BoLASEPaKO.COM - A Blog on Singapore Football

My colleague was humming this tune (clip above, credit:  insorlow ) to another colleague before I replied, "Road to Wembley, lah!" "It was a time when we were able to watch football (on TV) without paying extra (money)." I continued with that bit of reminiscing feel after listening to that humming of the tune that was played at the start of the iconic program that showcased the highlights of the FA Cup matches back in the 1980s to 1990s on the long-gone Channel 12 – the terrestrial channel that broadcasted most of the sporting programs in those days. WHEN ENGLISH FOOTBALL FIRST CAPTIVATED US It was also during that period when many of my peers first got to know about English football and started to pick a team to follow (with me no exception until I decided to localise wholeheartedly in the early 1990s). How we watched football in the past   Not surprisingly, what we saw in the highlights from the program and those of the weekend's live matches on Channel 12 bec...

The FAS logo at Jalan Besar Stadium years ago I think being the president of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is one of the toughest roles in the republic. Being tasked with helming a high-profile sport like football, one must be a brave person, ready to put themselves under intense public scrutiny. After all, have we not seen over the years that whosoever holds this position is put to task when things are not going our way? A ROLE THAT DEMANDS RESILIENCE Of late, a report by The Straits Times stated that Lion City Sailors owner Forrest Li is "seriously considering" the presidency of the local game's governing body. Since nothing is confirmed at this stage, it is premature to draw any tangible conclusions. What do fans think However, given the high-profile nature of the role, one must constantly be in the spotlight, prepared to brace and face challenges from all directions. It is definitely not a role for someone who is accustomed to staying low-profile. A L...

I was thrilled to receive my copy of " Roy of the Rovers " which I bought online recently (image below). A browse through the pages of this hard copy that compiled the best of its 1970s collection brought back some of my childhood memories when I first came across this comic strip during my primary school days. A hardcopy of "Roy of The Rovers" Like how boys these days are glued to their handhelds, many in the yesteryears were looking forward to the latest development of the exploits of the main character " Roy Race " and " Melchester Rovers " the fictional football team managed by him. Those first few copies I read were found in my school library, and since then it has been a futile effort to grab hold of them despite years of scavenging among those discarded collections or any secondhand book stores I can think of. Honestly speaking, hardcovers like the one shown are not that cheap, but a chance to savour that bit of childhood memory is pricele...

Singapore coach Tsutomu Ogura   It is not uncommon to hear the chorus of disapproval from the masses after any less-than-convincing performance from the Singapore national football team . The same thing happened after the Lions concluded their friendly fixtures of late against Myanmar and Chinese Taipei at the National Stadium . Using these two fixtures as a final tuning up before the biennial showpiece, the Asean Championship , aka AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup (AFF ME Cup), Coach Tsutomu Ogura prioritised experimenting with some new tactics and formations, which resulted in a scrappy 3-2 win over the "Chinthe" before succumbing to their third defeat to the Blue Wings on the same scoreline since 2017. A SCRAPPY WIN OVER MYANMAR Understandably, the performances from these two fixtures aren't convincing enough to suggest the four-time Asean champions are ready for the bigger test. Apart from the first half against the Myanmarese, when the Lions took an early lead from F...

The poor performance of Jaguars cannot be tolerated. It is such an appalling sight to see the recent performance of the once-mighty Tanjong Pagar United . Put it bluntly, do the Jaguars still remember they are playing in the top-tier league of this country? One may be forgiven if you occupy the last spot of the ladder, but one cannot be forgiven if efforts on the field failed to convince the others of your determination to turn things around. It was not hard for the critics to come after them again after the recent 6-0 loss to Hougang United , their nearest rivals on the ladder prior to the 1st November fixture. As the league heads for a long recess after this week, Tanjong Pagar United remain the only team in the nine-team league to accumulate single-digit points (8) with only two wins, two draws, and fourteen defeats in the ninth spot. The eighth-placed Young Lions (at the time of writing) already collected 18 points out of the 17 games played. Any layman could easily tell some of th...

