GFA’s decision to use musicians to fill stadium dumb

Necessity they say is the mother of invention. And obviously knowing the right thing to do at the right time shows a sense of reasoning on one’s part. It is of this reason that I state unequivocally that the decision by Ghana Football Association (GFA) to reach an agreement with some musicians to perform during Premier League games next season is totally needless.

Undoubtedly, the Ghana Premier League has suffered low patronage due to several reasons and it was not surprising to hear the spokesperson of GFA, Sannie Daara suggest some time ago that Parliament should introduce a law that will prohibit Ghanaian free-to-air television stations from showing live foreign league matches as it contributes to the decline in patronage of the league. My view on that? A limping suggestion it was.

I am tempted to believe the Association is overlooking the real causes of the low patronage, for which reason it wants to cure ‘stomach upset by applying powder on the belly’.

The bitter truth is, the Ghana Premier League is not attractive and that is why soccer fans would not waste their resources to watch.

Why is it not attractive?

It is an open secret that most of the clubs do not pay their players well. A check revealed that some clubs pay players as low as GHC 150 a month and GHC 50 as wining bonus. Pathetic! How do such teams expect the players to give their best? In some cases, the players are not paid for several months. Football has moved from being a passion to business and for a player to receive such a woefully meagre amount is enough to dampen his spirit on the pitch. It is disheartening to see that some administrators run their clubs as though it were… [Your guess is as good as mine]

No wonder players embrace just any deal which comes from abroad. And that is another factor that has led to the low patronage. From all indications, there are no ‘stars’ to watch in the premier league because those who were able to endure the hardship and excelled got offers, some of which were not that good but better than what they received in Ghana.

Listening to some veteran Ghanaian footballers, there were times people trooped in to the stadium just to watch them play due to how they were a delight to watch. Their performances attracted fans to the stadium. But now what do we see? All the stars and even the rising ones have left the shores of Ghana due to poor remuneration. And when I hear some people say local teams should restrict players from moving, I ask, “If he were your relative, would you ask him to stay in Ghana for a GHC 150 salary?” These players need to make money for themselves, their families and also save. Lets’ not forget the GFA has said the foreign players are Ghana’s best materials for selection into the Black Stars. How then do we get our players to stay in the local league and attract soccer fans?

The focus is on foreign league because it is well organised and the fans would love to watch their favourites play for these foreign clubs.

What then will be the logic of bringing Shatta Wale or Sarkodie to the stadium? For people to come watch them perform? Does this make the league any better? The problem has not been solved! What if after watching the musical performances, spectators decide to walk out knowing how unattractive the league is? Or will these artistes perform after the match? And who will stay after his team has disappointed him by either losing or picking a point with an abysmal performance?

Do we need people there to be entertained by the musical performances or the matches? Do we need people just to fill the stadium?

My little experience in event organising shows that much goes into an open space event than an enclosed one. Hosting events at the stadium will require heavy equipment such as area sounds. How best will Kwesi Nyantakyi and the GFA handle this?

I have mentioned that some players take ‘insulting’ amounts as salaries. Just ponder over this. Is the GFA telling soccer fans they can pay huge amount of money to these musicians just for performing for few minutes? What is wrong with using the amount to invest in the horrible state of the league? In my estimation, the players will feel bad knowing that they will still be taking that GHC 50 as a winning bonus and GHC 150 as salary while the artiste receives fat ‘per diems’.

Is someone thinking the musicians will be paid through sponsorship? Interesting! Reports suggest that the next season of the premier league will start without getting sponsorship. At this point, you should be thinking twice.

Assuming the GFA defies all odds and succeeds in implementing this, what will be the mode of selecting artistes to specific venues? I am not jumping the gun; but I believe an artiste like Sarkodie will not be sent to a stadium with low capacity. It will be unwise as far as business is concerned. However, that would be where he would be needed most. For instance, will Sarkodie or any ‘A list’ artiste be booked to perform during a match between grade C teams?

Well, for these artistes, it would serve as another means of getting gigs. However, the situation if not well handled can result to an unpleasant development. There have been instances where teams have had to pre-finance because sponsorship monies delayed. How sure are we that these artistes will get their monies right after performing? I wonder who sold this idea to the GFA.

If the GFA really wants to implement this, it requires thorough research. Herbert Mensah during his days as Chief Executive Officer of Kumasi Asante Kotoko did same and was successful. Why? There were players who attracted fans to the stadium and the musical performances only complemented that.

Come to think of it, what happened to Kwesi Nyantakyi’s earlier plans to lure men to the stadium with the presence of "beautiful girls in nice jeans"? Another dumb and insulting idea. Football is neither a beach party nor a pool party.