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It was a Fabulous holiday in Oseikrom
Correspondent: David Kyei, Kumasi
4th July 2007
The 47th Republican day was celebrated in a grand style last Monday in Kumasi when Kotoko supporters in the Ashanti Region decided to use the occasion to celebrate the club’s successful annexation of the GHALCA/ ONEtouch top four trophy.
Circle members came from towns such as New Edubiase, Bekwai, Obuasi and Konongo to join their colleagues in Kumasi, the convening point at the forecourt of the Manhyia Palace starting bubbling with supporter activity as early as 6am.
Dressed in their famous red attires, they took to the streets of the environs of the palace in smaller groups to create awareness and also remind those who might have forgotten about the programme.
Music was fully provided to enhance the moral of the supporters who were by the time the procession started fully charged for the day.
With a mobile sound spinner in the front and a brass band at the rear, the long distance procession kick started from Manhyia through Ash-town, Mmrom, Bantama, Abrepo junction, CPC and ended at the Santos Park at Kroforom, where a rally was held to run off the day’s activity.
Prominent in the procession was the 2007 top four trophy that Kotoko won after playing one of their best games in recent times.
Carried high on the head of a supporter atop the team’s Toyota Civilian Bus, the trophy became the centre of attraction as fans along the streets of the floated had a glimpse of it, whilst others too went a step further by taking photographs of it with their mobile phones.
It was also not uncommon to see people rush out of their shops and homes with ecstasy to join in the float, and especially join in the brisk tanking that were being churned out in the streets of Kumasi.
Fans who for one reason or the other could not join in the float did a lot of good to those on the float when at places such as Ash-town and Bantama, people freely bought water and some fan milk products and threw them into the dancing crowd.
The scramble for the donated products also heightened the fun of the day with many increasing the tempo of their dancing to attract the attention of the donors, who by the way they threw their gifts showed that they were interested in rewarding those who danced their hearts out.
Some taxi drivers that were plying the routes of the float also joined in the fun with the honking of their horns to the rhythm of the music being played.
Speakers took turns to address the rally with the need for unity and dedication on the part of supporters running through their speeches.
They also congratulated and thanked the team for bringing good smiles on the faces of supporters with a vintage performance in the just ended GHALCA/ ONEtouch top four competition.
According to one of the main organizers of the day’s programme, Yaw Mensah, “it was prudent that we undertook this exercise today to reassure all our supporters that all was well with the team and that we should close our ranks to be able to effectively achieve much in the club”
Adding his voice to that of the former, the chairman of Circle 4 of Bantama, Twum Berimah, ascribed the success of the club in the top four competition to the air of unity that freely blows through the club now.
“Since the achievement in the top clearly points us to the need for us to be united, I will ask all supporters of the club to join in the unity bang wagon, so that together, we take the club to the expected height that we deserve”
Security for the trophy was provided by a member of the Zongo circle X who gladly responds to the name ‘Don’t go there!’
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