Bedok Stadium - former home of Geylang International  The Singapore Premier League (SPL) faces significant challenges due to the limited availability of dedicated stadiums for its clubs. As the stadiums used for SPL matches are also shared by age-group competitions and lower-tier leagues (with some Island Wide League matches scheduled at school fields), this inevitably causes wear and tear on the playing surfaces, which could endanger players' safety and impact the quality of play, making it difficult to maintain competitive standards. Following the uprooting of some clubs from the stadiums where they were once based, it has become increasingly difficult for these SPL clubs to conduct meaningful community outreach within the localities they are meant to identify with. For instance, Geylang International, which used to call Bedok Stadium home until the end of the 2018 season, now plays at Jalan Besar Stadium while their designated home ground at Our Tampines Hub undergoes repairi...

Lions Head Coach Tsutomu Ogura The Singapore national team wrapped up their training camp in Japan with one win and two defeats to the J1 clubs they sparred with. Apart from the 2-1 victory over Tokyo Verdy, the club where Lions coach Tsutomo Ogura worked as assistant manager prior to his appointment to the current role in early February, the four-time Asean champions succumbed to heavy losses to FC Tokyo (4-0) and Yokohama F. Marinos (7-1). PREPARING FOR THE AFF MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CUP The motive of the camp is to gear the team up for the upcoming AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup , which is scheduled to commence on 8 December. The outcome of these friendlies should not be surprising, given the wide gulf in footballing standards between the Republic and Asia's number one. REALITY CHECK FOR THE LIONS This notion was fittingly expressed by Coach Ogura in his assessment with The Straits Times when he told the broadsheet: "Before this, they (Singapore) had a feeling of how big the g...

The Lion City Cup Trophy  I will not comment on the performance of the team that represented Singapore in the recently concluded Lion City Cup (LCC) tournament, as I did not watch any of the four matches played in the competition that helped to inspire the creation of the FIFA U16 World Cup in 1985. I remembered the first LCC I watched was the 1991 edition in which the final I witnessed an impressive Myanmar U16 defeated their Singapore counterparts at the Toa Payoh Stadium which was packed to the rafters. I witnessed a Singapore victory years later when they beat Hong Kong 1-0 at the old Jalan Besar Stadium in 1995. The blogger took part in the 2011 LCC draw (picture credit: Red Card) I had the honour to draw Juventus U16 squad to Group A which comprised of their Newcastle United counterparts and the Singapore U15 squad in the 2011 tournament (as pictured above). Since 2015, including the recent editions of 2023 and the recently concluded tournament won by J1 League club Toky...

"This is, after all, just an artist's impression," I told myself as I looked at the image depicting the football stadium in the upcoming Toa Payoh Integrated Development Project , plastered on the hoardings surrounding the site where the Toa Payoh Stadium  once stood. The mural of the football stadium From the mural, it appears that the stadium will be somewhat similar to Our Tampines Hub (OTH) , except there will be a spectator stand behind one of the goalposts positioned near the Pan Island Expressway (PIE).  However, it remains unclear whether a similar arrangement will be made for the area facing the main stand or behind the goalposts near Toa Payoh Lorong 6, based on the drawing. THE CHALLENGE OF MULTI-PURPOSE SPACES Given how the "Town Square @ OTH" (the football field at OTH) is utilised, it wouldn't be surprising if football has to compete with other activities once this integrated development, scheduled for completion in 2030, is finished. Meanwhi...

Just shut up if you know nuts I would be more than happy to share insights on Singapore football with anyone interested in learning more about it. However, if someone holds a biased and prejudiced opinion of the local game, I will not engage in conversation with such individuals. These individuals often use the topic of local football as an icebreaker, with the ulterior motive of belittling something they know nothing about. Such behaviour is disrespectful to the unsung heroes who are working hard to improve and rectify the situation of Singapore football. The last thing Singapore football needs is to be frowned upon by those who still harbour thoughts of making sarcastic remarks for amusement. Just stay quiet; no one will think you are dumb. Thank you. - 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎'𝒔 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍 -

