Hans Dieter Schmidt
Former Asante Kotoko manager Hans Dieter Schmidt is brimming with excitement over the proposal of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to deny clubs points for stopping television coverage of their matches, insisting it is a step in the right direction.
The ex-Asante Kotoko and King Faisal trainer had called on the GFA to resort to the deduction of points to control clubs that resist live telecast of their matches, arguing that it is the only language the clubs understand.
The German trainer, who has been following Ghana football with keen enthusiasm, said clubs would continue to resist attempts to telecast their matches live if the GFA only fines them.
His call came after fans of Bechem United prevented broadcast sponsors of the Ghana Premier League, StarTimes, from telecasting their game with Great Olympics.
The vociferous fans of the Bechem-based side vehemently stopped StarTimes and their partners GBC from telecasting the match by blocking the entrance to the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park with a heavy-duty truck.
Some of the fans, who were unperturbed by the punishment of GFA, angrily expressed their readiness to pay any fine.
But Schmidt wrote on Facebook: “Let them lose the points.”
To him, until clubs suffer deduction of points, which can affect their stand on the table, they will always employ obsolete methods of drawing the game back.
Aduana Stars were fined GH¢20,500 for committing the same offence, but the punishment was not enough to deter Bechem United from committing the same offence.
Following the proposal of the FA that clubs will forfeit their matches if they prevent the live telecast, the German trainer wrote on Facebook: “Good decision. From now, they will change.”
The proposal will, however, be implemented after approval by Congress.
Ghanasoccernet