If there is a particular group of sports fans expected to learn bitter lessons from hooliganism associated with football, then that must certainly be Ghanaian football fans.

On May 9, 2001, Ghana was hit hardest by what has come to be known as the May 9 football disaster where a total of 126 football fans lost their lives on a chilling evening.

These fans had gone to the Accra Sports Stadium to watch Ghana’s version of the ‘el clasico’ involving Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko.

However, a referee’s decision that didn’t go well with a section of the fans sparked trouble at the Osu Cemetery end of the stands, resulting in police intervention which went in excess.

Eventually, that huge number of football fans with families and several responsibilities perished, leave that dent on the nation’s sports calendar which is observed every year with a wreath-laying ceremony.

Twenty-four years down the line, events on the football scene suggests that a section of football fans have learnt no lesson from the incident despite the many calls each year to nib that practice in the bud.

Fans continue to misbehave at match venues and take the law into their own hands by causing damage to properties.

Tomorrow is exactly a week when another infamous incident occurred at the Nsoatreman Stadium where the home team, Nsoatreman FC defeated Asante Kotoko by 1-0.

It did not come anywhere near the 2001 incident though, but happenings on the field that led to the death of a Kotoko fan was bad enough to plunge the football fraternity into a sombre mood.

Guided by that history, one would have expected the fans to exercise restraint irrespective of the provocation since there are sanctions to deal with offenders.

Eventually, a husband, father, uncle and many others was murdered in cold blood.

It brings to the fore the challenging circumstances under which football is played in Ghana with security being one of the major headaches.

Reports from some sections have revealed close to 150 police personnel were expected for the match but on the match day, the security presence was nothing to write home about.

And, apart from the Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Cape Coast and Essipun Stadia in the Western region, there are no other facilities good enough to ensure a proper security arrangement.

Most of these venues are fenced with wire mesh which can cave in when fans go on a rampage or under the least pressure.

As if that is not enough, some of these security personnel watch unconcerned when some of these violent acts go on.

As a result, every life in the stadium is endangered when pandemonium breaks out. With such danger looming, football becomes unattractive to many.

Sadly, the FA’s Club Licensing Board have gone ahead to approve some of these venues to host matches.

And with some particular venues gaining notoriety for such incidents, perhaps, this should force the FA to crack the whip.

But since no sanction can be equated to the life lost, it was time the FA employ new mechanisms to make the league very safe for fans.

In Ethiopia and other countries, the leagues are played in a little over three safe and secured venues which practically served as home or away venues for the clubs; even if they are not the original venues.

What this requires is that on match days, games would be divided into two or three groups and shared to the number of venues available.

As is done in Ghana already, match day games can start on Fridays and end on Mondays. In this situation, there would be maximum security to forestall any fans trouble, seeing the numbers of personnel around.

It is surely one of the ways to curb hooliganism which is gradually making the game in Ghana very unattractive and unpopular.

Moreover, it is sad the FA has been hanged and crucified in this manner for a decision of a few football fans to misbehave to put the image of the game in opprobrium.

Being the organisers of the game, the FA cannot escape blame because some concerns about lack of adequate security at venues have not been attended to wholly, apart from the closure for a few days.

Football may be on an indefinite break for now but when it returns, the focus should be on the clubs without secured venues because there are always the trouble grounds.

For those to be identified in the entire brawl, this must be the time for the FA to prove that it has the teeth to bite.

 By Andrew Nortey