Efforts to boost S'pore football and engage fans

The Football Association of Singapore thanks Mr Donovan Chee ("FAS, not Fifa, should be promoting local football"; Feb 19) and Mr Wong Kah Khoon ("Where's the 'big idea' to rejuvenate S-League?"; Feb 25) for their feedback.

With the proliferation of "live" broadcasts and streaming of football matches on cable TV and online platforms, fans now have even wider and easier access to international football leagues, creating fierce competition for fan support and viewership.

The pressure on the S-League and Singapore football to fight for viewership is more intense than ever before.

Hence, there are ongoing efforts to introduce new initiatives to engage fans, like the introduction of marquee players and match statistics analyses to raise the quality of football in the S-League; introducing S-League Fantasy Football, engaging fans with video highlights and news reports on the Football Kaki app and on our Facebook page; and improving match-day experience with the introduction of club mascots, match-day programmes and clappers as well as finger food for fans.

This season, S-League "live" telecasts can be viewed on both MediaCorp's Okto and StarHub Super Sports Arena channels, thereby reaching out to a wider audience. There has been an increase in match attendances following these initiatives.

At the same time, we have introduced several new projects aimed at building a strong footballing foundation in Singapore, and we have been working closely with stakeholders and partners for various forms of support.

For instance, Fifa has been very supportive of Singapore football through its endorsement of the recent Goal project that involved returfing the pitch at Jalan Besar Stadium last year.

Under an ongoing effort to raise the standard of local football, we are always looking to send our players and coaches on overseas attachments to further upgrade their skills and expertise, whenever it is feasible.

For example, coaches like Aide Iskandar and Saswadimata Dasuki were attached to the J-League and Newcastle respectively for coaching stints, and Ammirul Emmran went on a two-week training stint at the Newcastle United Youth Academy. These would not be possible without the financial support given by corporate sponsors and Fifa.

We are very grateful for the continued support of fans like Mr Chee and Mr Wong, and we always welcome constructive feedback and recommendations.

Alvin Tham

Assistant Director (Marketing and Corporate Communications)

Football Association of Singapore/S-League

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