GBL compensates GHALCA

THE Ghana Breweries Ltd (GBL) has presented ?200m to the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) as compensation for the sudden withdrawal of their sponsorship for the Premier League, a GHALCA source has revealed.

The GBL, which had sponsored the premier soccer league for the past seven years, withdrew from the deal at the last minute leaving the GFA to consider other offers, notably from Guinness Ghana Limited.

With the late withdrawal of GBL?s sponsorship, the current league has been run without any sponsorship forcing the clubs to rely on other means to finance their programmes. The inconvenience the situation caused the FA and the 16 clubs, therefore necessitated a call for compensation from GBL.

The GBL?s sponsorship for last year?s league was worth ?850m and the GFA?s decision to consider other offers was intended to get a better deal for the nation?s number one sport.

In that bid, a ?1b contract was tabled before Guinness Ghana Ltd., sponsors of the pre-season gala competition, but that deal also fell through. According to the GHALCA source, the FA decided not to take its share of the amount, enabling the clubs to share the ?200m among themselves.

This, the source said, was because the FA understood the financial difficulties the clubs found themselves in.