Below is a transcribed version of a one-on-one interview between the former chain of the Ghana Premier League Board Welbeck Abra-Appiah and his successor Ashford Tettey Oku on GSMA platform.
The former boss hosted his successor in an educative and informative interaction which was later applauded by the members of the group.
Kindly take note of the following: *AA* = Abra-Appiah *TT* = Ashford Tettey Oku *GSMA* = A question or contribution from a member.
Hope you enjoy the session.
Here we go with the Q$A
*AA* TT, as part of our education and dissemination of information through this laudable platform, please try and address the following few general questions for the benefit of our enthusiastic football fans
First and foremost, accept my congratulations, referring to your good self and your PLB Team, for ending the year's football calendar successfully.
*AA* How do you find yourself, now that you are in the chair and not as a Vice?
*TT* Thank Chairman for the question. It's been very very exciting, interesting and challenging but tgat has always been part of human nature. In life, you get the head wins and you must go through and win the tail wins. It's been very very exciting and I know that I am not going to disappoint based on a number of factors. Having come through as a PLB member and then as vice chairman, and now the chairman of the board. You know our job is already cut out by the statutes of the FA, I think Article 68 thereof, and we try as much as possible to work within that ambit. The important thing is tgat, just as you thought us, we must be very fair and firm and with the collective support of my colleague members of the board, we are doing just that. It is for which reason that you don't here of any biases and those kind of things. We will remain very firm and resolute in the discharge of our duties as the PLB. Thank you.
*GSMA* People are now calling for 20 clubs league next season, will the PLB consider it in their next meeting?
*TT* It's a very interesting proposal and has been doing the rounds for a very long time. But if you look at the statutes of the FA and per the mandate of the PLB, we run a 16-club league, declare one champion and relegate three down. That is the extent to which we can go. Anything that will suggest a 16-plus league will have to come from the FA through Congress and all the approved processes and procedures of the FA. So for now, I limit myself to the 16-club league but if and when it is tgat it should be anything else, then probably it must come from the FA through other consultations. But then far from boring you, we have declared our champions and far from any other legal tussles, three will go down. Thanks
*AA* TT, are you getting the appropriate support you require from the various Committees of the GFA, as well as from your Board members?
*TT* It's a human institution (The GFA and PLB) so you have the human frailties and imperfections but I believe that so fat so good. The support from colleague board members has been forthcoming as regards with other committees, we've had a very wonderful working relationship. Especially when you relate it directly to the Club Licensing Board, the Match Review Panel, the DC and AC which are directly connected to our league, I think it's been a very wonderful experience and personal interactions. A few other times we agreed on what to do for the betterment of Ghana football. A case for instance is the engagement between the Club Licensing Board and the PLB regarding New Edubiase's return to the Bekwai Gyamfi Park. These are some of the issues we've cooperated and have been able to do something positive. But we still need to improve a lot more in terms of our relationship and development processes.
*GSMA* As premier league board how will u rate this year's league , what were some of the challenges u encountered? What are some of the good things too ?
*TT* I think it's been very exciting, stressful and competitive season. You look at where we started from with a few uncertainties including the status of Techiman City, the sudden withdrawal of the sponsorship of First Capital Plus and a possible legal threat from a Tema based fan. It was quite difficult and those are the issues I call the head wins. But when it is that we were able to out all these things behind us and also appreciated the fact that every misfortune is a blessing, the prolonged undue delay of the league had a positive impact on the league. It enabled the FA to have enough time to organise seminars for coaches, club administrators, and the media, we were ready to take off and right from day one, we've gone through and very successful season. Yes we've had our highlights and low points but I'll like to talk about the highlights. This is our product and therefore we have to make sure that we brand it very well. ☆From day 1 to day 29, it was a tupsy-turvy situation as to who is winning the league and till match day 30, we didn't know which side's were being relegated apart from New Edubiase. ☆We can and so talk about the sensational comebacks and the stunning goals. Kwasi Donsu's magnificent free kicks, Bright Adjei's goals that won the CNN goals of the week, goalkeeper Philimon McCarthy scoring all the way from his post, the multiple braces and hat tricks, the Super Monday clash between Kotoko and Hearts, the consistency of the fixtures etc ☆You look at patronage and attendance, it was massive. It is only in Accra and Kumasi that people talked about low attendance. But checking from Cape Coast, Dormaa, Techiman, Berekum, Sogakope, Bechem, Wa, etc, attendance wasn't bad. And recording the highest amount of gate proceeds from a single football match than any other sporting evenT in the country is really commendable. ☆The spread of talents across the nation and the discovery of many budding talents and if we are able to retain them, our league will be super next season. These are some of the highlights.
*AA* Chairman, what are some of the few innovations you have brought into the Premier League this last year?
