“Below-average moderate” as I am to grade the overall achievement for the league.
Yes, it provides a chance for any budding footballer to earn a livelihood out of kicking a ball around, also ample of jobs in coaching and club administration, etc.
Despite the constant proclamation as “one of the top 10 leagues in Asia”, it's not hard to see that there's a lot to be done to overcome some teething issues bugging the league.
SENSE OF HELPLESSNESS
Time to time, I have been using this blog to share my thoughts and views on local football scene, I can't help but felt let down that several nagging issues have yet to be resolved.
It's easy to spot a mistake from far, but before we can tackle that problem, how and where are we going to make the first step?
Maybe this feedback from a reader on one of previous entries sums up the best.
“Well, it is always easy to give 'suggestions' while watching from far. One never know how these suggestions will turn out until he/she is in the position to implement them."
THE URGENCY OF REBRANDING
Took this picture at my workplace.
Those faded cut-out are mascots of those founding clubs that formed the S.League, way back in 1996.
As illustrated, the league seriously need a major re-branding exercise for what as mentioned in the quote below (from a facebook contact).
"Sleague is like a "super good quality" mp3 player that no one wants to buy. And if no one wants to buy, this product is a poor product and it's a failure. No matter how you want to explain that this Sleague mp3 player is better than Ipod, if it dun sells, it sucks"
STOP “MAKING BELIEVE” OURSELVESIf you recall years ago when Tanjung Pelepas, a port in Johor, near Tuas, started out, what was the stance by PSA, our port operators? They don't give a damn!
The red plot is where Tanjung Pelepas Port isBut when big boys like Maersk, Evergreen shifted to this new start-up in south-west Johor, PSA realized that something needed to be done to arrest the issue, before more would follow the suit then.
Similar situation like this is facing the league now!
Noh Alam Shah (above) retracted his statements weeks after his outburst before heading to Arema Malang.The league authority should stop “make believe” itself and take a hard look at some of the problems mentioned by Noh Alam Shah prior to his departure to Indonesia.
(P.S: Although, there was a U-turn by Alam Shah over his outburst in late October following some “clearing air” session with FAS, I still felt significant damages had been done.)
GET THE BASIC RIGHT, KIDS!I was at the
H-Two-O futsal challenge.
A look at the way most teams played had concluded my view that most youngsters still lacked the basic fundamental skills to play the game.
No thanks to the "kiasu" mentality that we seen those "kick-and-rush" in futsal courtsLike mentioned earlier, the five-a-side version is the best place to hone skills like controlling, passing, etc.
However, those "kiasu" type of football on that day had actually turned me off.
The point is, if you cannot get your basic right from the start, how are you going to progress and improve your game?
SELF-EXPOSUREOnce at a pre-season friendly, I asked a club chairman on his thoughts of engaging the community where his club is based.
"Definitely, we're looking into it (community outreach), but first we got to improve our football before we can take about it." he said.
The point of view of this chairman is that result means everything, and you can't convince fans to come back to the stadium when the football is not up to mark.
There's only this much I can do, as mainstream media is still the essential to drive the awareness at this stage, while "alternate" media remains a compliment component (I can't recall who snapped this picture of me, but thanks).However, at a post-match press conference which I attended many months later, another school of thoughts surfaced.
"Tell me if football in Indonesia and Malaysia are better than what we offered?" the coach asked.
"It's about exposure." he offered that opinion when those in room disagreed.
"While I was in Indonesia, a friend of my who is a coach of a club kept receiving calls from reporters asking this and that.
"Because of this (exposure), it helps to make people follow the league since it's on the newspapers every day, and there will be crowds to see the games because people read, want to know and so they follow.
"Players' performance will definitely be lifted, since they're playing in front of big crowds." he concluded.
THE BLAME GAMEThe mass pin-fall after one another since that mass-exodus of top players to Indonesia had turned everybody into an expert on local football.
This group of learnt intellectuals are more than eager to give their point of views to address the deteriorated football scene in Singapore.
Lamenting, bemoaning etc. are part of what I call it a "BLAME GAME".
