Great Olympics petition Executive Council

Accra, Feb 2, GNA - Accra Great Olympics have petitioned the Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) against the intended relegation of the club to the Division One League. A three-paged petition signed by Mr Ato Ampiah, chairman of the Supervising Council of the "Dade Boys" and addressed to Alhaji Yusif Adam Ibrahim, chairman of the Executive Council prayed the Executive Council to stay action on the relegation exercise.

The petition deduced that the 2004 league was an ad hoc measure to select teams to represent the country in the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) club competitions and must therefore not be used to drop team because of the few matches played during the season. Supporting its claims with historical antecedents, the petition outlined similar circumstances in 1970, 1972 and 1977, where novelty leagues were played because of time constraints and no teams were relegated.

Olympics said since the league was segmented into two zones, it would be very difficult to prove that the team which would be dropped from a particularly zone would not be better that others in another zone.

The petition appealed to the consciences of members of the Executive Council to be flexible in their considerations and knock out arguments that all clubs had agreed to the rules before the commencement of the competition, adding that under the circumstances, the clubs needed to be in any kind of competition to survive because of the burden of wages of players.

Suggesting an alternative to the relegation exercise, Olympics are praying the Executive Council to move for the expansion of the Premier League at Congress, to admit four new teams from the DOL so that a 20-club premiership comes into effect.

It is expected that the Executive Council would present Olympics' concerns to Congress for deliberation.

Great Olympics amassed 15 points to place eighth and last in Zone B of the 2004 novelty league, a point less than Sekondi Hasaacas, who are also engulfed in the relegation turmoil after losing to Okwawu United which harnessed only seven points in Zone A in a playoff. Olympics case becomes more pathetic when one considers the fact that at the time they were being stared in the face by relegation, two of their key players, skipper Emmanuel Ansong and David Offei were on national duty in the Starlets' camp.

Also in the web of relegation is Brong Ahafo United, which beat the rear in Zone B with only five points.