Speechless when see those comparing I am not sure if you have noticed this trend, which I personally consider unhealthy. Often, in nostalgic-themed social groups or forums, people share various forms of media to reminisce about the good old days. Unfortunately, some use this opportunity to compare the past with the present. We often hear remarks like "the present cannot be compared with the past" or "past generations were much better." I must be blunt here and say that comparing is not only unhealthy but also, to a certain extent, TOXIC. While past generations had their achievements, we should not discredit those who came after them just because of the challenges we face now. Let us remember this: Nazri Nasir lifted Singapore's first international major honour - the Tiger Cup in 1998. One of his predecessors, Samad Allapitchay, lifted the Malaysia Cup in 1980. Do you see the difference? - 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑...

Sometimes, self-restraint online is a must The rise of social media has made it possible for anyone to express their opinions on open platforms, a significant change from the past when only industry experts or Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) would be quoted or comment on relevant topics. MAINTAINING EMOTIONAL BALANCE IN ONLINE DISCUSSIONS However, it is equally crucial to occasionally step back and reflect on how we convey our thoughts online. I have noticed that individuals often become excessively emotional when debating a fiercely contested topic, which can sometimes lead to personal attacks . I firmly believe in engaging in debates constructively and avoiding excessive emotional involvement. THE IMPORTANCE Of CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT At the same time, it is essential to be accountable for your words and the potential repercussions they may have. Recently, I encountered a post online that I considered inappropriate. In essence, the tone and language used were undesirable and could expo...

Coach Ogura having some thoughts at a training session? Is it too early to conclude anything from just two games after Tsutomu Ogura took charge? Probably in some cases but judging from the sentiments from the public, things are looking positive when fans lauded the performances of the Singapore national team after their two recent World Cup Qualifying matches against China. Despite having drawn 2-2 at home before losing 4-1 away to the Chinese, the Lions put up spirited displays against the team that is ranked 88th on the FIFA ranking (as of the time of writing). The wild celebration ignited by Jacob Mahler's equaliser at Kallang on 21st March was matched by the fist-clenching moment for the soft penalty given to the Chinese in Tianjin that resulted in the hosts taking the lead and propelled them to a face-saving win. Both The Straits Times and CNA praised the performance of the Lions despite the defeat in the third largest municipality of China. "The Lions put up a brave...

Singapore claimed its first World Cup Qualifiers point with this draw This post will wrap up the largely euphoric sentiment following our 2-2 draw with China on the 21st of March at Kallang. One can sympathise with the players for their joy when Jacob Mahler levelled the game, especially after a tumultuous period under Takayuki Nishigaya , the former coach. It was like a huge relief, finally being able to breathe properly. Although Nishigaya's successor, Tsutomu Ogura , was quick to express his displeasure at that celebration , which resulted in one of the corner flags being damaged in the process, during the post-match assessment after his first game in charge. In his opinion, the former Japan assistant coach felt the celebration was premature while the game was still ongoing. Encouraging start for Coach Ogura (left) I am sure the same message was relayed to the team immediately after the game in the dressing room. I am not sure if this result can be compared with that famous goa...

The recent no-show by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in Beijing and Hong Kong respectively had yet again got people asking if staging friendly games in this part of the world featuring high-profile marquees like the mentioned duo is a worthwhile investment. Leo Messi gave Singapore a miss in 2017 There's no doubt that to boost ticket sales, you need a few crowd pullers, and very often, these tickets aren't cheap, but many fans are still willing to pay a hefty price for them. However, recent games of such nature especially those held after the pandemic suggested fans are not going to splurge like they used to do and are taking a more cautious approach when times are bad. The recent pre-season games featuring a few top-tier European club sides in Singapore neither saw a packed stadium nor were the tickets being snapped up at a frantic pace. Notice the empty spaces in the background of the Liverpool-Leicester game in July 2023? Furthermore, those marquee are susceptible to...

