Reconsider your stance on kickoff times, PLB!

Premier League Board Chairman, Abra Appiah

It seems anything is acceptable in the Ghana Premier League. Otherwise, why is there the situation where a club with an untenable reason, can ask for the re-adjustment of the kickoff time for its midweek matches and easily, the Premier League Board (PLB) grants it?

On two occasions this season, Accra Hearts of Oak have had their midweek matches, first against Sekondi Hasaacas and then, against Liberty Professionals, moved from 3pm to 3:30pm following a request sent to the league organizers by managers of the club. Let me say that this article is not borne out of malice or merely because it involves Hearts, Kotoko’s arch rival.

Rather, my commentary has been warranted by the seeming ridiculousness of the reason Hearts gives and on which basis the PLB and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for that matter have been granting their request. From what I read, kickoff times for the Hearts-Hasaacas and Hearts-Liberty matches were altered upon their appeal to the PLB that such ‘alterations’ would give their fans in Accra, who are workers the chance to show up because with the original 3pm time, most of them would be at their work places.

And this why I think Hearts’ case is weak. What we have is a nationwide league. All the 16 participating clubs have supporters at their respective home venues who are also workers either in private or governmental institutions. It is thus unacceptable that the PLB will see wisdom in the fact of Hearts’ fans being workers and because they cannot be at the stadium as early as 3pm, due to their work demands, they will have kickoff times for midweek matches in at the Ohene Djan Stadium changed.

Yes, other clubs may not have made such requests. They don’t need to. The argument is not about other clubs making similar requests. It is about the rationality of the reason offered by Hearts and which is supported by the league body. What happens when Sekondi Hasaacas come forward with a similar reason and ask that kickoff time for their midweek games be moved to 4pm? Or what happens when Ashantigold, thriving on the same course, also demand that their midweek matches at the Len Clay Stadium should start at 5pm?

What about Kumasi Asante Kotoko also travelling on the same wavelength to ask for 6pm? What happens to the other clubs whose venues by their current state, cannot host matches which begin a little later than 3pm? Will we be fair to them? We could have a chaotic, confusing situation if care is not taken. I am not opposed to change. I just think this unacceptable preferential treatment should not be countenanced. The PLB must look at it again.

Every football club in Ghana has supporters who work in various sectors of the economy. They can be found at Tarkwa, Tema, Kpando, Bekwai, Bechem and Berekum. There are others in Sekondi, Cape Coast, Kumasi, Sunyani and Wa where league matches are played whether on week days or weekends. They are denied the chance to watch their clubs in midweek matches much like how most Hearts fans are denied when the Phobians play on Wednesdays in Accra.

If late or early kickoff of matches in the Ghana Premier League is dictated by television broadcast issues, I wouldn’t have much of a problem. In Europe and parts of Africa like South Africa, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Egypt; football matches are played during mid-morning, late afternoon or in the night. They have experimented with that for decades. They also have the requisite conditions to organize football matches at any time of the day.

What pertains here isn’t exactly so or perhaps it is a far cry from what exists in Europe. If matches will be played at 7pm, 9pm or even midnight, their reason is not as weak as what the PLB is entertaining. The times could well have been determined even before their league starts. The PLB should reconsider its stance on this matter.

If the PLB think that this is a good thing, it should be across board. It shouldn’t be for Hearts alone and the PLB can make it clear to the public. But I warn: they should not open the floodgates for clubs to advance flimsy and contentious reasons for kickoff times (and if we are not careful dates) of matches to be changed. Such a situation won’t augur well for our football.