FAS trying to find a winning formula
The wait for Fifa to green light the formation of the Asean Super League (ASL) is an anxious one for those who believe the move could change the face of football in the region.
This part of the world is home to some of the most fanatical football fans in Asia, and a new competition involving elite teams from the 11-member Asean Football Federation promises to attract big followings and stoke rivalries that will stir up intense excitement and generate much publicity.
It will, almost certainly, attract "big-brand" sponsors.
I have spoken to Football Association of Singapore (FAS) president Zainudin Nordin on many occasions, but when I met him last week to talk about the future of the local game, his passion and love of the sport were even more animated.
Zainudin and Winston Lee, the FAS general secretary, are working hard to put out a winning blueprint for the ASL.
Charged to lead the drive to form the ASL, the FAS must ensure it stays true to the original intent, if Fifa does sanction the competition.
If Fifa gives the thumbs up, then the ASL must be a top club competition featuring teams with sizeable annual budgets and with star players pockmarked all over South-east Asia.
Zainudin and his team, led by Lee, are going about putting the pieces together for the ASL while also continuing a major review of the S.League, which is about to kick off its 20th season on Sunday.
The FAS has faced a barrage of criticism from many quarters over the state of the Great Eastern Yeo's S.League for some years now.
I have been critical as well, lamenting the standard of football and the poor quality of foreign signings by clubs.
I have complained about dismal fan attendance and expressed dismay over the fitness levels of players.
But, every season, for the last few seasons, the S.League has taken steps to improve the competition.
S.League CEO Lim Chin and his staff actually managed to brighten up the competition last year, but Zainudin's recent announcement of a comprehensive review is bold, and necessary.
He will be criticised for wanting to make changes, maybe even instituting a radical shake-up, when the competition is nearly 20 years old.
But the S.League needs a major makeover.
I know there have been calls at various times for the clubs to be located at and named after precincts - like Ang Mo Kio United and Toa Payoh City - to try and forge a kinship with residents in a bid to boost match-day turnout.
WISH
Many in the local fraternity wish for teams to carry names like Singtel Rovers and StarHub United and DBS City, because they feel it will mean professionally-run clubs who will have financial clout and there will be intense competition because these companies will want to win.
There are those who think the S.League needs to be privatised, while there is a school of thought who wonder if returning to semi-pro status will ease the demands on the local clubs.
In today's environment, I cannot foresee how a return to semi-pro football can improve the standard of the local game.
Almost no one will want to watch matches and I struggle to think of any company which will want to sponsor such a competition.
Even if the FAS decides to field two teams in the ASL and continues with the LionsXII in the Malaysian Super League (MSL), it will be nowhere near enough to form a genuine talent pool for Singapore football's sake.
FAIR CRACK
Perhaps Singapore can field two teams in the ASL and the Courts Young Lions in the MSL, and reduce the number of clubs in the S.League to six local sides and two foreign outfits - from the current total of 10 - to give the domestic competition a fair crack at recruiting talent.
Zainudin was proud that the FAS had been selected to implement the new Fifa Connect platform.
Rightfully so, because it means the world governing body recognises the FAS' abilities and has entrusted it with a sizeable sum of money to develop a global football stakeholder registration IT programme that will gather data from every corner of the world.
If Fifa says yes, the FAS needs to come up with an ASL blueprint and form a new-look S.League, and make it exciting viewing for all stakeholders, while working in a crowded environment with international dates and tournaments, continental club competitions and possibly ongoing interest in the MSL.
It is a formidable task, there will be mistakes made along the way, but Zainudin and the rest of the FAS team are ready to take the challenge on, and deliver.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
