Abra-Appiah proud to bow out as PLB Boss

The longest-serving chairman of the Premier League Board (PLB), Mr Welbeck Yaw Abra-Appiah, has decided to drop his tools at the end of the season after a 10-year illustrous reign at the helm of Ghana’s top-flight league.

Breaking the sweet-sour news to the Graphic Sports in an interview, Mr Abra-Appiah said he had paid his dues to Ghana Football and that it was time to bow out and hand over the baton to the younger generation to continue.

The retired Bank Manager, football administrator and businessman believes after chalking many successes in the Premier League under his watch, there cannot be a better time to call it a day than now when the cheers are loudest.

His rich experience compelled Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi to appoint him as the Premiership boss when he was first elected the FA president in 2005. He has since been at post till his sudden decision to call it quits.

He told this paper that his decision to quit is to enable him to concentrate more on serving God, as well as having more time for his business, family, and other personal commitments.

Mr Abra-Appiah threatened to quit his position two seasons ago but was impressed upon to rescind his decision by the Ghana Football Association’s top hierarchy.

Before assuming the PLB chairmanship, he served as a mainstream club administrator for Okwawu United United when the ‘Yente Gyae’ boys took Ghana Football by storm in the 1980s.

Below are highlights of his achievements as the chairman of the PLB:

W. ABRA-APPIAH

MEMBERSHIP OF THE PLB

1998       -              2000 Vice Chairman

2001       -              Ag. Chairman

2001       -              2004 Vice Chairman

2005       -              Date Chairman

The Premier League Board (PLB) is a creation of the constitution of the Ghana Football Association as a Sub-Committee (Reference) Article 66 of its Statutes with clearly defined functions.  Over the last five years, the Premier League Board, with absolute support from the Emergency and Executive Committees relying on these define functions pursued a lot out of which emerged some of the following modest achievements to enhance the growth of the league. 

Some of the achievements are as follows:

Management and General Organisation.

1. Except for just causes, the league has been organized all these years without any major hitches every season travelled its full duration.

2. Over the years, the PLB had insisted that, club officials desist from running their teams from either their homes, cars, boots etc. etc.  The idea has been to encourage them to run from functional offices with basic modern equipment.  It was necessary the PLB showed the way and accordingly, with support from the Ghana Football Association.  The Premier League Board acquired a well-furnished and fully equipped Secretariat.

3. Synchronization of our league with international calendar since 2007/08.

4. Prompt issuing of mid-term and end of league season reports within the required time frame as well as activities of PLB and the league as a whole.

5. Holding of periodic meetings with representatives of premier league clubs to keep them abreast with issues at GFA/PLB and also for consensus-building.

6. Periodic inspection of league centres to ensure their conformity to required standards.

7. Institution of count-down of time programmes  before all Premier League matches.

8. Sucessful negotiations of allowances and other entitlements due to match official and ensuring their prompt payments to them. 

9. The number of referees was downsized from 200 to 90 for efficient running of the Premier League by only the best referees. 

10. Regular rapport with Referees Committee.

11. Introduced the concept of General Coordinators where members of the Board were sent to league centres to oversee matches and write reports.  A special manual was developed to facilitate their work. 

12. Presentation of balls to scores of braces or more to motivate players to score more goals. 

B. Running a Disciplined and Decent League.

1. Registration of home/away strips as means of checking unnecessary superstition and protests.

2. Clubs encouraged to recognize their player throughout the season.  (assigning specific numbers).

3. Player numbering identification for each player throughout the season.  (assigning specific numbers)

4. Measures were taken to publish and verify the names of registered players which has almost eliminated the issues of double registration by players and the number of protests lodged regarding unqualified players.

5. Ensuring that discipline is instilled in our league through administrative fines and referral to the Disciplinary Committee where necessary. 

6. Provision of branded apparel for ball boys. 

C. Insfrastructure / Equipment

1. Naming of stadia appropriately on fixtures in line with modern practice

2. Provision of electronic substitution boards at all centres.

3. Mobilisation of resources from the clubs totaling GH¢32,000.00 to rehabilitate the Golden City Park Berekum before the commencement of 2008/2009 league season as well as GH¢6,125.40 for Wa Sports Stadium.

D.  Security

1.Liaising with the National Sports Authority and the National Security to beef up security at league centres.

2. Negotiating for allocation of 5% of net gate proceeds to the security personnel deployed in matches assisted in the payment of these personnel. 

E. Information / Marketing

1. GFA/PLB website with league match after matches and other activities of the Premier League Board.

2. Media rights sponsorship and live coverage of some matches on some local networks and on DSTV Super-Sports – delayed matches – weekly highlights – abridge matches.

