Goldfield To Lose Three Points ?

The Disciplinary Committee of the Ghana Football Association has upheld the protest of Berekum Arsenals against Obuasi Goldfields Sporting Club for fielding an unqualified player in their first week Kinapharma Premier League match played at the Obuasi Len Clay Stadium.

A very reliable source at the FA told the Soccer Express that the Committee is yet to provide details of the decision and has communicated to both Goldfields and Arsenals that the details would be made available to them in the course of this week.

A copy of a letter sighted by the Soccer Express and signed by the Secretary to the Disciplinary Committee which announced the decision said "The Disciplinary Committee of the GFA at its meeting held at the GFA secretariat, Accra on 12/06/03 upheld your protest filed on 15th May 2003 against Goldfields SC for fielding an unqualified player in the person of Yaw Owusu in the 1st Week 2003 Kinapharma Premier League played at Obuasi on 11/05/03.

It was addressed to the Chairman of Berekum Arsenals and copied to Goldfields. Barring any appeals against the ruling by Goldfields, the club would appear to be in a fix and stand the imminent danger of losing six points in the suspended Kinapharma Premier League if the FA implements its own regulations to the letter.

From all indications, the FA cannot back out on implementing a decision of its own committee for the bad precedent and dangerous signals any twisting of the rules would set.

By the FA's own regulations and specifically Article 35 Clause 2, Goldfields having been found guilty of fielding an unqualified player are to be considered as having lost the match and accordingly three points and three goals are to be awarded Berekum Arsenals.

Further, by Clause 9 of the same Article, three points are to be deducted from the accumulated points of Goldfields, who currently have 9 points from the troubled 1st week home game, a draw each against Kotoko and Hearts in away games, a home win against Tano Bofoakwa and a home draw against Liberty Professionals.

Minus six points, Goldfields with three points would only be better on the league standings than Tano Bofoakwa and Stay Cool who have three points apiece but with inferior goals.

Conversely, Arsenals with eight points and currently lying at the eighth position would be occupying the third position with 11 points behind Hearts and Kotoko. Goldfields have a game in hand though against Sekondi Hasaacas in Sekondi.