The Deputy PRO of Ghana Police, has made an interesting revelation about clubs and their match day security arrangements - that clubs under declare expected numbers due to the associated cost for making security arrangements.
DSP Freeman Tettey, who spoke on last Saturday's Joy Sports Link, revealed that services rendered by his outfit for the clubs on match days are paid for.
"We don't have a problem with numbers at our end. It is rather the clubs. Sometimes they don't even tell us the truth about the numbers they expect at the stadia for specific games."
"Sometimes we even suggest to them that we can beef up with officers of some the other security services but they don't agree. They have to pay for our services so they tend to ask for lower figures," he said.
According to DSP Tettey, these reasons make it entirely wrong for the Police to be blamed for the lack of good policing at match centers in various tires of Ghana Football.
The past three weeks have seen various levels of incidents at match centers. across the country. Fans of Okwaku United were engaged in some violent acts in their Division One League game against King Solomon FC which the Okwawu lads lost by a lone goal.
Subsequently the President of Okwahu United, Brian Acheampong ordered the club to withdraw from the ongoing MTN FA Cup as disciplinary action seemed inevitable. But their withdrawal was rejected.
Earlier in the Ghana Premier League, the fans of Accra Hearts of Oak marred what was a beautiful game by throwing objects onto the pitch in their 1-3 loss to Wa All Stars. Hearts was hit with an initial close door ban of three matches and a cash fine of GHC 12,000, bans for two club officials.
In another incident, this time in the Women's League, the fans of Northern Ladies allegedly attacked the players of Ampen Darkoa Ladies. Northern Ladies trainer, Coach Bashir Deen, however denied any wrong doing on the part of his clubs fans, saying it was only an altercation between players of both sides.
Credit: Myjoyonline.com