It was a great deal of excitement that embraced the communique from the Ministry of youth and sports giving the greenlight to the return of spectators to various match venues to enjoy live match life again.
Spectators are one of the key driving spices in the game of football and sports therefore anything short of them, like their absence at sporting events as we have witnessed in this period of the coronavirus disease, casts a huge strain on the game. The waves of joy that swept across the footballing circles metaphorically can be akin to the long-awaited arrival of a groom by a bride as fans called into TV and radio sports shows to communicate their delight.
Obviously, since the advent of covid19 in Ghana last year, sporting activities in all aspects have not been spared off the vagaries of the disease. However, with the measures and mechanisms put forth by government, Ghana has been named among the few countries to have stood up to the task of handling the corona virus disease.
To this end, we can say the efforts towards combating the virus is yielding considerable results. It is on the back of this gradual progress in the fight against the covid19 why the government, Ministry of youth and sports and other stakeholders upon several deliberations have given permission for fans to return to the various league centres to watch both domestic and international competitions.
Notwithstanding the exciting nature of the directive, it was without a few cautions that will have to be followed accordingly charging the Ghana football association to put in place mechanisms to ensure games are played in a safe environment to ensure safety of spectators.
Whilst this is expected to salvage something from the prevailing financial challenges, it is instructive for clubs to be discipline to ensure strict adherence of the covid19 protocols to avoid any future reversal of the directive by government which has the propensity to compound their already existential financial problems. It is also understandable that over the long period of deprivation owing to the circumstances surrounding the deadly corona virus, fans have endured some amount of football hunger and thirst however, this should not be an avenue for exchange of precious lives for them.
It behoves the clubs and its supporters to fully comply with the 25% directive of that particular match venue. They must eschew any act of indiscipline or stubbornness and greediness that will further endanger the game of football and lives at stake. When your hand is in someone’s mouth you don’t slap his skull.
In fact, their actions and inactions therefore ought to be in cognisance of the safety protocols and safety of the spectators especially the social distance rule which clubs at a point in the first round were flouting when permission was granted to them to admit a section of fans. Certain clubs even allowed the entry of fans against the rules of disallowance.
In many parts of the world like England, Germany, Spain and France still have their fans at home so this should be a substantial sense of delight and the efforts by government in navigating these challenging times. Twenty five percent is better than none.
Additionally, as supporters make a return, one key thing we cannot act as ostriches to is crowd violence. Referees being subjected to physical assault, coaches coming under supporter’s attack and also the acts vandalism must be confronted head on.
These are the things over the period that have not yielded to the growth of the game. Security of officiating officials and the team officials must be the topmost priority of the football association. Incidents such as the ones we witnessed during Elmina Sharks and Medeama, the Womanafo rampage where referees were beating to pulp, the allegations of threats on referees in a match between Berekum Chelsea and Legon Cities at the Dormaa Park just to list a few calls for strategic plans in clamping down these police. We cannot act oblivious to some of these degrading and barbaric acts and expect our game to develop. The police must be up to the task of their core mandate in maintaining law order.
The incessant mentioning of the police as in not standing up to their task in the full glare of these violences smack of bad image and disrespect for the men in uniform. This life-threatening violence must not be allowed to fester. We cannot lose lives to covid19 and also lose lives to crowd violence.
Appropriate mechanism must be enacted to crack down on these miscreants and trouble makers at match venues.
Journalists will have to reinforce their advocacy of the protocols and the need for discipline to make this new directive sustainable. The education for sanity ought also to be at its zenith.
The dream of full-scale supporters back at match venues will only be realized when we go strictly by the rules. Stay safe, observe all the protocols and may the Lord help us to defeat this oppressor called Coronavirus.
By Nana Yaw Bimpeh
