#FillGPLCenters: Vibrant traditional clubs key to improving attendance at match venues – Ignatius Osei-Fosu
Head coach of Dreams FC, Ignatius Osei-Fosu, is encouraging investors and stakeholders in Ghana football to help revive traditional clubs in the country as a step towards reigniting the interest of the local league.
He believes the vibrancy of the traditional clubs breeds sporting rivalry which drives patronage of games.
Okwawu United, BA United, Bofoakwa Tano are community-based traditional teams in Ghana that in the past used to command numbers and drive numerous supporters to the various stadia.
But these clubs at the moment are not vibrant as they used to be because of multiple reasons, including financial constraints.
Ghana’s top-tier league is witnessing poor turnout in terms of supporters who throng the various match centres to patronize the local league, a development that is rendering the local clubs financially handicapped.
Luv FM and Nhyira FM have launched a radio campaign to highlight factors affecting low attendance at premier league matches and championing recommendations to improve patronage of the local league.
Speaking to Stephen Zando on Luv Fm in Kumasi, the former Medeama gaffer stressed, the situation of low turnout at match venues can be addressed if traditional clubs in Ghana are revived.
“Let me take you back to the last 10 years, can you remember some of the clubs apart from Hearts and Kotoko?
“So, look, Aduana Stars is where? It’s a Dorma-based team, a traditional club so Aduana when they play, at least they don’t complain about supporters.
“Berekum Chelsea, since the relegation of Berekum Arsenal, it has been a Berekum-based club so it has been a traditional club for the people of Berekum.
“So, we have to make conscious efforts to make traditional clubs work. Just imagine Okwawu United in the league, at least somebody from that area when Okwawu is playing in Kumasi, will go and watch the team.
“Look at BA United, even Bofo that I don’t support, when they were playing the playoff and I was in Kumasi, I went there to watch them because it’s a team that I grew up seeing.
“Now, all the traditional clubs are going out, becoming one man’s club,” he observed.
Source: Ghana News