*TT* Innovations are meant to improve situations. ☆One thing we did initially was to reward whoever scored the first goal of the season when the league took off and Charles Boateng of WAFA was given a ball and a pair of football shoes for scoring the first goal of the season as on. ☆Maxwell Baako of Wa All Stars was also given the same reward for scoring the first brace of the season. And this encouraged goal scoring. ☆Saddick Adams of Berekum Chelsea was also rewarded for resuscitating Asiwome Fumador when he collapsed in the first game at Techiman. ☆In the past complimentary cards were issued by the NSA but the PLB has assumed total control of the complimentary cards for all matches except the Presidential Box. ☆There was a seminar at Alisa Hotel for club administrators and another at UPS after the break to equip the administrators with modern trends of club management. With time, we will do more.
*AA* Congratulations for bringing the fans back to the various stadia, especially during the first round of the season. What accounted for this and how can you sustain it?
*TT* Bringing the fans to the various stadia has not been easy and where we are now is even not the optimum. We still have and lot to do. In the training of the club administrators, they were made to understand that without the media, their efforts will be in vain and must see the media as allies, to rebrand, to appreciate the value of social media and the appointment of a PRO for the PLB to market the league, I think we ve done so well especially when u take into consideration that the were no headline sponsors. And then the tremendous contribution of the sporting media, especially those with a positive mindset. They did their best and they always have my salutations.
*AA* Please, when do you hope to start the next season's Premier League now that you do not have any questions about relegation and promotions?
*TT* Thank you chairman. I guess my boss is now trying to push me to the wall as I don't enjoy such questions. We finished the league last week, we have a provisional program documented and the PLB will meet on Tuesday. All those issues will be discussed and the conclusion forwarded to the FA bearing in mind the omnibus calender but I believe we should be able to kickoff before the end of this year.
*GSMA* Mr. TT u spoke about the media. The PLB continues to say the media are key to their operations, why has the PLB refused to honour deserving media men and outlets for their good work at the awards night?
*TT* Thank you Sheikh. Except that this is an offside question. I must emphasise that without the media, our football will be nowhere. The media are major stakeholders and useful allies and we must appreciate and reward them at any given time. We are in consultation with other stakeholders and I believe at the right time, the media will be rewarded.
*AA* It's obvious the various platforms contributed immensely this last season in educating and promotion of our football. Will you recommend to the GFA for a platform to be honoured?
*TT* I think the best thing to do is to find a very common ground for this very issue. A lot of platforms played key roles in promoting our league and it will be very difficult to reward one or two but we will find a common ground to do that.
*AA* TT, I'm sincerely very proud of you ,for the succession plan I put in place has yielded fruitful results. Hope you continue to live up to expectation. CONGRATULATIONS! !!!!!!
*TT* Thank you so much Chairman. U are one of the few people who played a key role in getting me where I am today. You have been a father to me and a wise counsellor. I am still learning from you. Thank you again and my regards to the family.
*GSMA* Match fixing allegations kept on coming season after season. What do u think we can do to mitigate it if not remove it?
*TT* Match fixing is not healthy to any sporting event. There have been some allegations and they still remain as such. We can only deal with this when we have proper evidence. The match commissioner's report is key in this and if nothing of that sort is reported in there, how do we prosecute? These are the official reports. So if anyone alleges, he must help the system to arrest the issue. If there are mere allegations, it won't help.
*GSMA*Chairman legal issues are very important to the work of the PLB, why has the PLB not advocated for their own internal legal system to quickly deal with he various disciplinary cases?
*TT* This is the simplest of all the questions. FIFA allows national associations and federations to fashion out their own regulations except that there are mandatory clauses no association can alter. And some include the judicial bodies. So it is the duty of the association to compose the judicial bodies. PLB can't have her own body to deal with such issues otherwise it will be like you presiding over your own case. So let the issue come and these independent judicial bodies will handle them.
*GSMA* Would you call for a total private PLB devoid of representatives from clubs, and solely made of non club personalities?
*TT* I can't forsee it happening. I don't know but I believe if you sight a copy of the FIFA statutes where it states that national associations overtake the responsibility of running local championships. This is non-negotiable. How can the GFA be an affiliate of FIFA and a private body runs its league? It is not possible. If it is we need structures to improve our league system, that is brilliant but for an independent body to run football, it's not permissible. We have the autonomous, semi-autonomous and the hybrid systems and depending on the suitable one, it can be adopted. But at the end of it all, the national association which is an affiliate to FIFA must have direct control over the league.
This brings us to the end of the discussion with the PLB Chairman Ashford Tettey Oku.
Hope you enjoyed it? GSMA promises to do more.
NOTE: GSMA is a Ghanaian sports whatsapp platform made up of sports journalists and administrators.
Thank you Sheikh Tophic Sienu (GSMA Ag. Secretary)