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How traditional are our clubs?

Wed, 4 Jul 2007 Source: 90 Minutes Newspaper

SIX weeks away from the local scene is quite a while. For the fans of the various teams featured, it has been time well spent at least from the feedback of regular readers. The clubs featured were Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid. It wasn't an exercise in futility since the acquisition of Abidal by Barcelona was to correct the gaping hole on the left side of the team that I spoke extensively about. As the weeks go by, regular readers would notice how these teams would strengthen their teams along the lines intimated by yours truly.

Whilst I was away, the ill-timed but entertaining GHALCA Top 4 tournament kept fans busy. Our Starlets continued to disappoint us. The discordant Satellites made heavy weather of their appearance at the prestigious Toulon tournament. The Black Meteors are still struggling to find their form but I believe in the Meteors team and only pray that the right players are selected. We in this country have prided ourselves in having two traditional clubs Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak. Across the continent, some of the traditional clubs are Cote D'ivoire (Asec and Africa Sports), Cameroon (Canon Yaoundé and Union Douala), Guinea (Hafia club), Congo DR (Englebert), Egypt (initially Ismailia but lately Al Ahly and Zamelek), Nigeria is quite odd in this sense from Stationery Stores FC, Shooting Stars, Enugu Rangers and Bendel Insurance to the new kids on the block, Enyimba. None of the above clubs are really traditional in Nigeria.

The question is what makes a club traditional? Tradition simply put, is a particular way of doing things that has existed for a long time among a particular group of people. The key words are long period and a particular way of doing things. In terms of longevity, Hearts of Oak, Eleven Wise, Asante Kotoko, Hasaacas would qualify as traditional clubs. For Hearts, they can even be compared favourably with clubs in Europe and South America. (FIFA's history of football recognizes this fact). Their centenary would be with us soon and I wonder what kind of history would be written.

It is with the second part of the definition that I have problems with a particular way of doing things. A team identity starts with their colours and for that matter, the jerseys. In this respect, Kotoko have done relatively better than Hearts. I grew up to watch Hearts of Oak in their almost iconic white jersey with red, yellow and blue across the front. Hearts won memorable matches in this jersey and alongside, they wore the red with two yellow vertical stripes in front (still used by the team). The last jersey was similar to Blackburn's (Blue & White) but instead it's red and yellow. However, over the years, the team has worn several variations of the rainbow colours. Surely viewers across Africa would never be able to recognize the Phobians without a caption or commentary. The lowest point was when in their finest hour in 2000, Hearts chose to wear a strange blue jersey that had not been previously seen before and has since never been seen again. The reason for the use of the “strange” and “unapproved” stripes had nothing to do with football. The earlier the team settles on a first choice or home strip the better it will be for them in terms of image.

Kotoko have done better in this regard. As far as I can remember they have been in red (all red home or 1st choice strips). However, they have worn some strange colours before. In 1979, after suffering five straight defeats at the hands of Hearts and with information supposedly supplied by Seth Ampadu who had just joined them from Hearts, they wore yellow jerseys with black shorts without the emblem of the porcupine on their chest. Somehow they won the game 2-1 (a match fondly remembered by Gyabaah). Again in their finest hour in 1983 with the African cup beckoning, Kotoko, the home team decided to wear white long sleeved jerseys with thin red stripes over red shorts - Incidentally this was the jersey that “rescued” them from Cara at the 1/8th stage and also because the famous red jersey had “failed” in 1982.

In Europe, clubs are almost synonymous with their jerseys (at least the 1st choice or home strips). Ajax Amsterdam has been wearing their famous white and red jersey well over sixty years. The quality of the jersey may have improved but the colour and design have remained the same. The white jersey was so synonymous with Real Madrid that clubs like Leeds United in England had to copy them. The same can be said of Liverpool - red, Juventus black & white, AC Milan red & black, Barcelona's blue & red etc.

To be considered traditional, a club's history must be well told. How many of the current fans of Kotoko remember the last time they won the Cup in 1983? How many have seen the recording or even pictures of the game? How many of the current players have seen the past great players before? Thus how do you imbibe them with the porcupine spirit? Words may not be enough. How many of the current players have had the opportunity to watch past great games featuring the club? In 1983, courtesy Mr. Allen Gyimah (our game misses people like him), Mondays after Kotoko African cup matches, his Video City at Laterbiokoshie was filled with fans who couldn't go to Kumasi to watch the games live. Sometimes even five days on, i.e. on Fridays, Video City was still filled with fans. The current management must contact him urgently for the tapes to convert them to DVDs for the young ones. I have said before that our teams require Hall of Fames or museums as soon as possible.

For Hearts of Oak, it would have been nice to watch the fearsome fivesome on DVDs but I don't know how that is going to be possible. But luckily for Hearts their greatest achievements are recent but yet how many of their fans have watched the Champions League final again? The same applies to their new players. Video tapes and VCDs were made and “sold” at the club's secretariat but instead of making a memorable documentary to include interview, training sessions, all that you get is the game. How sad if local film producers can market “Kyeiwaa Part 3” and sell five thousand copies, why can't Hearts sell twenty thousand copies of such DVDs. Can you imagine the money that would accrue the club? This topic would be revisited.