BoLASEPaKO.COM - A Blog on Singapore Football

Following the recent announcement by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on 9th December, Jalan Besar Stadium (JBS) will become the home ground for both Lion City Sailors (LCS) and Young Lions , featuring a newly-installed natural grass turf. Bishan Stadium (file picture) It is also confirmed that Bishan Stadium (above) will serve as the home venue for the other Singapore Premier League (SPL) clubs, namely Balestier Khalsa and Hougang United, for the remainder of the ongoing 2025/2026 SPL season. "BISHAN - HOME OF TIGERS AND CHEETAHS TILL END OF SEASON": FAS In an email reply to this platform, the FAS spokesperson said: "Bishan Stadium will host the home matches of Hougang United and Balestier Khalsa for the remainder of the 2025/2026 season from January 2026." FUTURE OF HOUGANG STADIUM AND PRSC When asked whether future SPL matches would be held at Hougang Stadium (slated to reopen in mid 2026) or the upcoming 5,000-seater stadium at the Punggol Regional S...

I will not comment on whether Gavin Lee (pictured right) should be given the permanent role as Singapore national team head coach after he successfully guided the Lions to their first AFC Asian Cup qualification on merit on an interim basis. Gavin Lee (Pictured right) Although many cite the argument that he is "a local and knows the system well" as the main reason he should be appointed, I hope this consensus is not merely a result of the ongoing state of euphoria following that historical feat. The irony is, wasn't that a similar argument cited in 2016 when former Singapore striker V. Sundram moorthy took over from German Bernd Stange as the tactician of the four-time ASEAN champions? Despite rising through the coaching ranks since his retirement as a player with Jurong FC in the early 2000s - having acquired enough pedigree by taking charge of S.League clubs like Young Lions and Tampines Rovers before landing in the hot seat - what happened in the end ? At the same tim...

Some time ago, I received some images of a few black-and-white photographs from a member of the family of the late Mr Foo Hee Jong, a defender who represented Singapore during the 1950s. The 1950 MCFA tour contingent arrival at Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong (as credited) One of them was a group photo (above) taken at the Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong. Based on some information gathered, it is likely that the photo had been taken in mid-January 1950, and the contingent was the MCFA (Malayan Chinese Football Association) Sino-Malay team with Mr Foo being one of the members. THE RETURN OF THE HO HO CUP One of the objectives of the tour was to resume the Chinese Interport Football Competition, popularly known as the "Ho Ho Cup" (for sponsorship reasons) - a match that was contested by ethnic Chinese teams representing both Hong Kong and Malaya that traced its roots back to 1928. The MCFA contingent walking on the tarmac of Kai Tak Airport, Hong Kong (as credited) In the middle of...

When ground sharing among Singapore Premier League (SPL) clubs started in 2019, there were mixed reactions from the fraternity. To some fans, the uprooting of their favourite clubs from their allocated home ground was like “losing the sense of identity.” Jurong East - one of the "shared stadiums" (file) After all, when professional football was introduced in 1996, one of the key emphases was community outreach. Clubs were strategically located around the island so that they could embed themselves into the neighbourhoods they represented. LOSS OF COMMUNITY ROOTS AND FAN IDENTITY Take the case of Hougang United. They have been playing their home games at Jalan Besar Stadium (JBS) in recent years after moving out of Hougang Stadium when they were still known as Sengkang Punggol. To this day, the HOOLs, the supporters’ group of the Cheetahs, still identify “Gate 3” as their meeting point. This was the spot near Gate 3 of Hougang Stadium where they congregated directly behind the...