Osu Stand's Capacity to Be Reduced

The Osu Stand at the Accra Sports Stadium would have its sitting capacity slashed by 25 percent in line with the recommendations of the Presidential Commission on the May 9 stadium disaster.

The Presidential Commission headed by Mr Sam Okudzeto probed the causes of the disaster that ended the lives 126 people when Accra Hearts of Oak played Kumasi Asante Kotoko in a premier league match. The commission was also mandated to provide solutions to avert future occurrences.


Speaking to the GNA Sports, Brigadier George Brock, Chief Executive of the National Sports Council (NSC) said he has directed all clubs who use the stadium to comply with the directive by reducing ticket sales by the stipulated percentage.


He said the directive is among others issued by Mr. Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, Minister for Presidential Affairs' office, which also includes the setting up of health posts at the stadiums, the removal of barbed wires and perimeter fences inside the stadium.


"I have started implementing some of the directives by removing all the barbed wires, which I intend sending to Tema and Nkawkaw Sports Stadiums, since both places have become notorious for wall scaling during matches.


"For the removal of the inner perimeter, I would ask for further

clarification since what happens in countries like England cannot be easily replicated here due to differences in or cultural settings."


He said that the removal of the barbed wires has created another problem as fans jump from the Popular Stand to the Osu Stand, making nonsense of the whole idea of cutting down on the capacity there.


"During Hearts of Oak-Real Tamale United outstanding league match, I envisaged this and sent more policemen to that spot but they could not control the tide and had to retreat."


Asked whether he knew the capacity of the Osu Stand, Brigadier Brock said it is difficult since the lower section of the stand has no fixed seats thereby making any figure speculative.


He said to remedy this, the NSC has contacted the firm that fixed the plastic chairs "but the problem there is that FIFA, the game's controlling body has specific heights for concrete slabs before seats are affixed in order to prevent fans from cramping."

"We are looking at the possibility of raising the seats to the required


heights before the chairs are fitted. "This would be done in Kumasi too."


"For the Health Post, I have already set up a committee, of which I am the chairman and we have chosen the offices of Arab Contractors, who renovated the stadium as the most suitable place." On stewards, Brigadier Brock said presently the NSC does not have enough staff to go round to be stewards so he intends to contract some of the Saint John Ambulance personnel for that purpose.