We have no contract with clubs - Crystal TV

Kumasi-based Crystal TV, holders of media rights to the Premier League and other lower leagues say they are unperturbed by the decision of the Ghana League Clubs Association (Ghalca) to disassociate themselves from the rights contract with the Ghana Football Association.

Crystal TV say they will not respond to the resolution of Ghalca last Friday because they have no contractual arrangement with Ghalca.

Seth Dumoga, Legal Advisor to Crystal TV told the Soccer Express yesterday that they received Ghalca’s resolution last Friday but were totally unperturbed. "After the receipt of Ghalca’s resolution we wrote to the FA reminding them of our obligations as per the contract and our determination to perform according to the provisions of the contract."

Dumoga said last Sunday Crystal TV recorded some league matches and ran radio commentary from several league venues. Asked why there was no live telecast he said Crystal had no plans of screening any match live last Sunday but stated that the station will seek legal redress should Ghalca go ahead to prevent its operatives from covering any league match.

The Crystal TV spokesman said all his station wanted to achieve was to bring the game to the people who had no access to TV3 coverage and wondered why so much hullabaloo had been raised about rights that have since independence been offered for free to media houses.

Dumoga said Ghalca’s stance was odd especially after they had been given free airtime which could be used to woo sponsors for an otherwise cash-strapped league.

Meanwhile FA Chairman, Ben Koufie says his outfit is doing everything to resolve the latest complication.

Koufie lamented the overexposure of the rights issue and said if care was not taken the confusion may scare potential sponsors away. He said Crystal had so far shown goodwill and was hopeful that any existing differences would be resolved as soon as practicable.

Credit: www.GhanaSoccer.Net (Soccer Express)

GOLDFIELDS LOSE AGAIN

Obuasi Goldfields have suffered what appears to be a final blow at the hands of the Appeals Committee of the Ghana Football Association in their bid to overturn what they thought were injustices handed them in the on going Premier League.

While the Appeals Committee threw out Goldfields case against the ruling of the Disciplinary Committee to penalise them in their use of Yaw Owusu against Berekum Arsenals during their Week One league encounter at the Len Clay stadium, the Disciplinary Committee also dismissed a protest by Goldfields to penalise Berekum Arsenals for fielding an alleged unqualified player in the person of Anthony Osei also in the said match.

While the Appeals Committee rejected Goldfields’ appeal for a review of the decision deducting as much as three points and three goals as well as declaring them losers in the match they won by a lone goal as lacking merit, the Disciplinary Committee also refused to hear Goldfields’ protest to get Arsenals punished for featuring Anthony Osei, also a player of Arsenals but who Goldfields are arguing belongs to Kumasi-based Neoplan Stars.

According to the committee, Goldfields failed to file the protest within stipulation hence the dismissal.