Arsenal, Bofo Supporters To Stage Massive Demo

Supporters of the two premier clubs in Brong Ahafo Region would soon hit streets in protest against what they describe as discrimination against the smaller clubs in terms of media coverage.

The spokesperson for the leadership of the two supporters groups, Agya Osei wondered why the media has been silent on the sterling performance of Berekum Arsenal in the ongoing GT premiership.

Contributing to the SUPERSPORT programme on a Sunyani-based SPACE FM, the visibly angry Osei catalogue instances where certain performances of Bofakwa and Arsenal should have attracted front page headlines in Sports papers. ?How can the media ignore Bofoakwa?s 4-0 walloping of Real Tamale United. Where were their camera?s, pens and recorders?? he fumed.

The group particularly accused Ghana Television of not showing excerpts of Arsenal and Bofoakwa matches in the popular sports programme, SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS. ?If the GT Sponsorship money was fairly and equally distributed to all the sixteen clubs irrespective of the size of the club, why do you discriminate when it comes to broadcasting which is part of the package?? they argued.

According to Agya Osei, the supporters would be compelled to take harsh decisions if the trend was not reversed. When the host of the programme, Dickson Kwabena Kyere Stuggard probed further, he said demonstrations and barring of certain media houses from covering their matches could be some of the actions they would take.

When the Chairman of Berekum Arsenal, Alhaji Yakubu Moro was reached to find out the impact of the situation of his team, he said it has contributed to low morale among the supporters of the club.

He added that the supporters of the club residing outside Berekum have been denied the opportunity to watch the exploits of their darling club. ?One would hear about the smaller clubs only when they play against Kotoko or Hearts. This is unfair?, he lamented.

Meanwhile, a survey conducted by SPACE FM pointed out that this injustice affect the players of the smaller clubs negatively when it comes to selection into national teams. Many good players who would have loved to play for these clubs decide otherwise because playing for them means staying in the dark. It would be recalled that the chairman of GHALCA, Mr. J. Y Appiah once had a cause to question the criteria for selection of players into our youth teams.