The Disciplinary Committee of the Ghana Football Association has declared Real Tamale United (RTU) as winners of the Division One League match-day 27 game against BA United at the Sunyani Coronation Park.
The game could not be completed after fan violence saw referee Maxwell Hanson and assistants attacked after awarding the visitors a penalty in the 40th minute.
The centre referee was subjected to physical and verbal assault first by angry BA United fans before he rescinded the penalty decision – an action which also met resistance from the away fans.
Uneasy calm was restored for the final five minutes of the first half to be completed. However, the second half could not continue as the assaulted referees felt ‘incapacitated to resume the match’ while darkness had also set in.
“The intensity of the threats and in order to save our lives, we (myself and 2 assistants) decided to continue with the match. The series of incidents transpired for about thirty (30) minutes.
“Instead of restarting the match with a penalty to the away team, I restarted with a drop ball to avoid attacks from the fans of the home team.
“This did not go down well with the supporters believed to be fans of the away team who also retaliated by throwing objects such as stones, sticks, sachet water and metallic objects onto the field of play. This also delayed play for about 15 minutes,” reads portions of referee Hanson’s match report to the GFA.
Revealing how he cunningly ended the game, referee Hanson wrote:
“Simultaneously, the spectators of the home team were still chanting, still armed and still insisting we start the match. this continued to happen whilst still held hostage on the field of play till darkness began to set in so we (myself, assistants and match commissioner) called the two (2) captains and told them the match would have to be postponed to the next day since darkness had set in and also, our lives were in danger but that was actually a ploy for us (myself, assistants and the match commissioner) to end the game, hence the match ended abruptly.”
Both BA United and RTU eventually wrote to the GFA asking to be granted all three points.
The Disciplinary Committee has now ruled that all the three points be awarded to RTU.
This means RTU close the gap with Zone One leaders Bofoakwa United to two points heading into the final game of the 2020/21 Division One League.
RTU, on 62 points, play hosts to Unity FC at the Aliu Mahama Stadium while Bofoakwa United visit Berekum Arsenals at Golden City Park. The winner of Zone One secures promotion to the Ghana Premier League for the 2021/22 season.
Read DC decision in full:
