JUDGMENT OF KORSAH J.
A simple game of soccer, popularly known as "football" in this country, gave rise to this dispute between Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club (the plaintiffs herein) and the Ghana Football Association (the defendants) who, in sporting circles, are dubbed as G.F.A.
It was a match played between Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club and Dumas Boys of Ghana Textiles Printing on Sunday, 29 March, 1981. The venue was the Accra Sports Stadium. Many fans and enthusiasts of the game turned up to watch the two teams exhibit their skills in all aspects of the game.
It would appear that the spectators did not like the referee's handling of the match. They protested against his performance and his decisions during the match. He was accused of robbing spectators of eight minutes of match time. He has since received the accolade of incompetence from Mr. Tommy Thompson—the Executive Chairman of the plaintiff-club.
The dissatisfaction of the spectators was, at the end of the game, vented in a riot which took the form of causing considerable damage to property at the stadium. I think every person who participated in [p.114] this wanton destruction of public property must bow his head down in shame. It must be understood that it is the taxes that we all pay that go to provide us with public amenities. If we turn round to destroy these amenities each of us incur the expense of restoring them to their former state. And if all our moneys are used to restore the old amenities instead of creating new ones, will there ever be progress in our general enjoyment of life in this country? It is nothing short of manic for a person to break the chair he is sitting on just because a referee ends the first half of a match three minutes before the scheduled time.
Mr. Tommy Thompson was in sympathy with the spectators over their dissatisfaction with the referee's handling of the match. But he did not break a chair or join in the wanton destruction of property, at least there is no evidence of it. He sat down and wrote a protest note to the defendants; for it is in the defendants that is vested the management and control of football in the country. That is the lawful and proper manner of registering a protest against a referee's inefficiency and incompetence.
But Mr. Tommy Thompson was not accorded the courtesy of a reply by the defendants. Incensed by the behaviour of the spectators, the Executive Council of GFA acted in like manner. A press release was issued in the
