May 9 tragedy: 22years on
Not the ugly recurrence of violence in Ghanaian football is the issue. The disturbing reality is that anyone may cause you injury and cause anything to be destroyed at a sporting event and get away with it. Although it seems false in actuality, this is the terrible truth of hooliganism in our game.
On the 22nd anniversary of the Accra Sports Stadium disaster (which claimed 127 lives on May 9, 2001), if there is any resolution to be made, it must be that football hooliganism cannot be reduced to the absolute minimum if hooligans are not detained and brought to face the law like any criminal would. Catch and charge hooligans, Police in Ghana
We have been singing the mantra “Never Again” for more than 20 years, yet it is now meaningless. It is cliché. In modern football, the conditions for violence are still in place. In Kumasi, three years ago, a police bullet removed the eye of a spectator. RTU was given a home ban in 2022 on the eve of the 21st anniversary of this tragic day for viciously assaulting a referee.
After their fans viciously stormed Tamale City’s bus, leaving players injured and the bus’ glass windows shattered, Aduana Stars had just finished serving their home suspensions on the 22nd anniversary. No one was detained, put on trial, or charged. The Police have been silent for some weeks. It wouldn’t happen at all.
The disorderly, chaotic, and bloody circumstances that preceded the May 9th stadium disaster were brought on by what was perceived to be poor refereeing. The ‘Catch them Young Refereeing’ program’s aspiring referee was defeated in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region, even as we were getting ready to commemorate the 22 years since this dreadful day in our football history.
What exactly have we learned? If hooligans are continually let off the hook, how safe are the fans? There will always be war. Even if conflict is unpleasant, it is not surprising that, by nature, most conflicts result in violent confrontations; yet, in most civilized countries, hooligans are dealt with according to the law.
Sadly, hooligans are handled with kid-sized gloves in Ghana. This is a serious weakness in the effort to combat football hooliganism. The Ghana Football Association may be using its punishments against aggressive clubs, which are frequently ineffective at deterring them. They refer to them as sports choices. The best they can manage is that. You cannot criticize them.
What’s left is for the government, specifically the Ghana Police Service, to take the criminal parts of the commotions at league centers seriously and deal with the problems and the offenders just like they would if it were any other violent crime. Either that occurs, or we abandon the fruitless or vain belief that hooliganism cannot be stopped.
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