GHALCA takes over running of premier league in 2005

Accra, Oct. 10, GNA - The Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) said in a statement on Friday that it will take over the running of the Premier league from 2005.

It has subsequently, asked the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Professional League Board to be mindful of the decision when entering into any sponsorship agreement for the 2004 soccer season. The statement said members of GHALCA unanimously endorsed an earlier proposal at a meeting at the Wangara Hotel in on Thursday, having been sufficiently briefed by a three-man delegation that toured South Africa on a fact-finding mission.

To ensure a successful take off, the association has put in place three committees, legal and institutional framework, finance and technical and marketing, sponsorship and public relations. The statement said the committees are expected to submit their first draft for discussions by the end of October, this year.

GHALCA to constitute a body to run league

Accra, Oct 10, GNA - The Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) will from next year, constitute a body made up of influential people with the necessary clout to attract sponsorship in view of taking over the running of the premier league from 2005.

In an interview with the GNA Sports, Mr Kudjoe Fianoo, Administrative Manager of GHALCA said the new body, which will be independent, would focus mainly on ways to develop the league and make it more interesting.

He said GHALCA arrived at the decision because the present Professional League Board (PLB) under the ambit of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has not been independent.

"The Chairman and Secretary of the PLB are both members and staff of the GFA; and this prepares enough grounds for conflict of interest, which allows for interference that does not augur well for the image of the PLB", Mr Fianoo said.

"It is our hope that when we start running an independent league, the embarrassing spectacle that happened when the GFA chairman unilaterally decided to declare the 17th-week matches outstanding without recourse to the PLB will be a thing of the past", he said. Mr Fianoo said the takeover has become necessary in order to save the league's image from being tarnished by the recent political polarisation of Ghana football.

He said presently, the way the GFA is being dragged up and down by stakeholders does not create the needed enabling environment for any sponsor to put his money into the game hence, the need for a fresh start.

Mr Fianoo said the league has been going on for 10 years now, which is enough for proper evaluation to be made as to whether our football is facing a bright or bleak future.

"Judging from the way things have been done, it is evidently clear that our league has been burdened with a lot of bottlenecks that have forced the GFA to seek an extension of the date for filing names for the country's continental representatives", he said.

The administrative manager said one of the bottlenecks are that the PLB has no accounts of their own and have to depend on the National Sports Council, which delays payment of clubs share of gate proceeds after matches.

GHALCA, an association formed by league clubs to seek their welfare, said members have unanimously endorsed the takeover at a meeting at the Wangara Hotel in Accra on Thursday, having been sufficiently briefed by a three-man delegation that toured South Africa on a fact-finding mission.

The association has also constituted three committees, legal and institutional framework, finance and technical and marketing, sponsorship and public relations to ensure a successful takeover. The committees are expected to submit their first draft for discussions by the end of October, this year.

It is worth noting however, before GHALCA could takeover, the GFA would have to amend its constitution.