Chapter One
Introduces some of the problems confronting the Ghanaian sporting industry today, including corruption, undisciplined and mediocre athletes and sportswriters who pander to their interests, and the problem of player exodus to foreign leagues that drains the life from the domestic soccer scene.
Chapter Two
Traces the history of soccer from ancient times, covering the role of the British Empire in bringing the game to the world. The late growth of the game in the United States is recounted along with the story of the US women’s league. The establishment of football in Ghana is detailed, including early challenges, historical personalities and teams, and the technical development of the league.
Chapters Three and Four
Recount episodes of Ghana soccer’s glorious past, demonstrating that the quality of play in the domestic league was quite spectacular before players started leaving Ghana to play for foreign leagues.
Chapter Five
Describes attitudinal changes necessary to professionalism and suggests measures to promote their development. The exodus of players to foreign leagues is attributed to bad human resource policy, and solutions are suggested in the form of internship and coaching programs to prepare players for second careers as well as the creation of a retirement fund.
Chapter Six
Argues for the formation of a collective bargaining union among sports personnel to set compensation and regulations in contracts. Various issues for negotiation are enumerated, including the need for a benefits package with insurance and retirement plans. The impact of the Bosman ruling on transfers is discussed, with a recommendation that it be adapted to the Ghana context. The chapter ends with recommendations to set up a grievance and arbitration committee to rule on contractual disputes and disciplinary measures, and the imposition of a luxury tax to limit team spending to league standards.
Chapter Seven
Reviews the impact on clubs of legal registration, which creates legal personae distinct from managers and enables fundraising through various financial strategies. The role of government in setting monetary policy is explained along with the recommendation that government free itself from direct support of sports to focus on policies that promote private investment. The inability of government to fulfill its commitments is identified as a factor in the exodus of players to foreign leagues. Several initiatives and policy changes are suggested for adoption by government along with other institutional reforms. The role of sports education and scholarships in developing a professional league is elucidated, along with a plan to link sports education with a proposed draft pool designed to maintain competitiveness in the league. A section on youth soccer development looks at European and Japanese programs as well as FIFA’s Goal Project, ending with a detailed proposal for youth soccer development in Ghana.
Chapter Eight
Discusses the European league’s revenue sharing plan that guarantees income to teams and recommends a similar course for Ghana. The problem of corruption in player transfers and government accounting practices is addressed and the nature of club expenditures explored along with cost-saving measures. An argument is presented for the privatization of the sports sector, followed by a detailed elucidation of strategies that teams can engage in to become financially self-sustaining, ending with an appraisal of the importance of star players to revenue generation as a conclusive argument for privatization.
Chapter Nine
Introduces the worldwide issue of corruption in football and discusses various measures instituted by FIFA to deal with the problem, including the adoption of a code of ethics. Similar measures are proposed to eliminate corruption in Ghana football, including sponsored training for referees.Chapter Ten
Describes how the growth of soccer into a multi-billion dollar industry has led to the development of ancillary services like financial planning, money management consultancies and player representation firms, and evaluates the pros and cons of player representation by professional negotiators.
Chapter Eleven
Is about the world cup. The history of the event is traced from its humble beginnings to its current status as the world’s most prestigious sporting event. The chapter concludes with a eulogy to the world cup and to the game of football, followed by the historical list of world cup winners since 1930.
Chapter Twelve
Presents conclusions and recommendations for changes and new initiatives that address the problems limiting sports development in Ghana, including government policies, the institution of an award and merit system, training programs for administrative and technical staffs, capital expenditures and a development program for stadiums and facilities, and a strategy for building
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