Story: Zakaria Alhassan & Vincent Adedze, Tamale
THERE is no doubt that the people of Tamale love football. Their passion for the game has been manifested in many ways that have ensured that, the ‘‘Pride of the North,’’ Real Tamale United (RTU), has survived the drudgery of the elite division for almost 30 years now without ever tasting the bitterness of relegation.
It was with the same zeal and obsession, coupled with an eagerness to have a complete view and feel of the new ultra-modern Tamale Stadium that saw hundreds of fans troop to the stadium on Sunday (Jan 6) to watch the homester’s Onetouch Premier League match against visiting Kessben FC that ended 2-0 in favour of the Tamale lads.
Some of the eager spectators that included many ladies, however, had to return home because of the frustration and chaotic situation they had to go through in buying tickets at the gates.
In spite of that handicap, the club was still able to gross an amount of GH¢11,300 at the end of the day.
Some of the ladies said they did not patronise league matches previously because the Kaladan Park was too “rough, dusty and uncomfortable” for them.
They said with the construction of the new stadium they were now prepared to invite their friends from the other regions and neighbouring countries where the tournament would not be hosted to Tamale to witness the event.
“We are encouraged by what we have seen here and we like this new stadium; we like sports and this new structure would encourage us more to watch local and international matches here,” they further stressed.
If the honouring of the ninth league fixture at the stadium was to test the facilities and the readiness to play the group ‘‘D’’ matches in the Africa Cup of Nations tournament at the new edifice, then it passed the test.
The only difficulty encountered by the spectators which many of them complained about was the winding queues at the gates. The design at the gates are such that a spectator would have to queue through the three tier handrails to gain access to the stadium.
As a result, those who could not bear the situation went back home while those who managed to go through had to watch only the second half of the match due to the delay at the gates.
According to one of the spectators who could not get access to watch the match, Mrs Azaratu Issah, ‘‘I was in the queue for more than thirty minutes, but unfortunately some people were jumping the queue in the full glare of the security and they did nothing to stop them.’’
Another female fan, Ms Augustina Bawuah, who was lucky to watch proceedings described the stadium as a ‘‘master piece of aesthetic work that should be maintained and protected at all times.’’
The 20,000 all-seater stadium is strategically located on a hill near the forest at the Education Ridge roundabout. It covers an area of 26.834 hectares, about 22,517 square meters. Among the facilities at the ultra modern edifice are a 40-bedroom hostel, VIP stand, a giant electronic score board, press box and dressing rooms.
Some of the awe stricken spectators also described the luscious green turf as very attractive for good football. The state of the art floodlights are also attached to the roof in the stadium.
It is therefore not surprising that the magnificent stadium has become one of the monumental edifices in the metropolis that is attracting many residents and visitors alike to the metropolis.
Most of the people interviewed by this reporter, however, expressed concern over its maintenance and appealed to the Ministry of Education and Sports to put in place an efficient management system to ensure that, ‘‘this monument is properly preserved for the present and future generations,’’ Alhaji Abdul-Karim Yahaya entreated.
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