Ghana Premier League big boys Accra Hearts of Oak have decided to adopt the Swedru Park as new home grounds for the 2017/18 season.
The Phobians have been deprived of using their traditional home venue, the Accra Sports Stadium, this new campaign due to renovation works by government and forced to look elsewhere for the new season which has now been confirmed to be kicking off on Saturday March 3.
Speaking to FNN Sports, the Communications Manager for Hearts of Oak, Kwame Opare Addo explained that cost and some favourable factors including accessibility to their fan base after they played a friendly against All Blacks at the grounds last Sunday informed the choice over the Tema Stadium.
He said: “We wanted to use Tema but the Sports Ministry made it pointblank that between us, Olympics and Inter Allies, we will need to cough up GHS35,000 to put that facility into good shape..
“We considered it and gave it a push on Friday but on Sunday when we went to Swedru to play a friendly match against All Blacks, the kind of support and patronage that we enjoyed there and looking at the facility that has a better seating capacity than there is in Tema, we decided to change our focus.
“It [Swedru Park] has a natural turf and the community is so much of an Accra Hearts of Oak so that’s the decision. We want to play our matches at Swedru.”
This Hearts of Oak venue choice is however subject to approval by the Club Licensing Board (CLB).
“We have informed the Club Licensing Board. They have to go there and inspect it and if they give us the greenlight, we will work on the aspects that need work so we play our games there,” Opare Addo added.
Should Swedru be approved for Hearts by the start of the 2017/18 Ghana Premier League, the club will play its first game at the venue against AshantiGold, a match day two fixture.
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Watch the full interview in the video above.
