Laryea Kingston blasts Hearts over poor camping facilities

By Patrick Akoto

Hearts midfielder Laryea Kingston has slammed the poor camping conditions at the team's base in Sekondi and fears it could cripple their ambitions of annexing the title.

GHANAsoccernet.com broke the news of the sacking of the 30-year-old prima donna  for breaking camp rules on Tuesday.

Head trainer CK Akunor claimed the ex-Ghana international could be a bad influence on the players after he refused to drive away his Four-wheel Jeep vehicle from the team’s training session.

The former Vitese Arheim enforcer is also reported to have taken his own drinking water and mattress to the camp which infuriated the ex- Ghana captain.

But the experienced enforcer has denied the circusmatnces that led to his dismissal from camp and claims their camping facilities in the Western region are below standard for the 2000 African champions.

“The condition at the camp is bad. There is no water at where we are staying. All these conditions are not good,” Kingston told Kumasi-based Fox FM

“We are made to go to the bush to even ease (shit) ourselves. We have to jump walls to go and take our bath. We even have to walk to the stadium,”

“All these things I didn’t say anything. You are the coach and the leader and claims you are satisfied with the conditions. But you leave the players to their own faith while you go and sleep in big hotels in town,”

He claimed the conditions could affect the players’ phsyche ahead of the upcoming season.

“How can the players be in the right frame of mind to work for you? Before arriving at the camp, they told me they had some special place for me to sleep but I declined insisting it wasn’t proper for me to be treated in a different way,”

“I told them I was going to stay at the same place where the players were sleeping. They even attempted to eject someone for me to sleep there but I stronghly objected,”

“I went to the press box at the stadium, clean the place, bought my coil and laid my mattress to sleep,”

“You know I love the team and if you will remember anytime I came to Ghana when I was in Europe, I visisted the team and helped them in my own small way and so nobody can question my loyalty,”

“How many Hearts players have shown such open love to the club than me?

“But how can players be treated like that and you expect them to give off their best and win the League title?

“Even if I leave Hearts today, nobody can question my commitment to the club. But the right things must be done.”

Hearts are desirous of ending their three-year wait for the title after playing catch ups to emerging forces like Berekum Chelsea and Aduana Stars.

Their sworn rivals Kotoko won the League last term.