S'pore seek to pull out of ACL

[metalslug]

http://www.the-afc.com/en/tournamen...eague/30653-singapore-seek-to-pull-out-of-acl

S'pore seek to pull out of ACL
Monday, 04 October 2010
AFC Champions League

The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has withdrawn its application for direct participation in the AFC Champions League 2011-2012.

FAS chief Zainudin Nordin explained in a letter to AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam that the Singapore governing body of football would seek direct entry to the AFC Champions League at an “opportune time under the right circumstances in the near future”.

Nordin said it was difficult for the FAS to meet one of the revamped ACL’s criteria that the top league of any national association should not contain any foreign teams.

“We concluded that due to our current lack of critical mass in key areas such as talent pool and resources, there is still a pressing need for us to continue having foreign teams participating in our league, to help address these gaps in our game and safeguard the sustainability of our league in football excellence, commercial and financial terms,” wrote the FAS President.

Nordin pointed out that the purpose of having foreign teams in the S-League was to inject “more excitement and competitiveness for our fans, expose our local teams and players to various styles of play, secure non-Singapore sponsors and attract more fans, especially those from the expatriate community residing and working in Singapore”.

The FAS President assured that AFC’s views on foreign teams in the S-League would be taken into account and the FAS would be working along those lines for improving the league.

Consequently, the AFC’s Special Mission Team’s inspection of the S-League clubs and their facilities, which was due to be undertaken from 12-17 October, has been cancelled. However, a workshop with the participation of all the S-League clubs, S-League, FAS and relevant government officials will be conducted though the date has not yet been set.

 

[cocobobo]

haha knew this would happen...

s-league winners: french team

they're foreign, cant play in asia CL, so we select the singapore cup winnner: ooops french team...

ok so we select league cup winner... ooops french team also

 

[ChaoPappyPoodle]

This goes to show the kind of pathetic useless people that the PAP regime enlist in high-up positions within our society and economy.

What FAS should have done is to force foreign teams to have at least 4 local players in their team before allowing them to join the S-league. Further, these foreign teams should set up as local teams with a 5-year plan in store.

Withdrawing from a high profile competition is just laughable. Noordin should look for another cushy job as he is obviously wearing shows that are too big for him.

 

[eErotica69]

When I first read the heading, the thing that immediately came to my mind is "KNNBCCB, FAS joh simi lan chow, what shit are they thinking?? F**k FAS" After all, ACL is the most prestigious competition in Asia and it gives Singapore teams good exposure to top Asian Top Club soccer. Also this year, SAFFC did well to beat and draw with a China club, so Singapore will not be the whipping boys. So why withdraw? Are they nuts? We should vote Mah Bow Tan out (he is still FAS Chairman, right?)

But after reading the content, I reckon that it makes sense.

Look, whether we like it or not, the Foreign clubs add interest and standard to the S-League. Without the Foreign Teams, we have lesser supporters, i.e the FTs and also lesser compeition for the top local clubs. Like the French Team, it gives the top Singapore clubs a run for their money. Now SAFFC, Home, Geylang and Tampines now knows that they are good, but Etoile is better!! They just have to improve to beat Etoile. That is good for Singapore soccer!

Of course the arguement would be, wouldn't SAFFC or Home or Tampines or Geylang be better if they play in ACL. Answer is yes, but then again, only one if not at most two clubs will play in the ACL. So the other local clubs will not improve play other local clubs.

Lastly, not having direct entry into ACL does not mean not playing in ACL at all. After all, for the last 3 years, SAFFC played in ACL via playoff against Thai, Indonesian and Vietnamese teams. So there is still a chance to play in ACL via the playoff. (I cannot confirm this point though)

For armchair critics, is easy for us to criticise. We say that Singapore soccer is lousy, EPL is better, we all should have players like C.Ronaldo, everyone should be Fandi Ahmad... blah blah blah...all Singapore clubs must have standard like Real Madrid, Man U, AC Milan... blah blah blah. But at the end of the day, we don't play soccer, we ask our children to study hard and tell them don't even think of sports as a profession... blah blah blah.... simi lan cheow theory and philosophy... and then we cow pei cow boo in some coffeshop forum that locals are not playing soccer and standard is low!!!! And of course, f**k PAP, what else!!

In conclusion, I think FAS made a good decision based on the constraint that we face in Singapore (small population and most do not take sports as a profession). Let's give credit when it is due!! Well done FAS!!

 

[Alamaking]

Just choose the best finished local team lah, alamak.... why they're so unflexible 1?

 

[eErotica69]

Just choose the best finished local team lah, alamak.... why they're so unflexible 1?

Bro, you missed the point. Please read the article again!

 

[mako65]

Au Revoir ACL! Seems like SAF will also outsource to the French Foreign Legion! Hahaha..

