Friday, December 02, 2011
Singapore League Cup
I’ve never been a fan of the League Cup. In a season of 33 league games (28 next season) plus the Singapore Cup I have always felt this is a competition too much on the crowded calendar but I don’t call the shots and no one listens to me so who cares?!
With the revamp of the SLeague next season it would be nice if we could also have a revamp of this insignificant little competition.
Cups are about glory they are about the little fish taking on the big fish and embarrassing them. Think Crystal Palace the other night, think York City as well. These sorts of ties bring romance back into what has become a heavily choreographed, regulated game and who doesn’t need a bit of romance now and then?
The Singapore Cup, with its 12 SLeague and four invited foreign teams is fine and should continue as it is. But why not shake up the League Cup. Why not expand it to include NFL teams? For any Americans out there the NFL is not a competition where roughty toughty men shove Tupperware down the body to look bigger and meaner. It is the National Football League, a non professional league run by the FA that doesn’t offer promotion to the SLeague.
Why not invite say four NFL clubs to enter the SLeague. With 16 teams we can do away with the nonsense group stage and have a straight knock out competition. Let’s see clubs like Singapore Cricket Club (great name for a football club) play Geylang United or Eunos Crescent take on Woodlands Wellington with the inherent risk of an upset.
I know Singapore doesn’t like romance and unpredictability. They crave stability neatness and orderliness. But we’re talking about football…give it a shot. You may even find you like it.
