Profiling Oly’s League winning squad of 1974 (Part 1)
Some time ago, I started profiling the members of the mighty 1974 Ghana Premier League winning squad of Accra Great Olympics.
Let me by a way of recap relate their names.
Awudu Nelson, Dong Bortier, Billy Lomotey, Shittu Mudah, Joe Amartey, Skipper Awuley Quaye, Pee Lartey, Mike Akorli, John Taylor, Oblie Hammond, Christian Madus, Anthony Mensah (Wang Yu), Edward Boye, Ahmed Yakubu, Adolf Kissi, Jonas Adjei, Ago Nai, Emmanuel Adjei Kingson, Seth Amartey , George Alhassan, Abeka Ankrah, among Others..
Today, two of these gallant players will be featured in the series.
Let me start with Billy Nii Armah Lomotey (aka Paa States). He joined Great Olympics in 1972 and featured predominantly for the reserve side, Oly Dade.
He was promoted to the regular side in 1974, to take over from the veteran Edward Boye, the ‘Rock of Gibraltar’.
During the Novelty League in 1977, an impasse ensured between himself and the club. As a result, much of him was not seen during the season.
However, when Mr John Mensah was appointed as the Chairman of the club in 1978, the issue was resolved, and Billy came back to join his colleagues.
In 1979, he was instrumental in bringing a young and versatile goalkeeper in the person of Samuel Laryea Korley (aka Okalla) from Akotex to the club.
Unfortunately, mid-way through this season, Billy had another impasse with the club.
Tried as everyone did, Billy never associated himself with the club again.
He, however, never featured for any Ghanaian club.
He eventually left for the USA, where he domiciled till his demise in 2023 at the age of 70.
There was also Joe Amartey (aka Shime), who was recruited at the beginning of the 1974 season from Agona Fankobaa.
Indeed, he came in against all odds to take the position of a strong and stalwart defender, Seth Amartey, who had joined the club a year earlier from our arch rivals, Accra Hearts of Oak, and had performed creditably.
Be informed that Joe Amartey was the only player who maintained a regular position vis-a-vis the various changes associated with the defence set ups during the season under review.
The first set up had Edward Boye, Awuley Quaye, Joe Amartey and Haruna Musah. The second set up had Billy Lomotey, Awuley Quaye, Joe Amartey and Haruna Musah with the likes of Billy Lomotey, Shittu Mudah, Joe Amartey and skipper Awuley Quaye making the third and final set up.
The above set ups have corroborated the fact that in spite of the movements, Shime was the player to maintain a permanent position at the right half back (No.4)
He played and kept faith with Olympics till 1979 when he left the club to join Complex Stars which was later reverted to its original owners, to form Accra Super Standfast in 1980.
In 1985, Joe Amartey hanged his boots.
Joe for a very long time, worked with the then Social Security Bank (SG Bank). He is now on retirement enjoying life in his posh apartment at Gbawe, Accra.
Shime, ‘ I Dey Throw You Salute’. Stay tuned for more on the series.
BY JOSEPH BOYE