 

[silverfox@]

Look, whether we like it or not, the Foreign clubs add interest and standard to the S-League. Without the Foreign Teams, we have lesser supporters, i.e the FTs and also lesser compeition for the top local clubs. Like the French Team, it gives the top Singapore clubs a run for their money. Now SAFFC, Home, Geylang and Tampines now knows that they are good, but Etoile is better!! They just have to improve to beat Etoile. That is good for Singapore soccer!

Last time only see Tampines, Home, SAFFC, top few and the playing style quite sian. Add in lousy foreign teams, people say why invite lousier foreign teams. So upgrade invite Etoile until local teams had a hard time beating, which I think is good. Always play against lousy teams, how to improve football.

 

[Cestbon]

FAS becoming worst they the one self to blame. Allmost all player in S league are FT.
FAS said they pull out. Actually the ACL give the FAS face to pull out or will force to be kick out.

 

[Ramseth]

“We concluded that due to our current lack of critical mass in key areas such as talent pool and resources, there is still a pressing need for us to continue having foreign teams participating in our league, to help address these gaps in our game and safeguard the sustainability of our league in football excellence, commercial and financial terms,” wrote the FAS President.

Singapore lacks the critical mass to run a professional league in the first place. Might as well close down S-League and forget it. Another alternative is to rejoin the Malaysian league and send in the top few clubs. Under full-joint national association, Singapore clubs wouldn't be considered foreign clubs, just like Welsh clubs playing in the English league can qualify for ECL too.

 

[Cestbon]

Singapore lacks the critical mass to run a professional league in the first place. Might as well close down S-League and forget it. Another alternative is to rejoin the Malaysian league and send in the top few clubs. Under full-joint national association, Singapore clubs wouldn't be considered foreign clubs, just like Welsh clubs playing in the English league can qualify for ECL too.

Agree. Join Malaysia Cup with few team eg. Sentosa, Jurong, Changi as 3 team to compete not one country which Malaysia is a state team not country. When 3 team from Singapore them Malaysia will welcome Singapore team to compete as a league not represent country.

 

[ChaoPappyPoodle]

My suggestion to have the foreign teams incorporate 5 local players within their respective teams is a good one. In addition, the foreign teams are to have a local name/base here. Such a move will help local players to improve which is one of the motivating forces behind the setting up of the S-League. This will also allow local teams to venture into the ACL.

We can reduce our local teams by one or two teams with the players from these teams moving to the foreign teams. What Noordin is saying is rather pathetic and borders on defeatism.

You have PAP enlisted personnel there you can expect nothing good to come out from it and no out of the box thinking to solve problems.

The ACL is Asia's premier club tournament. To be voluntarily remove themselves from the ACL is utter idiocy.

 

[zeebjii]

When I first read the heading, the thing that immediately came to my mind is "KNNBCCB, FAS joh simi lan chow, what shit are they thinking?? F**k FAS" After all, ACL is the most prestigious competition in Asia and it gives Singapore teams good exposure to top Asian Top Club soccer. Also this year, SAFFC did well to beat and draw with a China club, so Singapore will not be the whipping boys. So why withdraw? Are they nuts? We should vote Mah Bow Tan out (he is still FAS Chairman, right?)

But after reading the content, I reckon that it makes sense.

Look, whether we like it or not, the Foreign clubs add interest and standard to the S-League. Without the Foreign Teams, we have lesser supporters, i.e the FTs and also lesser compeition for the top local clubs. Like the French Team, it gives the top Singapore clubs a run for their money. Now SAFFC, Home, Geylang and Tampines now knows that they are good, but Etoile is better!! They just have to improve to beat Etoile. That is good for Singapore soccer!

Of course the arguement would be, wouldn't SAFFC or Home or Tampines or Geylang be better if they play in ACL. Answer is yes, but then again, only one if not at most two clubs will play in the ACL. So the other local clubs will not improve play other local clubs.

Lastly, not having direct entry into ACL does not mean not playing in ACL at all. After all, for the last 3 years, SAFFC played in ACL via playoff against Thai, Indonesian and Vietnamese teams. So there is still a chance to play in ACL via the playoff. (I cannot confirm this point though)

For armchair critics, is easy for us to criticise. We say that Singapore soccer is lousy, EPL is better, we all should have players like C.Ronaldo, everyone should be Fandi Ahmad... blah blah blah...all Singapore clubs must have standard like Real Madrid, Man U, AC Milan... blah blah blah. But at the end of the day, we don't play soccer, we ask our children to study hard and tell them don't even think of sports as a profession... blah blah blah.... simi lan cheow theory and philosophy... and then we cow pei cow boo in some coffeshop forum that locals are not playing soccer and standard is low!!!! And of course, f**k PAP, what else!!

