Cheers galore as Ramtha bags Jordan Pro League title after close to 4-decade wait

AMMAN — Scenes of celebration erupted in Ramtha after the northern city’s football team brought the Jordan Pro League title home after 39 years of waiting.

Ramtha won the title after a 1-1 draw with Al Jazeera at Amman International Stadium on Thursday. A win or draw was enough to hand Ramtha the title they last celebrated in 1981 and 1982.

Last season’s title holders Wihdat had an easier encounter and beat Aqaba 5-0 to settle for second place. The reigning champs’ only shot at the title depended on Ramtha losing their game. The top two eventually tied in overall points and Ramtha won on head-to-head encounters.

“Ramtha’s team gave an elegant performance characterised by short and accurate ground passes, relying on the skills of elite attackers who delighted us with beautiful and enjoyable football,” a fan of the club and a close spectator of the league, who chose to be anonymous, told The Jordan Times. 

Al Hasan Abu Ghaneemah, another fan of the Ramtha team, expressed his satisfaction with the result. 

“We are very satisfied with Ramtha’s steadiness throughout the season, keeping a good pace in their physical and technical performance despite changing the club’s manager three times through the league,” Abu Ghaneemah told The Jordan Times. 

“Since I was not born when the club got the title around 40 years ago, this was a very special celebration for us,” he added.

Al Wehdat fans were not satisfied with the team’s performance, according to Tareq Sallam, a fan of the team. 

“There is no doubt that Al Wehdat’s fan base always has high expectations due to the history of the club in achieving championship titles, the team’s preparation for the season, and the availability of important team players,” he told The Jordan Times. 

From a technical point of view, Esam Abu Shihab, Associate Professor in the faculty of Sport Science and Head of Physical Education Department at Mutah University, told The Jordan Times that Ramtha deserves the title in respect of the nature of the Jordanian Pro League. 

Abu Shihab expressed his pride in the club’s investment in its players over the last four years.

“With patience and fan base support, the four-year plan unexpectedly paid off".

Regarding other clubs in the league, Abu Shihab said that this victory is important to break the binary between Al Wehdat and Al Faisaly clubs “by allowing new teams to compete for the title”. 

Sarah Haddadin, a sports enthusiast on social media platforms, agreed with Abu Shihab. 

“The Jordanian League proved its high competition by making us anxiously wait till the final round to know who will bring the title home. It is a great achievement for Ramtha to grab the title after eight years of it going to the same teams,” she told The Jordan Times in an interview.

Seif, a close spectator and enthusiast of the Jordanian League, told The Jordan Times how all Jordanian clubs suffered from a major financial crisis due to the repercussions of the pandemic. 

“Although the Ramtha club was deprived of new signings this season due to some complaints, the team was still able to obtain the title, which indicates that determination and will lead to victory,” he added.