Laws of the Game in order to control the match. He is also empowered to take decisions on the following:
•How best to co-operate with his assistants including the fourth referee;
•When to stop, suspend or terminate a match, for example, for injuries, infringements, weather, misconduct and any outside interference;
•When to penalise infringements and which, according to him, is the more serious of two offences if they occur;
•When and how to apply ‘advantage’
•How, where and when to restart the match in accordance with the laws
In enforcing the Laws of the Game, the referee is also empowered to carry out the following functions:
•Deal with injuries to players;
•Deal with club officials who are not conducting themselves in a responsible manner;
•Deal with outside interference and prevent entry to the field of play of any unauthorised person;
•Deal with advice given by assistants regarding incidents he the referee has not seen.
All these are important parts of the duties and responsibilities of referees, the man in the middle. Every referee is conversant with all these duties. They should therefore perform them without fear or favour. This way they would effectively manage the game.
The Bawdie School Park violence which led to the sad and unfortunate death of one of our young referees at age 21 should set us back to find out if our referee of that day had performed his duties well. It is a difficult, painful but necessary exercise. Well, the referee who was in the middle on that fateful Sunday is alive. And so are the rest of us who can take some useful lessons.
According to the referee’s own report, when the late assistant referee Kyei Andoh flagged for off-side positioning against an attacking player of the home team, Gold Stars, in the 30th minute of the first half, supporters of Gold Stars, just before the kick was about to be taken, rushed on him the referee and the assistant referee.
Further, according to the referee, the assistant referee reported that some of the angry supporters assaulted him. And this brought the game to a temporary stop for about 10 minutes.
To my mind, this incident was enough for the referee to determine the direction and fate of the match. This was a match at which there was no security cover for the match officials, the players and the spectators.
The lessons here are clear, to me. Having realized at kick-off that the promise of the provision of security-men had not been met, the match should NOT have been started at all.
Definitely, the home team would beg and bring pressure, but the laws and regulation say there should be security. And so the referee should have enforced this aspect of the law. It is very common for referees to bow to pressure and influence from so-called well-meaning personalities.
We might all have done this before. People would point out the number of spectators and fans that had come to witness and perhaps enjoy an afternoon of good football and plead with smiles.
Sometimes they would even indicate that some security personnel were on their way to the match and urge that the match should start. But, I think, this Bawdie fatal incident should open our eyes and minds, so that we apply this aspect of the law to the letter. It is unfortunate that match commissioners join the home team officials in their pleas.
I know it is sometimes dangerous and unwise to abandon a match in the midst of violence and assault, and in this case the assaulted Assistant Referee 2 was willing and indeed carried on with his duties. But, perhaps, it could have been useful for the three officials to decide to abandon the match, more so when there was no fourth official (referee) to fall upon.
Perhaps, I am being ‘wise after the event’. But it would be useful to consider some of the points raised for the future. Violence and assault in the game of football should not be tolerated. The report on the Dompim Gold Stars and Naajo Royals Second Division match on Sunday, March 2, 2014 should provide all of us very useful lessons.
As referees we have been empowered by laws and regulations to administer the game of football, before, during and after matches.
Usually promises of the provision of security, medical and other facilities are made during pre-match meetings. We should ensure that these promises mature into reality before the kick-off of the match. And this should continue during and after the match.
As I monitored radio reports on the incident, I heard the voice of the founder and owner of the Dompim Gold Stars. He said he was trying in his small way to contribute towards the development of football in the country and also helping young boys in the area to get the opportunity to develop their talents.
That’s good and very commendable. But the behaviour of his team players and supporters should teach all of us the lesson that what is worth doing should be done well.
In our rural areas, including where I come from, many enterprising people establish teams when they can get some money. They assemble a couple of footballers, look for a playing field, mostly school parks and get some enthusiastic and willing young men.
Most of the time they forget about education about the Laws of the Game. There are now referees all over the country who are willing to assist in this direction. In most cases, referees are brought into the equation of team forming and building as a last, or “forgotten”, resort.
During the 1970s, there were occasions I saw contesting teams arrived at the Accra Sports Stadium and ready to go to the field of play before the organisers started looking for referees.
And during those days, some anxious referees who were working in and around the Ministries would go to the stadium ready for those on-the-spot appointments. It was only when sanctions were introduced against them that a stop was put to it.
Referees are very important ingredients in football matches and in building teams. Football has improved a great deal in the country and Ghana’s place in world football is well-known. But we must work on the image of our football and ensure that violence is reduced and perhaps eliminated.
This should be part of our civilisation. We must develop a Zero Tolerance for violence and assault in our football. This way, the high sacrifice paid by assistant referee Kwame Kyei Andoh would not be in vain.
