B.A United Agree To Play-Off

The Ghana Football Association may be living dangerously following the hordes of court threats it receives nearly on a daily basis bordering on matters to do with the 2003 Premier League; it is however wading through the problems even if at tortoise speed.

The latest to give the struggling FA some lease of life is Brong Ahafo United Football Club, who are rescinding an earlier threat to test the lawfulness or otherwise of decisions taken against the club by the FA.


Club Chairman and former international, George Arthur, Thursday told the Soccer Express that the club would accept the final league table issued by the FA and honour the mandatory play off against Bibiani Gold Stars at the Accra Sports Stadium on Wednesday.


The acceptance, however, has been decided with a pinch of salt, for the club says it is highly disappointed with the performance of the FA and are fed up with its antics.


George Arthur said the club is aware that the FA?s constitution, rules and regulations frown on clubs going to court over matters of football, but it is not happy with certain decisions taken against the club, which create the impression that managers of the game are toying with its future.


He said those decisions complained about, including the FA?s decision to declare the club losers in a league match they won against Berekum Arsenals have culminated in the club?s current predicament in needing to engage in a play off to confirm their continued stay in the premiership.


"But we shall honour the play off and hopefully we shall win to shame those who think certain clubs must be destroyed. Come to think of it, why should our two clubs travel all the way to Accra to honour the play off when the Kumasi stadium would be more convenient for the two clubs? Are we managing anything properly?" George Arthur queried.

Arthur said the FA and the Ministry must sit up and correct the sordid image of Ghana football otherwise it would not be too long when it sinks totally, arguing that it could be only a few individuals in offices of responsibility who could be dragging the name of the sport in the mud.


"A lot of the decisions emanating from the corridors of the FA amounts to cheating and if we really were interested in going to court and damning the consequences, we could have done that over the Arsenals matter."


United would be engaging in the third play off in its history after failed attempts in ?95 and ?99.


In 1995 when the previously national first division league had become a professional league, United then in the premiership of 12 clubs engaged division one side and rivals Bofoakwa Tano in a national play off and lost out on penalties in a gruelling match officiated by referee Joseph Wellington.


Then came 1999 when United, then in division one, had to play Obuasi Goldfields also in a play off match officiated by referee Alex Quartey in Koforidua. United again lost the match 2:1 after taken the lead.


Perhaps this is the time to rewrite history but against a determined Gold Stars who have been preparing for this game since December when the national middle league ended, it looks like yet another uncompromising game is on hand.