- We?ll Play The Game In Court

What was expected to end the drama of troubles over the premiership relegation exercise has rather opened up a worm box on the tables of the GFA following its decision not to contest the High Court ruling on the Valentine Atem case.

Minutes after the GFA made that profound statement public, strong voices emerged from within the ranks of premier league representatives, questioning the FA?s moral standing over how it lost the Atem case in court and the precedence it holds for the local game.

The GFA finally released the league table for the 2003 season last Wednesday, acknowledging that ?the FA has decided not to appeal against the decision of the High Court? and in consequence restored Goldfields? 12 points. But the decision has shot up the heart beat of certain clubs who have expressed repugnance at the court action and subsequent ruling, as well as the GFA?s ?strange aproach? to the matter.

One of these clubs is B. A. United, which followed up its verbal misgivings with a stern letter thretening the FA with court action if the High Court ruling was allowed to stand.The letter signed by club chairman, George Arthur, and handed to the GFA last Monday stated in categorical terms that B. A. United would also seek legal redress against the FA if the Disciplinary Committee?s decision on the Atem case was turned.

Also contemplating similar action are Mine Stars, effectively relegated as a result of the ruling. This intent, according to a source within the club, is fetched from the GFA?s own regulations that frown on court actions by clubs. Indeed, Article 18 of the GFA constitution deems clubs to have withdrawn from the league in the event of their resort to court on football matters.

Yet, it is this points that provides both B. A. and Mine Stars enough cause to ?follow the precedence permitted by the GFA?. Goldfields themselves, perhaps informed by the consequence, wrote to the GFA denying any interest in the Atem case filed in Cape Coast by a football fan.

That was enough grounds to prompt the court to quash the case but ?the GFA for strange reasons, and with its cream of legal brains, failed to exploit this opportunity,? argued the Mine Stars source.

The whereabouts of Goldfields? letter remains in mystery, causing further agitation within these clubs about the real intentions of the GFA.B. A. United were themselves victims of a Disciplinary Committee decision. They lost six points following a case brought gainst them by Arsenas.

Moreover the club is most affected by the current development. Following the court ruling, B. A. United have dropped to the 14th place on the league table and have been matched against Gold Stars in the play-off to decide the last team of the premiership while Goldfields petch comfortably in sixth position.

The club is yet to win a play-off, which might explain their disgust at the decision. In fact, in 1995 on the introduction of the play-off and then in 1999, B. A. lost to Bofoakwa and Goldfields respectively and were relegated in consequence to the lower division league.

Goldfields lost those 12 points as a result of decisions by the FA?s Disciplinary Committee following actions brought against the club by Accra Great Olympics and RTU. The Committee ruled that the registration of Camerounian Valebtine Atem by Goldfields was void since, in the view of the Committee, the player did not have a work permit at the time of his registration.