Saturday, December 05, 2015
Disbanding LionsXII Is Kick In Teeth For Fans
So that's it then. Acting with a haste rarely associated with such an august body the Football Association of Singapore have consigned LionsXII to the pages of Wikipedia and the memories of the fans. The team has been broken up and the players will be spread around the remaining SLeague clubs for the upcoming season.
The players of course were quick to praise the FAS...they would do and their fawning support suggests why there will not be a players' union in the country anytime soon. In the last 12 months Woodlands Wellington were merged with Hougang United, Tanjong Pagar were told they were surplus to requirements and now this. That strategic plan is sure coming together nicely.
Say what you like about LionsXII, and for a while I prefixed them with 'the daftly named' but they did attract local football fans, something the SLeague clubs have singularly failed to manage and with that in mind no more than a few days ago in a post I turned turtle on my instincts and suggested they should be kept together for the new season. Sod talk about an ASEAN Super League, keep LionsXII and play them in the SLeague. Keep the supporters who have developed the football-watching-in-the-stadium-bug and let's have some good old fashioned rivalry on the terraces between sets of fans.
But oh no, the FAS dont think along those lines. They come up with an eye catching plan. something guaranteed to attract a few headlines but at the same fail to build on some positive momentum. Them fans who followed LionsXII...what will happen to them? Will they decide to follow their local SLeague side or will they do what their parents and grandparents did back in the mid 90s when Singapore and turn their back on the game...a generation lost forever by cack handed thinking from those people charged with developing the game.
Will those fans now follow Young Lions, or however the younger version is branded next season, will they become 'die hard' fans of Tampines or Geylang. Or will they hang up their scarves and return to rooting for the richest clubs in Europe, turning their back on a local game that has seemingly turned its back on them. Again.
It's a bit like, oh I don't know, Sheikh Mansour buying Manchester City, spending all that money, winning things, attracting new supporters then selling to a guy who runs a fish and chip shop.
The players of course were quick to praise the FAS...they would do and their fawning support suggests why there will not be a players' union in the country anytime soon. In the last 12 months Woodlands Wellington were merged with Hougang United, Tanjong Pagar were told they were surplus to requirements and now this. That strategic plan is sure coming together nicely.
Say what you like about LionsXII, and for a while I prefixed them with 'the daftly named' but they did attract local football fans, something the SLeague clubs have singularly failed to manage and with that in mind no more than a few days ago in a post I turned turtle on my instincts and suggested they should be kept together for the new season. Sod talk about an ASEAN Super League, keep LionsXII and play them in the SLeague. Keep the supporters who have developed the football-watching-in-the-stadium-bug and let's have some good old fashioned rivalry on the terraces between sets of fans.
But oh no, the FAS dont think along those lines. They come up with an eye catching plan. something guaranteed to attract a few headlines but at the same fail to build on some positive momentum. Them fans who followed LionsXII...what will happen to them? Will they decide to follow their local SLeague side or will they do what their parents and grandparents did back in the mid 90s when Singapore and turn their back on the game...a generation lost forever by cack handed thinking from those people charged with developing the game.
Will those fans now follow Young Lions, or however the younger version is branded next season, will they become 'die hard' fans of Tampines or Geylang. Or will they hang up their scarves and return to rooting for the richest clubs in Europe, turning their back on a local game that has seemingly turned its back on them. Again.
It's a bit like, oh I don't know, Sheikh Mansour buying Manchester City, spending all that money, winning things, attracting new supporters then selling to a guy who runs a fish and chip shop.
# posted by Me @ 1:31 PM 
