Hearts at a time was run on few sponsorships and mostly donations from philanthropists
In football administration of hearts of Oak, it is prudent to put into perspective the different era in which the club transitioned. During the administration of Harry Zakour, his era was purely about three (3) points.
Here the attention and emphasis was not actually on infrastructure and player development. Harry Zakour and his management were focused and did what they could to win three points but were virtually bankrupt in infrastructural development.
Again, Zakour’s era was the era where both the traditional teams; Hearts and Kotoko were at their dominant period albeit with Hearts a little ahead of their chief rival Kotoko and this made it possible for hearts to dominate during Zakour’s era.
Let us also not lose sight of the fact that it was the same time Kotoko experienced its worse degeneration where at a point in time it became difficult for them to even raise a team for their matches.
Currently, many teams have moved up in terms of management and performance and are able not only to rub shoulders with the so called big teams but are doing better than them sometimes. A clubs like West African Football Academy (WAFA) have better facilities and good managerial structure hence is able to perform better.
Hearts at the time was run on few sponsorships and mostly donations from philanthropists. These people freely and willingly gave out money and other resources to support the team but the story is different now. Togbe Afede XIV is now expected to dish out money to run the club because he is the majority shareholder. But the question is how much was accrued from the flotation of the shares?
Recently the former Board member and lawyer for the club Mr. Ernest Thompson was alleged to have said on record that the flotation of the shares was a bad exercise because it yielded no result. This is because some of the club’s actual debts were converted to shares and this brought the club no profit.
The second question therefore is where will Togbe Afede XIV get the money to run the club? I believe many people will be tempted to say from his pocket. But what about the other shareholders? Why are they not seen and heard putting substantial money into the same club and for the benefit of the club?
It is so funny for those sitting on the fence to point accusing fingers at Togbe Afede XIV. Do they want Togbe Afede XIV to revive the club all alone so that they will enjoy the benefits thereof? The most annoying aspect of it is that even those who purchased shares without exchange of physical currency or cash but through converting of debt to shares will equally be beneficiaries without any liter of perspiration.
I don’t think anyone will advise his father or relative to commit all his resources into a venture owned by many people some of which are not willing to commit their very own resources into the venture but at the least opportunity run riot to the media knowing very well the prestigious Chief and prudent businessman Togbe Afede XIV will not respond let alone hire anyone to speak for him.
My simple advice to those who have made it a point to lambast Togbe Afede XIV at the least opportunity for not making the club viable is to sell off their shares if they are not ready to go through management procedure or the grievances channel but resort cheaply to the media.
A Senegalese proverb says when a mosquito lands on the testicles of a man; there he will know that there are better ways of resolving issues other than violence. These media outbursts are not the main or only solution but there must be other ways of resolving this issue especially if it is not personal.
Football has evolved so much that the club needs to be managed professionally before it can compete for honours at the highest level. This includes building facilities and infrastructure for both young and senior players, their development and so forth.
They come at a huge cost and pumping of resources hence all must come on board and contribute as shareholders, board members, management and true supporters to help lift the club from the quagmire it finds itself in and put it on a higher pedestal.
Pointing and blaming a single man for not committing his entire life savings into the club for certain shareholders who have sworn thunder and brimstone not to put their money into the club but itching to pounce on any eventual profit the club makes is not good enough.
Arise and build the club for the teeming supporters and football admirers to enjoy Ghana football in a new dimension.
