The Republicans Football Club, the soccer team of the Broadwater Farms community area won the newly-instituted yearly Ghana Gala Football tournament which took place in London on Sunday, August 29th, 2004.

The club defeated the Hackney FC 1-0 in a hotly contested final match played at the Broadwater Farms Community soccer pitch watched by hundreds of soccer fans who defied the chilly weather.

The club thus becomes the first team to win the magnificent silver cup donated by H.E. Mr. Isaac Osei, Ghana?s High Commissioner to the UK. The Kennington FC placed third; Soccer Stars placed fourth, Deptford FC, fifth with Parkview FC taking the sixth position.

The tournament was organised by the Ghana Football Society (GFS) under the chairmanship of Mr. Peter Nuamah. Other members of the Society founded two years ago included Messrs Albert Asiedu, Vice-Chairman, Joe Washington, Secretary, Awuku Danso, Treasurer, with Eric Fraikue, Stanley Marbell, Klotie Clottey, Emile Hanson and Isaac Asare as executive members.

The best footballer of the tournament statuette also donated by Mr. Isaac Osei went to Bernard Ebo Atta of the Republican FC. Apart from the statuette, he also received a collection of souvenirs donated by the International Diplomatic Supplies and Chacalli De-Decker, suppliers of duty-free drinks and accessories to the Diplomatic community.

Other attractive prizes were presented to the Top Scorer of the tournament, Francis Williams; and Richard Obimpeh who was adjudged the Best Goalkeeper of the tournament, all of the Republican Football Club.

Prizes were also presented to all the six participating teams, organisers and match officials by Mrs. Marian Osei, wife of the High Commissioner, Mr. Kwabena Baah-Duodu, Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Morgan Brown, Minister-Counsellor (Administration) and Mr. Fritz Andoh, Minister-Counsellor (Information).

Others were Mr. Bernard Ampah, Chief Executive of OBE Television, Bishop Dr. Frimpong Manson of the Reconciliation International, Mr. Joe Twum

Barima, President of Ghana Secondary School Old Students Association and Mr. Nathan Kofi Boakye, Greater Accra Regional Commander of the Ghana Police.

Presenting the cup, Mr. Osei congratulated the teams for their spirit of sportsmanship and commended the organisers for their good work.

He reiterated the need for the clubs to use the tournament to build bridges within the Ghanaian community and foster co-operation and understanding among the sons and daughters of Ghana and other Africans in the diaspora.