RTU Board of Directors endorse use of Kaladan Park

Accra, April 26, GNA - The Board of Directors of Real Tamale United (RTU) has affirmed the club's inalienable right for the use of the Tamale Kaladan Park for its home matches with effect from the beginning of the 2003/2004 football season which kicks off on 2nd May, 2004.

The Board, in a communiqu=E9 issued after its last meeting held Accra on 17th April, 2004 copied to the GNA Sports said it thoroughly discussed the issue of the club's relocation from its base, the Tamale Kaladan Park to Bolgatanga for the last two football seasons. Alhaji Nurudeen Jawula, Acting Board Chairman said in reaching the decision, the Board apprised itself of the circumstances that led to their forceful relocation.

The members came to the realization that it was solely for the purpose of the rehabilitation of the Park with particular reference to the grassing of the field of play, which has been grassless all along and had been nicknamed "sakora" park by some soccer enthusiasts. Alhaji Jawula said the genesis of the problem could therefore be traced to the closure of the Kaladan ostensibly for grassing when indeed there was inadequate budgetary cover for the project.

The communiqu=E9 said however, after two seasons of "enforced exile", it has become clear to the Board that the renovation exercise is rather being pursued half-heartedly, devoid of the vigour and urgency and the seriousness it deserves.

The Board said the club deserves nothing but sympathy since it is forced to make a cumulative travel distance of about 20,000 kilometres per season for two seasons and not forgetting the toll that it has exacted on the lean finances of the club and the player's physical condition.

Alhaji Jawula said it is therefore the Board's hope that the authorities would appreciate these points and get RTU back to its base, the Kaladan Park.

It said an adjoining field of play has been prepared, complete with inner perimeter fencing by the club for temporary use pending the completion of the Kaladan project.

The Board said it reassuring and gratifying that the Minister Education, Youth and Sports, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu recognised the problems facing RTU and the Kaladan park project in his address to the GFA Congress recently.

The Communiqu=E9 was also copied to the Minister, the Minister of State in charge of Sports, The Chairman of the Ghana Football Association, The Northern Regional Minister, The Chairman, Professional League Board, the Tamale Municipal Chief Executive and the Northern Regional Police Commander.

In a related development, the Board said it has also examined the issue of the zonal league system that the GFA Congress adopted stated that while it recognize that the options available to the FA were few and that it was the most feasible way out in view of time constraint, it should not be made to last beyond this football season.

It said "that a national league could only be deemed to be truly "national" when all the clubs in the top league play against each other on a home and away basis".

The Board added that such a programme is a universal principle that underpins all league championship the world over and this must not be sacrificed for whatever reason, except as a stopgap measure with a limited purpose.