May 9 Stadium Disaster: Retired referee Wilson Sey charges GFA to invest in educating football fans

Retired Ghanaian referee, Jacob Wilson Sey has charged the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to invest in educating football fans on the laws of the game to avoid future stadia disasters.

Having been at the centre of the infamous Hearts of Oak v Asante Kotoko clash on May 9, 2001, that resulted in a disaster leading to the death of 126 fans, the referee is the first to condemn violence of any kind in football.

Speaking to Class FM on Monday when the May 9 Stadium Disaster was commemorated, referee Wilson Sey stressed that to avoid such occurrence in the future, the football association should invest in educating fans of clubs on the rules of the game.

“We are not making efforts to educate them. That is it. With the education, the referees association cannot do it because they don’t have the funds to do it. The referees association is just a voluntary association and it’s costly to do such education.

“The FA is in a good position to solicit for sponsorship to do that. Even if you don’t want to do that just make an arrangement for some of the retired referees to be attached to the clubs. They won’t take anything, they will be happy to be there to educate them,” retired referee Wilson Sey said.

Despite the annual commemoration of the May 9 disaster at the Accra Sports Stadium, some Ghanaian fans have not learned.

Just last weekend, some hooligan fans attacked Nsuatreman FC and Tamale City FC after games in the National Division One League.

The Ghana FA has been urged to crack the whip by serving stiffer punishments to clubs of these fans to serve as a deterrent against such barbaric acts.