Soccer News of Thursday, 6 January 2011

Source: GNA

PLB troubled by lack of League patronage

Accra, Jan. 6, GNA - The lack of patronage of the local League has sent the Premier League Board (PLB) troubled as the second round of the Premiership beckons.

Attendance at League matches has hit all time low and the PLB has highlighted the trend as a major challenge going into the second half of the season ending in May.

Welbeck Abra-Appiah, Chairman of the PLB told GNA Sports that "all the initiatives taken in the past to promote attendance at matches have so far not yielded the desired impact."

He also attributed the situation to lack of star attraction in the Premiership and tasked the Clubs to fashion out ways of creating and making stars of their players for the sustenance of the competition.

"I want to tell the Clubs that they can make and build stars and they must make an effort towards that. We are also looking at new options including a proposal to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to help maintain the football stars for some time."

The PLB boss told GNA Sports the GFA and the Clubs must consider the organization of transportation to and fro on match days to serve as motivation and incentive to urge on the supporters to patronize matches at the stadiums.

"Apart from the fact that electronics and technology has made it easy for fans to enjoy other leagues on television and mobile phones; others fail to go to the stadium because of proximity to transport stations and such innovation could motivate the supporters."

The Clubs should also embark on a programme to educate their supporters on the rules of the game to reduce or minimize the rowdyism, hooliganism and attacks on match officials, he added.