Soccer News of Thursday, 4 November 2004

Source: GNA

Vipers apologise to match officials

Cape Coast Nov.4, GNA - The management of Cape Coast Venomous Vipers on Wednesday condemned the behaviour of some of their supporters who assaulted match officials after the club's Division One League match against Samartex at Cape Coast on Saturday, October 23.

Mr Kweku Tandoh, Chairman of the club in a statement issued in Cape Coast also apologised to the officials for the embarrassment caused them.

The statement however, denied that some of the officials and players of the club took part in the assault.

According to the statement, it was rather Shaibu Madugu, the club's coach and the secretary, Mr Joseph Mensah who during the incident rather went to the aid of referee J.A.Amenya and assistant referee Ibrahim Ashong and managed to send them to safety at the office of the Regional Sports Development Officer.

It would be recalled that during the incident, referee Amenya and his two assistants were subjected to severe beatings as a result of which assistant referee Sylvester Bonuedi collapsed and was rushed to the Central Regional Hospital for treatment.

Vipers won that encounter by two goals to nil but information gathered by the GNA Sports indicated that the supporters carried out their action as a retaliation over alleged attacks on by the home supporters of Samartex in their previous matches