How things got worse for Singapore football (AI-generated image) [Quora] - WHY HAS THE SINGAPORE NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM BEEN SO ATROCIOUS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS? There were a few opportunities in the past when we could have built on after winning those ASEAN titles . It should have been a natural progression to see us move forward to compete with the rest of Asia rather than remain in stagnancy at the ASEAN level. Unfortunately, the participation of “Lions XII” in the Malaysian League during 2012–2015 seems to accelerate the declining process. Mainly because most of the Singapore national players during that period played for Lions XII. While there were some successes for the team like clinching the Malaysia League title and the Malaysia FA Cup, it came with a heavy price. During that period (2012–2015), most of the national players did not have a chance to play in the AFC tournaments (i.e.: AFC Champions League, AFC Cup ). As such, these players missed the opportunity to play against v...

Two events in recent days prompted me to jot this note - the Singapore Cup and Tampines Rovers failed to qualify for the AFC Cup . The premier knockout tournament will see the nine teams from the Singapore Premier League (SPL) split into two groups with 5 teams in Group A and the rest in Group B. STAGS FAILED TO QUALIFY FOR A SPOT IN THE AFC CUP  In the meantime, Tampines Rovers found themselves being denied a spot in the continental tournament which they would easily qualify to the knock-out stages in the past when they were beaten 3-2 by Phnom Penh Crown of Cambodia in the qualifying play-off. Stags' coach Gavin Lee faced criticism after failing to qualify for the AFC Cup Ironically, Phnom Penh Crown was one of the many regional invitees in the past to play in the Singapore Cup competition. The above-mentioned tournament, at one point, was dubbed the "Asean Friendship Invitational" because of the participation of club sides from the neighbouring countries. OTHER PRO...

Based on those " recommendations ", it is not hard to tell a thing or two where and why our SEA Games footballers failed to perform up to expectations. Coach Raddy was the last coach to guide Singapore to success • SPL NOT UP TO MARK When one of the findings mentioned 'tournament (SEA Games) was played at an intensity “beyond that of the” SPL.' , it has proven that SPL (Singapore Premier League) does not provide the necessary environment and pace to gear our players to play at a higher level usually demanded at the international levels, be it the SEA Games or any international tournaments. • RADDY ALREADY SAID SO Which the reason why former national coach Raddy Avramovic once said the importance of our clubs to do well in regional tournaments such as the AFC Cup, as players would gain the necessary exposure at club levels by playing in those tournaments and would adapt the pace easily when they came to play for the national team, if selected. • POOR FUNDAMENTALS   On...

I was flabbergasted when I realised how many sectors the organisers are going to open up for the Singapore national team 's upcoming friendly matches against Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Solomon Islands at the National Stadium (check out yourself at the SISTIC site ). Worth the effort for having games here? Gven such a small fraction to be opened up, it would be a challenging task to create the kind of atmosphere most accustomed to an international friendly, especially the spot where some of the most passionate supporters usually congregate is not one of those to-be-opened sectors. HAVING A WHITE ELEPHANT IN THE HOUSE Based on the seating plan, only a few sectors surrounding the "players' tunnel" are open for sale, and mind you those limited slots are located at the lower tier of the 55,000-seat facility. While there is a desire to see more of the Lions' matches to be staged at the National Stadium , the limited seats available for sale will make the place look lik...

Invitation to UTR! Townhall at Suntec (credit: UTR! FB ) To begin with, we have to admit that "Singapore football is in a state of stagnation" as a way to acknowledge and have a consensus on the problem that will allow us to start from a common ground. I believe one of the keys lies in making those in attendance for t he upcoming Unleash The Roar! Townhall session to feel at ease at the venue, enabling them to contribute constructively to the cause, as some individuals may feel nervous and hesitant to speak up openly, unlike when they are typing on a keyboard. MODERATING - A KEY FACTOR IN TOWNHALL This is why I think both the moderator in the townhall, if any, and the agenda of the day play a crucial role during the whole event. Some fans suggested the scheduling of the townhall session on a Thursday (25/5) night at Suntec City can be a challenging one, as compared to having it on a weekend.  Additionally, part of the proceedings included updating the floor on the progress ...