Hearts urge referees to protect star players

Defending league champions, Accra Hearts of Oak, have expressed satisfaction about the excitement and competitiveness of the ongoing premier league.

A statement signed by Mr Ashford Tettey Oku, Administrative Manager of the club, noted that although the non-spnosored league is only four weeks old, “indications so far from all stakeholders- the Ghana Football Association (GFA), the Professional League Board (PLB), referees and fans point to a clean and fair season.”

It said spectatoring has been excellent in terms of attendance and comportment, believing that the FA’s threat to prosecute lawless fancs appear to be doing the trick. Hearts, however, called for the educational drive to be intensified “so as to reduce to the barest minimum any indiscretions from fans.”

The club also commended the referees for raising their performance to high notches, “however, there is more room for improvement and hopefully they will arrive.” What, perhaps, Hearts were not least enthused about was the fact that star players were not being protected enough.

It said it takes a lot of drive and effort to convince the fans to the stadium as well as keeping alive the interest of other stakeholders, thus, it’s very important to protect star players, who pull the crowd to the centres. “A league bereft of stars is not worth its name and, if fortunately the spirit is coming back, it behoves the referees to ensure that nothing is done to take us back to the old days, since they are also beneficiaries from qualitative league.”

“Some of the matches we have watched so far this season at the Accra Stadium have produced very brutal and career threatening tackles, one of which led to an unsporting knee-jerk reaction which was justifiably punished by expulsion, as in the case of Charles Taylor,” the statement added.

It observed that Articles from the FIFA-MARC (FIFA Medical Assessment and Research Centre) provides enough insight to subjects like head and brain injuries, and possible long-term changes to cerebral functions after repetitive injuries among others.

The statement observed that the only way stars can be kept is embedded in one of FIFA-MARC reports that referees should ensure fairplay and strict enforcement of the laws of the game as key factors for the reduction and prevention of injuries.