In conclusion, I think FAS made a good decision based on the constraint that we face in Singapore (small population and most do not take sports as a profession). Let's give credit when it is due!! Well done FAS!!

for having doubts about who the FAS chief, you have shown us you dont know your football.

AFC is correct.

Local football were doing ok, from amateur to semi-pro to full-fro. it started to decline when people who know nothing about football were put in charge. An example is lack of promotion and relegation.

Worse is the intro of foreign teams. As aleksandr duric recently said in an interview, singapore is so small, it's already so difficut to build loyalty, yet clubs like jurong died or replaced by foreign teams.

Who wants to watch these teams once novelty wears off? Unless big name teams like liverpool paly in the s-league, who is going to bother?

The current stooge that is FAS totally misses the point. A high standard of football will not bring back the fans. If fans simply want high level of football they can just watch european football on tv.

Teams that the fans can identify with will bring them back.

Bring back the malaysia cup, and i will guarantee full house at the sports hub every match night, nvermind if man u or liverpool playing same time.

 

[nato33]

With average attendance of below 1,000, why even bother. This has been a waste of everyone's time and 3rd rate foreign players will never attract fans. Only hardcore gamblers will miss it as its another means of gambling.

 

[Cruxx]

Can we have an all-foreign teams S-League pls? It's the most efficient and pragmatic solution to the dearth of local footballing talent.

 

[laksaboy]

No big deal. Singapore football reached its climax and died in 1994.

Ignore the S-League or any other regional/international match involving the Pussy-Lions.

 

[vamjok]

the moment they pulled out of malaysia cup, i can no longer named any of our national players.

 

[silverfox@]

Local football were doing ok, from amateur to semi-pro to full-fro. it started to decline when people who know nothing about football were put in charge. An example is lack of promotion and relegation.

There are not enough clubs like EPL, ISA to implement promotion/relegation system. If too many clubs then there would be even more amateur clubs being promoted to S-league when another gets relegated

Bring back the malaysia cup, and i will guarantee full house at the sports hub every match night, nvermind if man u or liverpool playing same time.

But wouldn't going back to Malaysia Cup be a step backwards for Singapore football and also Singapore being the foreign club in the Malaysia cup?

 

[Cestbon]

S-League have become Rojak League. If FT player really top class they will not come to Singapore. They will join European country club.
Don't import any FT player. Coach will be fine.
My suggestion. Open to any football club to join S League all player must be Citizen or PR for at least 3 year.
Ony 10~ 12 team will be selected. After selected
1. Each team given $1million budget for the whole year. Extra they have to fine sponsor
2. Winner of the league club will received $5million, 2nd >> $3m, 3rd >> $2m , 4th >> $1. at the end of the season.

$5m winning prize will be very attractive consider each team have about 30 head count including coach and management. Each will have about $150k if they win. Of course main palyer get more and reserved player smaller share.
One year budget total less than $30m for my ideas. But Fucking FAS getting more than $30m funds gettting no where but still thinking of world cup.

 

[eErotica69]

for having doubts about who the FAS chief, you have shown us you dont your football. .

Wow, that is a very sweeping statement! The most you can say I am not updated with FAS committee members...I don't know who is the SGX Chairman, does it mean I don't know how to trade stocks?

AFC is correct.

Local football were doing ok, from amateur to semi-pro to full-fro. it started to decline when people who know nothing about football were put in charge. An example is lack of promotion and relegation.

Worse is the intro of foreign teams. As aleksandr duric recently said in an interview, singapore is so small, it's already so difficut to build loyalty, yet clubs like jurong died or replaced by foreign teams.

Who wants to watch these teams once novelty wears off? Unless big name teams like liverpool paly in the s-league, who is going to bother?

The current stooge that is FAS totally misses the point. A high standard of football will not bring back the fans. If fans simply want high level of football they can just watch european football on tv.

Teams that the fans can identify with will bring them back.

Bring back the malaysia cup, and i will guarantee full house at the sports hub every match night, nvermind if man u or liverpool playing same time.

If you think AFC is correct, then can you explain why Australia is part of AFC? Which geography book says that Australia is part of Asia? Australia wants to be an AFC member because they want to enter into the World Cup Finals without having to play a Southern Americian Team for the play off. For AFC, having Australia to play with Asia Team will boost the standard of Asia soccer! Isn't that the same logic?

Your argument is correct, but you forgot that Singapore lack the critical mass. We can have many local teams, even one constituency one team, but with the limited soccer players, we will trade quality for quantity. Come on, if you are a Tampines fan, would you rather watch Tampines play a Japanese or French team or Tampines play Geylang?

I agree with you on Malaysia Cup. But Singapore should send about 4 or 5 teams and not one. But we can want this and want that. Best is to merge the M and S League to form MS League or even an ASEAN Leauge. But whether FAM or AFF will allow us to join or not, is another issue.