Legalities and illegalities in our system; we need unity!
The other day I was amazed at the funny design of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA), in "smuggling" Accra Hearts of Oak into this year's "invitational tournament," which was hither-to described as the "G Six". After the GFA Appeals Committee's decision to uphold Kotoko's protest over the earlier Disciplinary Committee's ruling in favour of Hearts in the "unqualified player" saga, Hearts were thrown to the bottom where they were placed at the 13th position of the 16-club First Capital Plus Premier League. What a season that was!
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Under normal circumstances there is no way Hearts in their 13th position could have been forced into the forthcoming competition, but according to GHALCA's own design, it is in conformity with the new regulations of the competition which is now known as "Invitational Tournament".
The brass of GHALCA explained that the new modalities of the competition comprised the top four teams on the final league table, plus the two finalists of the MTN FA Cup competition. And because Kotoko won their appeal, they had automatically moved to the Top Four category while Hearts, who played in the semi finals of the FA Cup, have been pushed to take over Kotoko's slot in the MTN FA Cup.
The novelty competition, according to GHALCA, will come off at the Essipon Stadium in Sekondi with a new format that will be out soon. The question that comes to mind is in what way can we continue to believe in whatever will come to light and forge a way to bring on board the two most glamorous clubs to ensure full patronage in the coming competition?
The other day, I overheard a panelist during a sports programme on a local radio channel, claiming that the decision of the Appeals Committee to restore the six points to Kotoko that sent them to the second position on the final league table was, to say the least,"most bogus". It lacked the ingredients of legalities and technicalities that made the disciplinary committee's earlier decision complete and sensible. I also overheard a very prominent legal brain and an astute follower of our football laws in this country describing the Appeals Committees' findings as "balderdash".
In other words, it will do the nation a lot of good to streamline the stand of the earlier decision, but that cannot be done without one final review that will go into the dos and don"ts spelt out clearly in the Rules and Regulations of the FA. And that will go a long way to clear all doubts from the minds of all lovers of the game, especially the elated Kotoko and aggrieved followers of Hearts.
The other day at the funeral of one strong follower of Accra Great Olympics, the late Gladys Aku Sika at Bokruwa Kwahu, a group of Hearts fans came to me and expressed their fear at what will happen to the next First Capital Plus Premier League season if Hearts decide to lodge their appeal for the review of the Appeals Committee's decision.
Of course, their contention was that it was very obvious that it would drag the case and affect the commencement of the next season, which will not be in the best interest of our football and our beloved country, something which was likely to be equal to what happened last year when Kumasi King Faisal had a long battle with the FA that threw its deadline off course.
So the question is whether it is worth the trouble dragging notable legal brains into their chambers to restudy the Rules and Regulations of the FA and pronounce the final verdict.
Can somebody tell me the disciplinary committee did not go into the modalities of the existing rules and regulations earlier, and can we say their interpretation was wrong and needs an overhauling? And after that what will the aggrieved club and its followers do, dragging the case to the civil court?
Well, in this our democratic dispensation it is up to the world to watch what will happen, knowing that Hearts will not lie down to be trampled by that "balderdash". All the legalities and illegalities will not make the game better as far as the next competition is concerned.
My good friend, Agyeman Dua, a member of SWAG has a good reason to believe that the little trouble that has reared its head will not do the game any good, as the dragging on the limping foot will disturb the newly promoted clubs, especially Dwarfs who seem ready for the next season.
May God help us!