Deputy Sports Minister Pius Enam Hadzide has bemoaned dwindling crowds at Ghana Premier League matches.

He believes the chief reason has been the fallen standard of play.

''We the people and spectators, our failure to go to the stadium, is the number one cause of the league’s failure,'' Hadzide said during the launch of the Ghana: 60 Years on President’s Cup” in Accra.

''The last time, I watched a Hearts-Kotoko match in the stadium, I was not too happy that they still had empty seats at the stadium”.

''We should be proud of what we have; the enthusiasm that we show in the foreign leagues; the EPL, the Spanish La Liga, the Italian Serie A, if we showed half of that same interest in our own local league, I can assure you we will go places.

“…we must fill our league centres for all outstanding league matches; the teams must make money to pay the players well, that is the only way that we can improve the standard of the local league.''