The Ghana Referees Association (RAG) has described Mr George Amoako’s reference to Mr Wilson Sey as a village referee, as very unfortunate.

A spokesman of the RAG who bargained for anonymity said such comments negate sportsmanship could derail the developmental goals of Ghana football.

In an interview with the GNA, the official said, the referee of the said match, is one of the most experienced Class one referees around, having been a class one for the past 10 years and has a degree from University College of Education, Winneba.

The source said, Class one referee status is the highest position a referee can attain in the country and that the only difference between a FIFA badged is that the latter can handle matches outside the walls of the country.

“At the moment, the country has only seven FIFA referees which cannot go round all the league centres, meaning that we have to rely on the class referees who are equally good or even better than some of the FIFA badged ones.

“Class one referees, have handled many Hearts and Kotoko matches including last years encounter which Hearts won without any blemish and no one complained.

He said in the May nine match, none of the players complained about the winning goal Hearts scored but both teams congratulated each other at the end of the match.”

He added that the incident that generated the violence happened after the match.

The source said many of the big European and South American countries like Britain and Germany have 10 FIFA referees each, which supposes that every time there is a big match a FIFA badge referee must be at the centre of affairs, a situation which is impossible to attain.

Asked if the changing of referees for the match on two occasions and the consequent choice Wilson Sey by lottery suspicion among supporters that officiating would not be fair on that day, the source said that problem should be laid at the door steps of the Ghana Football Association (GFA).

He said it was the GFA, which rejected the first choice of referees appointment by the committee for the match.

“FIFA rules forbid a referee from giving reasons to any decision taken during a match and that has forced most of them to keep quite on the decisions they take.

“The rules also insulate the referee from any action that goes on outside the field of play, be it violent or not and FIFA can take punitive action only if it affects play.”

He urged all those who wish Ghana soccer to develop to refrain from comments that are likely to bring the game into disrepute.