Thursday, July 30, 2015
Hassan Sunny Earns Recognition. Overseas.
I loved this quote in the Guardian. A Liverpool fan in Malaysia was asked the crowd for the recent circus game, sorry high profile friendly against a genuinely world class football brand, sorry club, attracted such a pants support.
This football genius said Malaysian Liverpool football fans stayed away because 'Liverpool fans are annoyed with the organisers who did not organise the event properly. The fans could not even meet the players.'
I have been going to football for over 40 years and I don't get to meet the players either. But then you have to wonder do they support the club or the players? This next quote, from one of the organisers, is telling. ' After Steven Gerrard’s departure, the attendance certainly dropped as most fans wanted to see him and Sterling as well.'
This is not a dig at EPL teams and their half tired tours of Asia. This time. But rather the role players play in promoting the game and their club.
Take a tweet from Hassan Sunny, the Singapore goalie playing for Army United in the Thai Premier League. He said there is 'so much love from the fans/people here. Unbelievable! Me or football players will never get all this in Singapore'.
Why is this? Why does a country with such a passion for football not have its own heroes? Why aren't the likes of Sahimi, Hassan and Safuwan praised to the hilt, promoted and turned into role models for young Singaporeans? Kids love stars and Singaporean kids are no different, just check out the wannabes on the metro there with their Liverpool/Man Utd replica shirts boasting names like Gerrard and Rooney.
Why isn't anyone doing their bit to develop a generation of stars? What are the clubs doing? And the FAS? It is almost as if the people who run football don't want players to become bigger than the organisers are. Keep the players in their place, players are after all just workers.
There seems to be talks about turning the SLeague semi professional as no one seems to have a clue about marketing the game. Perhaps those suits should ponder the quotes in this piece and ask themselves the hardest question of all. Why?
This football genius said Malaysian Liverpool football fans stayed away because 'Liverpool fans are annoyed with the organisers who did not organise the event properly. The fans could not even meet the players.'
I have been going to football for over 40 years and I don't get to meet the players either. But then you have to wonder do they support the club or the players? This next quote, from one of the organisers, is telling. ' After Steven Gerrard’s departure, the attendance certainly dropped as most fans wanted to see him and Sterling as well.'
This is not a dig at EPL teams and their half tired tours of Asia. This time. But rather the role players play in promoting the game and their club.
Take a tweet from Hassan Sunny, the Singapore goalie playing for Army United in the Thai Premier League. He said there is 'so much love from the fans/people here. Unbelievable! Me or football players will never get all this in Singapore'.
Why is this? Why does a country with such a passion for football not have its own heroes? Why aren't the likes of Sahimi, Hassan and Safuwan praised to the hilt, promoted and turned into role models for young Singaporeans? Kids love stars and Singaporean kids are no different, just check out the wannabes on the metro there with their Liverpool/Man Utd replica shirts boasting names like Gerrard and Rooney.
Why isn't anyone doing their bit to develop a generation of stars? What are the clubs doing? And the FAS? It is almost as if the people who run football don't want players to become bigger than the organisers are. Keep the players in their place, players are after all just workers.
There seems to be talks about turning the SLeague semi professional as no one seems to have a clue about marketing the game. Perhaps those suits should ponder the quotes in this piece and ask themselves the hardest question of all. Why?
# posted by Me @ 2:30 PM 
