[1981]DLHC188 • May 27, 1981 • High Court
ACCRA HEARTS OF OAK SPORTING CLUB vs. GHANA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
The dispute arose from a football match between Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club and Dumas Boys on 29 March 1981 at Accra Sports Stadium. Spectators were dissatisfied with the referee's handling of the match, leading to a riot and destruction of property at the stadium. The Ghana Football Association (GFA) responded by banning Accra Hearts of Oak from playing home matches at the Accra Sports Stadium without giving the club a hearing. The club challenged this decision as arbitrary and a breach of natural justice.
read moreJUDGMENT OF KORSAH J. A simple game of soccer, popularly known as “football” in this country, gave rise to this dispute between Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club (the plaintiffs herein) and the Ghana Football Association (the defendants) who, in sporting circles, are dubbed as G.F.A. It was a match played between Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club and Dumas Boys of Ghana Textiles Printing on Sunday, 29 March, 1981. The venue was the Accra Sports Stadium. Many fans and enthusiasts of the game turned up to watch the two teams exhibit their skills in all aspects of the game. It would appear that the spectators did not like the referee’s handling of the match. They protested against his performance and his decisions during the match. He was accused of robbing spectators of eight minutes of match time. He has since received the accolade of incompetence from Mr. Tommy Thompson—the Executive Chairman of the plaintiff-club. The dissatisfaction of the spectators was, at ...