By Ken Bediako
This 4th section of the story of Ohene Djan the legendary sports administrator cum writer, covers his recollection of how FOOTBALL MOVED TO ACCRA.
Published in 1964, my compilation at this crucial moment, is to sensitise the current generation of sports followers and certain oldies who might have unintentionally forgotten their history, that Ohene Djan deserves national celebration for his immense contribution to sports development in the country.
To go straight to the point I strongly believe the government decision in 2004 to name Accra Sports Stadium after Ohene Djan, the globally reputed sports administrator, was most appropriate and must be resurrected.
Those faceless infidels who impudently managed to deface OHENE DJAN STADIUM must not be allowed to tamper with the good history of Ghana sports.
On that note here comes the genesis of FOOTBALL IN ACCRA as told by Kobby Ohene Djan the Aburi Royal.
“The tyros of Ghana football were enthusiastic pioneers who remained the effective rachis for the spread of the new game. After nursing the baby game for only three years the evangelists travelled eastward and soon Saltpond and Winneba became crazy spots for football. The dripping current of their activities faintly touched Accra in about 1909 and for two years the Ga boys enjoyed the vague thrill and fascination of the new sport.
There was no real organised football established in Accra. However by 1910 Invincibles, the first football club ever to be formed in Accra was organized in James Town.
Inspired by an acute sense of rivalry, in 1911, boys in Ussher Town accepted the challenge and quickly founded the Accra Hearts of Oak, which has continued in existence weathering all storms and difficulties in football club organisation and its today the oldest existing club in Ghana.
Football clubs then began to spring up. The Gold Coast champions (a name which had no special significance beyond expressing the hope and aspirations of the founders) was formed in 1911. In the course of the same year Excels Football club sponsored by Fantis resident in Accra was also formed.
By 1912 clubs like Energertics, Never Miss, Royalists, Osu Pioneers had all been formed.
But Association Football of any merit was still unknown until J.W. Blankson Mills, who had by this time returned from Calabar to Accra with young players like Asukaw, Harry Odoi and Quarshie Quao brought enthusiasm and order into the game.
Mr Blankson Mills started to organise club challenge matches and offered trophies for competitions. Special challenge matches between James Town and Ussher Town were organised.
The early clubs in Accra were occasionally “honoured” with matches by Sporting Sailors who called at Accra Port.
The craze for the new game quickly captured the fancy of the youth of Accra and among the clubs that sprung up in the wake were Robert Standfast, Africs, Wolves and Auroras.
All these clubs belonged to different dates within the second decade of the 20th century.
In 1915, J.W Blankson Mills reorganized football in Accra and initiated a league competition for the leading clubs in Accra.
Although this was not particularly successful it served a useful purpose by way of sustaining interest among the Ga Youth.
Meanwhile the game had been introduced in the Accra schools and the Department of Education was organising inter-schools league matches. The schools league whipped up extra interest and enthusiasm among the youth and there was every indication that the game would survive in Accra.
For the town clubs J.M. Blankson Mills the Town Clerk of Accra Municipal Council continued to step up his organisation for the development of Association Football in Accra.
Football organisation in Accra remained haphazard until April 1922 when through the warm patronage and encouragement of Sir Gordon Guggisberg the then colonial Governor of the Gold Coast the first well organised football league ever to be played in the country was organised in Accra.
The Governor provided the league trophy. The Guggisberg Shield and the Accra Football League with Mr D. J. Omar then Director of Education of the Gold Coast as chairman and Blankson Mills, then clerk of Accra Municipality as secretary.
Having established the league Mr Omar abdicated his office and was succeeded by Mr Hesse Odamtten who piloted the affairs of the Accra league for the Guggisberg Shield for three years.
Suspicion, allegations and misunderstanding reared their ugly head in the league and in 1930 the clubs by a resolution dissolved the Accra League.
A new controlling body the Accra Amateur Football Association headed by Mr Richard Acquaye the man who was destined to play an interesting part in the founding of the National Football Association was formed by the clubs. The assets and liabilities of the Accra Football League were to pass on to the new Association.
An interesting anecdote occurred when Standfast the hoders of Guggisberg Shield at the time of reorganisation refused to surrender it to the new Amateur Football Association.
Mr Acquaye sued the club officials and ultimately recovered the shield.
For 15 years, Mr Richard Acquaye remained in office and managed to steer the affairs of the Accra Amateur Football Association through some turbulent and anxious moments.
In 1940 football in Accra again experienced a rift in the lute. Accra Standfast led the other Accra Clubs to agitate for the overthrow of Acquaye’s regime. Hearts of Oak and few other clubs were unshakeable in their loyalty to the Acquaye regime. Standfast with majority of the clubs succeeded in putting up a powerful rival Association the Ga Football Association under the chairmanship of Mr J. Kitson-Mills.
This new body commanded greater support and popularity and acquired an imposing silver cup for competitions.
The leaders cleverly named the trophy Guggisberg Memorial Cup to substitute the Guggisberg Shield which remained with the Accra Amateur Football Association.
This rift threatened to retard the progress and development of football within the capital city.
(To be contd)
Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.
