Source:
The Real Singapore
LEAKED: SECRET RECORDING SHOWS ILL-TREATMENT OF S'PORE FOOTBALLERS BY S-LEAGUE CEO
Post date: 13 Nov 2014 - 3:52pm
How are local footballers treated in Singapore? Badly, it seems.
A leaked recording showed a conversation between the S-League CEO and some local players and it was ugly.
The recording showed some astonishing revelations of how our players are treated.
“You had a so-so season. Good thing you didn’t finish last,” S-League CEO Lim Chin told the Tanjong Pagar United Football Club (TPUFC) footballers.
“Although you may be sad but we hope you can see the big picture because the league needs to move forward,” Mr Lim said.
It was recently announced that S-League would be reduced from 12 to 10 clubs.
TPUFC was asked to leave to league.
On November 3, a meeting was held where the S-League CEO and TPUFC chairman Edmund Liew spoke to the players.
The meeting was recorded secretly.
“Two years in the final already, you know? How can you say we are not competitive? We are not last,” a TPUFC footballer asked.
Another footballer asked, “So, what I want to ask is – you come in as a CEO in 2012, right? We are around since 2011."
Mr Lim was appointed as CEO to the S-League only in 2012. He was previously an army officer in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) who held the rank of Colonel (COL) and was also the former Chief of Artillery.
“So, this year we (have been told) to sit out. Because you said despite being stable, the chairman thinks that it’s better for us to sit out for one season,” the footballer continued.
“I just want to know how was that decision (for us to leave) made. Who made that decision? Even if you were to suggest the decision, if the chairman did not consult the club, who is he, for haven’t bringing a single cent for the past four years, to decide?”
But instead of addressing the player’s concerns, ex-army colonel Lim chided the player.
“I don’t think this is the way you speak in front of your chairman.
“Let’s be clear about one thing first.
“One thing is clear is that the chairman of the club, and I mention, committee, is above all of you.
“Nobody is bigger than the club. The chairman takes the club. There must be some rules and structure.
“You are a working staff.
“Each of you have a right (but) the right has only that much.
“There must be a decision maker or decision body in the club. And that is the chairman and the committee."
The footballer retorted: “Then how is that the national committee have no idea (about what the club committee is doing)?”
Apparently, the TPUFC has been successful in raising funds for the club, causing them to fall behind.
“The national committee is not for you to judge,” Lim said.
Lim went on to chastise the players.
“So I think you all need to where you stand as a staff, as a player, as a coach. Do not ever question the chairman on his rule and authority.
“He is a volunteer and they are all volunteers, taking pay to run this club.”
A volunteer who gets paid, it seems.
“Take it from me that of all the chairman, your chairman is the most hardworking of all of them,” Lim said.
“I am just surprised that you say that he is not around."
At this point, the TPUFC chairman Edmund Liu decided to clarify on his regular disappearance.
“As to my own presence,… like you said, I am a businessman, I spend at least one to two weeks travelling overseas. I have an office in Beijing and in fact, I am leaving again this Sunday. I run exhibitions in four different cities dealing with various government departments, various directors…”
The players interrupted him. His detailed description of his life story did not mean anything to them. And their jobs.
“But I did come down to at least shake a few hands,” Edmund protested.
When Lim finally addressed the players’ concerns, he derided them.
“The other thing you need to know is I am in no liberty to explain to you what is transpired in the chairman’s meeting because we are the decision makers,” ex-army officer Lim said.
“I cannot force you to accept every answer that we give you. But we are giving you the truth.
“If you cannot accept the truth, then we cannot help you in anyway."
But the players remained unconvinced.
“Why is it we are the one who is sitting out?
“Are other the other clubs even being considered to sit out?
“Are there any other options for us to sit out, other than sitting out?"
S-League CEO refused to answer.
“It is for us to decide."
“(But) you should ask the club (first),” one footballer demanded.
Another asked, “This decision is made when?”
“I don’t have to reveal this decision to you all,” Mr Lim retorted.
He also said, “The league cannot have a 12-club league next year. We will collapse. If we collapse, then everybody without a club. Then where you want everybody to go?
“You all cannot have everything your way.
“If you know of a better system, by all means, please suggest."
So a footballer did ask, “How about converting the foreign teams into local ones so that the leftover (local) players can still play football?
“By bringing foreign teams in, I don’t think it will be a benefit for local clubs when we need to find national players."
But Mr Lim refused to budge.
“Every proposal, be it foreign clubs or local clubs, there are pros and cons. The S-League has benefited from (foreign clubs),” Mr Lim said.
“The advantage of bringing foreigners into the league … they have raised the standard of playing.
“And if you do not want them, no advantage, no locals can play.
“We understand that some people want an all-local league. But we are not there yet. We need some foreign club to inject the excitement in the league now.”
Mr Lim did not seem at all interested to address the concerns that the players had concerning their jobs and livelihoods.
He decided to speak about the fitness test that footballers have to pass in order to play in the S-League. The footballers have to pass a 2.4km run, similar to the Individual Physical Proficiency Test that national servicemen have to go through.
“All the army boys are doing 9.45 (minutes) to get gold,” Lim said.
“We are not in the army,” a footballer rebutted.
“Doesn’t matter. You are professional footballer, this is the standard at 9.45.
“You must pass at maybe 8.30 to prove that you are doing well."
“8.30 for what? FIFA don’t implement also. Malaysia also don’t have. Sports is about ability, not about age,” a footballer exasperatedly questioned.
“(It’s about) experience,” someone else added.
“(And) the test 2.4 doesn’t actually show your true potential on the field,” one footballer said.
“Is there any other way (other than the fitness test)?,” Lim retorted.
“On the field!,” a footballer exclaimed. He said that the assessment of a quality of a player should be judged by how he played.
“Correct,” the other footballers said in unison.
But Lim decided he could not take the heat and brushed them off.
“Ok lah, I think the fitness test, we have talked enough about it.”
Chairman Edmund waded in, saying, “In anything you do, there are regulations. So if you want to be employed in that company, you have to follow its regulations, whether you like it or you don’t like it."
This caused Lim to add: “You apply for a job, it says you need to have university qualifications. If you don’t have, it’s too bad.”
“If you are a quality player, then go find a club to player."
One footballer asked about merging TPUFC with another club.
“Why cannot merge? … (for) merger, you need basically a boy and a girl to match it other.”
“You must understand the ecological balance,” Lim told the footballers.
But why does the league need to shrink?
“The population of Singapore is reducing. We are not having enough population,” Lim said.
But the truth?
“The league will be reducing subsidies.”
Also, “certain clubs have a certain place in the league.”
There was a pregnant pause after Lim said that.
Lim had finally revealed the honest truth.
The matter was not so simple. TPUFC seemed to have been forced out.
Finally, a footballer asked, “This decision confirmed already, right? 100 percent confirmed?"
Lim said, “You must trust that we are taking the decision in the best interest of Singapore football."
The footballers murmured at that. There was some sniggering.
“Is there no other way?,” another footballer asked.
“It has already been announced officially. It’s all splashed in the newspapers tomorrow morning.
“So, thank you for coming, everyone.”
With that, the meeting ended, and the footballers still did not get the answers they needed.
Meanwhile, their jobs lie precariously hanging.
You can listen to the full 85-minute recording
here.
End Of Article
