Soccer News of Wednesday, 30 January 2002

Source: GNA

"Home team take all" killing competition in league - Dr Frimpong

Dr Felix Frimpong, Board Chairman of Okwawu United, has recommended the abolishment of the "home team takes all policy" to stop the league from turning into a two-team league.

Speaking to the GNA Sports on Monday, Dr Frimpong said the policy seemed to have been designed to favour the two big clubs, Hearts and Kotoko, who have at their disposal state owned stadiums to "reap money at the expense of the smaller clubs."

"We the smaller clubs are being made to work for the big clubs since we do not have the facilities of the sizes that they are using hence the little we make from gate proceeds is not enough to ensure our survival".

"How do you expect a small deprived club from the north with limited resources to come to Accra after camping its boys and paying their allowances to survive under this situation."

He said this situation does not make economic sense therefore "if the authorities want to see a more interesting and open league with every competing team having an equal chance of winning the league then the earlier such a negative policy is done away with the better for Ghana soccer."

Dr Frimpong said the Ghana Football Association is giving the impression that it does not have the plight of the smaller clubs at heart hence the numerous calls by clubs to have this policy repealed have gone unheeded.

He said to ensure that football develops, the authorities should come out with policies that would ensure that the little resources of clubs are used for the development of the game rather than on recurrent expenditure.

Dr Frimpong said a team like Okwawu has no facility to write home about, the fencing is not good; security is poor on match days whiles the National Sports Council seemed not to care.

In the face of all these problems, Dr Frimpong was optimistic of the chances of his team in the up-coming league season promising supporters of a new Okwawu United.