"The media did not do their part in publicize the local game, they hardly make an effort to generate interest on local football than focus more attention on EPL"
"The constant rescheduling of fixtures has been making so hard for the league to cultivate a pool of loyal fans and media to follow."
(Above-mentioned quotes are summarized of various thoughts, feedback, and not from individual.)To be honest, the league authority did come up with some initiatives to entice fans to come to game on its flagship “Friday Night Football" program, but the respond had been lukewarm since many people, for those who bother, would rather catch the game in their own comfort zone or they aren't aware due to scant media coverage.
Behind the scene - "Friday Night Football"Probably, because the idea of catching live game at the stadium is never a novel idea among the locals.
At the end of the day, it's not hard at all to pin-point a problem but can anyone come up with a feasible solution fast enough?
Such pointing here and there resulted a situation that nobody wants to take the responsibility to kick-start the much-needed changes to the way the game is run in this country.
- The clubs - It seems that since last year after I penned something on fostering a greater sense of belongings in last year's review, things seems to remain largely "status quo" based on the fact that cheering the teams at the games remain the duty of those punters (cursing and swearing in their case) and those of the "official" fans club.
I should stop ranting on this issue as I felt what I suggested is adequate from my point of view and therefore, I rest my case on this issue.
- The fans - should stop moaning the low standard of play and lack of atmosphere at grounds.
You guys have the role to play in hype up the atmosphere at ground by not just quiet sit down at games like attending an orchestral performance.
And more importantly, please pass your judgment only if you're sure you have concrete proof to back you up before you shout “THAT THING"!
CALL CPIB if you want to report that thing, IF NOT SHUT UR FILTHY MOUTH UP!
While I have nothing against them, but I honestly hope those so-called "official" supporters can make it an effort to engage with others at the stadium, and not just limited yourself to one reclusive corner (I constantly shook my head whenever I witnessed those pathetic scene when we played against China and Thailand).
- The media - Now, get out of your comfort zone and rang those potential newsmaker and get them open their mouth to say something.
For quite a while, I have not been touching on the media aspect of the local game, as I felt it's an "using-an-egg-to-hit-the-wall" kind of effort for me to chide these folks.
Although, I must say that at times I was rather disappointed that, for some reasons, TODAY - the main source of local football news provided mainly previews but fewer match reports as compared to previous years.
- The league authority - we appreciate the difficulties you guys encountered when running the league, but constant altering of league fixtures is not a healthy thing to do.
FAS is housed inside Jalan Besar Stadium (who don't know that).
I was once told IF such a thing happened in Europe, clubs have the right to bring the issue to UEFA and disqualify the competition due to irregularities.
Another grouse raised was the late release of fixtures of the recently concluded season, due to the late announcement of the 12th team (DPMM).
We know some changes in the fixture are unavoidable, but too much altering will damage the credibility of the league authority, too, for being unprofessional with clubs not able their season ahead properly.
CONCLUSIONAnd since the league authority had outlined the blueprint to improve the game in Singapore in time when everybody's giving up, let's hope it's something that is sustainable (we would not want to see another "laughing-stock" such as the "GOAL 2010" project).
I was there at the launch of the "Goal 2010" projectThe point is blueprint or project, whatever it is, is simply just a guide to follow, whether the success of it depends on everybody who counted themselves as part of the football community - ARE YOU REALLY INVOLVED?.
It's always easy to point out the short-comings of the whole setup, but at the end of the day are some of the suggestions made by some concerned individuals or group feasible?
If not, I really fear for the day that the league will become a routine chore year in and out just for the sake of it.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTLast but not least, I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who have been providing platform to allow this blog to involve in events I never thought I would.
- SAFFC and FAS (The Asian Champions League, The AFC Cup and The Asian Cup Qualifier)
Those "wonderful guys" of
Soccerpro for another product review opportunity (
Adidas Samba Millenium).
And, most importantly -
YOU - the readers for your kind attention, feedback, comments etc. without which I doubt this blog would have survived this long to voice my concern and thoughts on the game we love so much.