3. Purchasing of video equipment (cameras, CD burners etc). training of personnel to cover and produce CDs of all matches which are delivered to the clubs for reference, promotional and marketing purposes as well as assisting the adjudicating bodies when necessary. 

F. Review Panel of Premier League Board/Referees Committee Members.

1. Review of controversial matches by watching video clips as means of identifying officiating errors, security lapses or breaches etc.  with the view to correct them. 

G. Encouragement to Clubs to Build Institutional Capacity

1.Administration of clubs (maintenance of functional offices, signatories to clubs in their interaction with the PLB/GFA etc) equipment, human resource development etc.

2. Submission of Audited Accounts by clubs as required by our Statutes have been enforced by the PLB/GFA throughout the period.

H. Promoting Inter Club Cooperation and Friendliness

Prompt and amicable settlement of disputes between clubs as a means to promoting good relations among participating league clubs.  (e.g. Ashantigold/Kotoko, Hasaacas/Eleven Wise, Kotoko/Aduana, Ashantifold/New Edubiase United etc).

1. Awards

1. Introduction of Award Events cine 2006/2007 league season to reward excellence where a wide range of players, teams, officials and allied bodies eg. Supporters Unions are given annual awards for excellent performance.  This is in addition to the Car award to Best Players for 2006/07 and 2007/08 seasons. 

2. Provision of a brand new vehicle and cash awards for the first time as a prize for the champion club in the 2009/2010 league season as well as cash prizes for 1st and 2nd Runner-ups in our Premier League. 

3. Institution of Coronation Ceremony for league champions which is always a glorious day for the league champion. 

4. Indeed the award scheme was extended to cover and motivate GFA employees as all. 

J. Enhancing attendance.

1. Permitting women and children under ten (10) years to watch most Premier League matches free since 2008/09 season.

2. Proposed insurance scheme with SIC for fans at our matches to commence in 2011/2012 season. 

K. Player Welfare

1. Introduction of compulsory Medical Examination to afford clubs the opportunity to conduct medical checks on their players to know their conditions prior to the beginning of league seasons. 

2012 – 2015

1. Structures are now in place e.g Premier League, with respect to promotion, relegation, awards events, fixtures presentation of trophy etc.        

2. Officiating – provision of kits.

3. Club Licensing System – partly implementd.

4. Registration of Player – Electronically instead of manual vetting

5. Academy System for colts footballs synonymous with old Primary and Middle School rather than Preparatory/International schools. 

6. Website of PLB for all updates and historical information.

7. Annual Awards Event which rewards and exhibits excellence and motivation at the end of every year –continued.

8. Live television coverage of matches.

9. Categorization of matches – A,B,C in terms of security etc.

10. Experimentation of Advance Ticketing at matches in Cape Coast, Berekum, Dormaa Ahenkro, Kumasi etc.

11. Match Review Panel – has brought about a bit of sanity, fairness at matches and discipline at matches.

12. Some rewards, however small, to clubs after the league seasons.

13. Various reforms in our Regulation and Statutes – Yearly reviews.

14. Introduction of head – to-head to decide positions of clubs on League Table.

15. Introduction of EMS for our League fixtures, table, goals scored by players, yellow cards, red cards, etc. – no more disputes.

Challenges

1. Closing of PLB Accounts which took care of Referees Allowance, Match Commissioners, observers, travels of PLB members to observe matches etc. – 5% of newt of match proceeds now goes to GFA.

2. PLB, FA Cup, DOL Board Chairmen as Ex-officio members of the Executive Committee of the GFA

3. Playing fields

4. Exodus of players

5. Scanty salaries and allowances of players, hence cannot attract foreigners into our League.

6. Television and foreign Leagues seriously affecting the Leagues of many African and European Leagues – unnecessary comparisons.

7. Club administrators behaving as supports chairman instead of Administrators.

8. Sponsorship of the various aspects of our League – no corporate body wants to associate with GFA/Club manned by incompetent and thieves who are insulted everyday. 

9. Patronage of our League – lack of first class players, lack of marketing our game by clubs personnel, etc.

10. Condemnation of the League by some journalists as being administer by Thieves especially of the GFA.

11. Unsafe stadia as a result of attacks from hooligans and collapse of the stadium structure. 

12. Lack of Government financial support to clubs in Africa competitions, for winning the league and FA Cup.

13. Some fan/supporters not accepting the competiveness of the League if Hearts and Kotoko are not performing well. 

14. VAT deductions of …………… Club’s League proceeds.

15. Club administrators influencing Referees to determine results of matches. 

16. Clubs disrespect for directives other than those in the Regulations and Statues.