By Ken Bediako
The name of Ghana’s legendary sports administrator, Ohene Djan, cannot be easily forgotten when the history of the world’s oustanding sports personalities are being immortalised.
Strangely enough some faceless power brokers in this country, who most probably have no sense of humour, are determined to erase from history, the glorious achievements of this great sports personality of international repute.
How and why the Accra Sports Stadium named after this famous Ohene Djan 20 years ago was mysteriously erased will continue to baffle the sporting fraternity. It is however, heart warming a group of well meaning sports journalists, led by Dan Kwaku Yeboah of Peacefm fame, are crusading for the restoration of OHENE DJAN SPORTS STADIUM in the capital city.
As promised, yours truly backs this crusade to restore the honour done Ohene Djan who was also a good writer and sports historian. I will endeavour to serialise Ohene Djan’s recollections of the history of Ghana football published in 1964 and edited by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo then student at University of Ghana who would be President of Ghana in 2017.
From the BIRTH OF GHANA FOOTBALL last week the focus today is -FOOTBALL IN THE WEST.
Lying in close proximity to Cape Coast the birthplace of Ghana football, exciting and sterling stories of the new game gradually travelled through traders and fishermen to Sekondi Takoradi. Meanwhile, school boys going home on holidays thrilled and fascinated the population of Sekondi/Takoradi with “grand” exhibition of football matches.
With the aid and encouragement of their headmasters, the game quickly assumed disproportionate popularity in the local schools of Methodist, Roman Catholic, and English Church Mission, Vivacious port workers at Sekondi also were the first ardent students of the game. But real football
life in the Sekondi/Takoradi area started with the construction of the railway line no wonder the cream of the players was centred in the railway workshops.
The formation of a powerful non-departnental team, Eleven Wise in 1919,
marked the beginning of a distinct football era.
In Sekondi/Takodadi area. Mosquitoes, Western Wanderers, Jerricho, Railway Apprentices and Ga United were some of the great clubs which sprang into existence by the end of the second decade of the 20th century. Football became the crazy sport in the cosmopolitan town of Sekondi/Takoradi and the need to control and organise the sport became imperative.
In 1925 Mr Sunner Wilson, District Commissioner of Sekondi/Takoradi formed a District Football Association, which later developed and expanded into the Western Region Football Association.
Mr Sunner Wilson the founder, became its first chairman and a senior clerk from his office was appointed to the post of
secretary. The District Commissioner, Mr Wilson, was only a pioneer apostle concerned with the laying of the foundation for the Association and as soon as this was accomplished he handed over the affairs and administration of the Association to representatives of the clubs.
Sir Tachie Menson who was better known as chairman of the Public Services Commission, had the distinction of becoming its first elected chairman. Sir Charles represented the Eleven Wise Football Club.
The year 1925 also saw the birth of Fante United Football Club which later reforned into Hasaacas and became two formidable clubs in the Region. The Tachie Menson administration quickly settled down to business and organised local league and knockout competitions.
The Railway Apprentices Football Club was the nost fearsome and dominated the early competitions.
Football was flourishing at this stage in all the big towns and municipalites and the need to look beyond their area boundaries for exploits dawned upon the members of the Sekondi Football Associaton. Contacts were quickly established with Tarkwa a mining town harbouring adventurous youth who loved the crazy sport exceedingly. Cape Coast, Saltpond Accra and Kumasi also gained football contacts with Sekondi/Takoradi.
In 1926 Sekondi Takoradi played her first inter district match against Accra in the capital city. This game which ended in a 3-0 triumph for Accra was played on the Accra Government school pitch. The return match which was played in Sekondi was another success for Accra Eleven but on this occasion it was a close 2-1 affair.
Football continued to progress in Sekondi at an alarming rate and it was not accidental that in the 1937 special inter provincial coronation football competition Sekondi/Takoradi were the runners up losing to Accra by a lone goal.
1938 was a proud year of sweet vengeance for Sekondi/Takoradi for they met and licked Accra Eleven in a match played in Elmina For winning this match Sekondi/ Takoradi received a cash reward of 100 pounds sterling and Accra Eleven, the losers, had a brand new football.
From 1940 to 1957 the Sekondi Takoradi District Football Association passed through the throes of administative difficulties with concomittant regular changes in leadership. When Mr Kodwin succeeded Mr Dadzie as chairman in 1957 the administration became more stable and the regional expansion exercise was completed. A powerful regional association embracing all the towns and districts in the Western Region was organised.
The Kodwin regime became the most faithful arm of Richard Akwei’s central administration and remained absolutely loyal during the glorious refomation of 1957.
Pursuing a policy of unquestionable loyalty to constituted authority the Western Region quickly joined forces with the reformers after they had been recognized by the Ghana Amateur Sports Council in 1958.
(End of story. The third instalment will be FOOTBALL IN ASHANTI)
Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.
