Return to basics to make Lions roar again
The fortunes of our Lions hit rock bottom after our early exit from the Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup. Change is critical if Singapore is serious about assembling a team to be proud of.
The solution lies in going back to basics, by improving the standard of the S.League.
Pragmatic Singaporeans, who are no different from football fans anywhere in the world, would pay for good entertainment. The poor atmosphere of near-empty stadiums affects the players, who struggle to motivate themselves to perform. It is time the Football Association of Singapore stops the rot (“Time for local football leaders to shape up or ship out”: Nov 29).
The S.League must realise that it cannot compete with live telecasts of the English Premier League, so it is foolhardy to hold our domestic games on Saturday or Sunday evenings.
Matches should be switched to Friday nights, so that spectators can unwind at the end of the working week. This leaves the weekends free for them to also support their favourite English clubs.
To attract better players from overseas and convince more locals that a football career is feasible, an injection of funds is needed from corporate sponsors. Revenue from ticket and merchandise sales can only increase by raising the league’s overall standard.
The quota for foreign players has been reduced to three since the beginning of the 2016 season. On the surface, it appears to be a prudent move to create more opportunities for local footballers.
But for this new rule to benefit the league through the transfer of skills to local players, the foreign signings must be of significantly higher quality.
There is no quick fix for the S.League or the Lions, but the long-term solution lies in returning to fundamental principles.
