After the fiasco of the abandoned league in 1957, a properly organised national league was launched in March 1958 by the newly elected chairman of the Ghana Football Association.
It was agreed by all that the football association should be the only authority to organise, promote and sanction inter-club competitions and matches throughout the country.
Ohene Djan rounded up the inauguration by stating that the objective of the league was “to provide a constant flow of material for international assignments and provide Ghanaians generally with a well-needed source of relaxation.”
The GAFA selected the strongest eight clubs from the Municipalities of Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi and Cape Coast to play one another regularly on home and away basis, always fielding their strongest available side.
The pioneer clubs were Hearts of Oak and Great Olympics (Accra); Asante Kotoko and Cornerstone (Kumasi); Hasaacas and Eleven Wise (Sekondi); Mysterious Dwarfs and Venomous Vipers (Cape Coast).
Accra Hearts , bent on proving that the gold medal awarded then two years earlier was no fluke, won this first ‘properly organised ‘ league with 21 points. They were followed closely by the two Kumasi clubs, Cornerstone and Kotoko with 20 and 19 points respectively.
At one stage of the competition, Great Olympics were the strong favourites for the league cup as they won most of their away encounters. Sadly they crumbled towards the end of the competition and didn’t live up to expectation.
The proverbial traditional rivalry between Asante Kotoko and Accra hearts of Oak has its roots from the very beginning of the league when their very first fixture on August 24, 1958 in Kumasi was abandoned in the second half due to crowd violence. Hearts were leading 4-3 at the time of the hold up.
Hearts had taken a commanding 3-0 lead at half time through Ofei Dodoo, Charles Kumi Gyamfi and Nii Dowuona but Kotoko scored three times in ten minutes through Kwame Adarkwa, Wilberforce Mfum and Fred Akuffo on resumption. Ofei Dodoo made it 4-3 for Hearts when a clash of heads involving Hearts goalkeeper Addoquaye Laryea and Kotoko defender Moro Gago brought fans unto the pitch.
The league management Committee blamed the crowd for disrupting the match and ruled that there should be a replay.
Hearts won the replay 5-2 at the Jackson Park on Nov 2, 1958. Kotoko had problems at the back when Opoku Mensah was sacked for rough play and Kwaku Tawia was carried off the pitch with injury. Hearts players were carried shoulder high for that convincing victory.
Hearts, (by now, popularly known as The Phobians ) a nickname given to them by their vociferous supporters, were crowned Ghana’s first league champions on November 16, 1958, five days after their 47th birthday. Asante Kotoko almost spoiled the party by defeating The Phobians 4-2 on the final match day at Accra Sports Stadium but the results of the match didn’t matter, The Phobians had already won.
Baba Yara scored first for Kotoko in the 15th minute and Adu Darko replied from the spot 10 minutes later. Fred Akuffo restored the lead for Kotoko also from a spot kick and Agyiri-Fynn leveled matters for hearts before half time.
The anti-climax was a free for all fight after the match between the players and among the supporters. Massive police protection was necessary before the Kotoko players could enter the dressing room.
Mr H. P. Nyemitei, then President of Accra Hearts of Oak, in a public statement condemned what he described as , “the shocking attack on the Kotoko players and supporters.” He recalled that when Hearts were attacked in similar fashion in Kumasi he also condemned the action. “I cannot condone this just because it comes from my camp,” he said.
To curtail further incidents of this nature, he suggested the formation of a Union of National League Clubs which he hopped would improve relations between all league clubs.
It took a decade before Mr Nyemitei’s suggestion was considered by the clubs when a national league Clubs Association (OGLCA). It is now known as The Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA), a powerful affiliate of the Football Association and caters for members in distress.
The exciting discoveries in the historic 1956 league were Aggrey-Fynn of Hassacas, Duncan of Vipers and Kwame Adarkwa of Asante Kotoko who later played for the Black Starts in the early sixties.
Cape Coast Venomous Vipers set an unenviable record for not winning a single match in the competition.
Culled from: Complete history of Ghana Premier League (1958-2012) by Ken Bediako
