Referee Maxwell Hanson to continue the game first 45 minutes due to threat on his life
The Brong Ahafo United Football Club has said they will file a protest to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) following a chaotic incident that brought their Division-One league match-day 27 with Real Tamale United (RTU) to an abrupt end at the Sunyani Coronation Park on Sunday.
This was due to the refusal of Referee Maxwell Hanson to continue with the officiating at the end of the first 45 minutes of the game because of threat on his life by spectators who were throwing stones and other objects from the stands to the field of play.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview on Monday in Sunyani, ‘Major’ Kwame Baah,, the Chief Executive Officer of B /A United said Referee Hanson told them he would continue the game at 1000 hours of Monday, but did come when his players had reported to the field.
He stated that the club had 24 hours to file the protest because both players and officials waited for 45 minutes from the 1000 hours but Referee Hanson and his two assistants, the match commissioner and the RTU players and officials did not report to continue the second half of the game.
Consequently, the protest is expected the GFA to swiftly sit over the case in a fair and just manner to declare the B/A United winners with three points, three goals in accordance with the rules of the game, Major’ Baah indicated.
An eye-witness narrated to the GNA that the premature end of the match resulted from an unjustifiable penalty awarded by Referee Hanson in favour of RTU.
According to the eye-witness who pleaded anonymity, the fourth match official (referee) alerted Referee Hanson that the penalty was unwarranted and accordingly he (Referee Hanson) rescinded his decision.
The reversal of the penalty decision by Referee Hanson allegedly ignited the anger of the RTU players and supporters which brought about the stone-throwing to the pitch, he added.
Another eye-witness who also spoke on condition of anonymity alleged wheelbarrow pushers were supplying the stones with their wheelbarrows, saying that escalated the “flying of stones” from all angles that compelled security men present to fire warning shots to disperse the irate spectators.