As you might have already heard, the S.League next season will see a string of changes. From Tanjong Pagar United sitting out of the league, to Woodlands Wellington and Hougang United merging into one club, to having only five local players over-30 per club to including three players under the age of 25, many football professionals and fans alike will be affected, good or bad.
#RedCardConnect spoke to some of the players, coaches and fans to get their reactions on the changes.
Hafiz Rahim, Warriors FC winger
Reaction to Tanjong Pagar sitting out and Woodlands Wellington and Hougang United merging
To be honest I’m very shocked because I think Tanjong Pagar and Woodlands have been there from 1996. They have a very strong fan base. It will be disappointing not to have them for the 2015 season.
Thoughts on restricting each club to have only five local players over 30 years of age
I think this is the most surprising change for the 2015 season. I don’t understand why this rule is implemented. For me, if you are good enough, you are good enough to play. It doesn’t matter what age you’re playing. You see around the world, (Andrea) Pirlo, (Theirry) Henry and Ronaldinho are playing at that level. I’m quite surprised why this rule is implemented.
Stefan Milojevic, Woodlands Wellington midfielder
Reaction to Woodlands Wellington and Hougang United merging
It was quite difficult. We know that you have 40 players in these two teams so now with this merging there is going to be 40 players for this one team. It’s quite difficult for players because we don’t know who is going to be the coach, where the club is going to be, or if we’re going to stay in the club, so it’s a difficult situation.
Thoughts on restricting each club to have only five local players over 30 years of age
There is good and bad in this. The good thing is this is going to give younger players the opportunity, so younger players can come into the S.League and play. The bad thing is you need experienced players to give an example to the young ones. It’s a good and bad thing at the same time.
What’s in store next for Milojevic
First of all I need to find a club now and see what is going to happen with the merger between Woodlands and Hougang. Who is going to be the coach? Who do they want to keep? So I’m waiting for the club, and of course I have some contacts overseas and I’m waiting to see what will be the best option for me. So at the moment it’s a lose-lose situation, I just have to wait and see.
Jorg Steinebrunner, Geylang International coach
Reaction to Tanjong Pagar sitting out and Woodlands Wellington and Hougang United merging
I think when I heard the news definitely it was a sad moment for me because Tanjong Pagar was my first club in 1998 that actually gave me the chance to play professional football in Singapore. And that year was the first time that Tanjong Pagar won the Singapore Cup and the FA cup. When you look at that one it was a very successful year as it gave me the chance to play professional football in Singapore and eventually make a mark here, so in that sense we had some good memories and it’s a little bit sad that now the club has to sit out the season for the second time.
It’s the same for Woodlands, I was playing for them after Tanjong Pagar for one season and then later on in 2004 Woodlands actually gave me the chance as the COE and Prime League coach to start my coaching career. During the three years when I was the head coach we also won the League Cup and we went into the Singapore Cup final once. From that perspective it was so far the most successful season of me as a coach. So again very fond memories, very good memories, also sad to see they are not going to be a part of it.
Neo Chee Seong, Blogger from axrosstheline.com
Reaction to Tanjong Pagar sitting out and Woodlands Wellington and Hougang United merging
I think the decision was made way earlier, and it could have been managed better. The timing of the announcement could have been better because these players have families and bills to pay. They should have been fair to them and it really should have been managed better.
Thoughts on restricting each club to have only five local players over 30 years of age
I think that it’s a good idea, but only if there are enough clubs in Singapore to allow these players to be still playing actively. One bombshell is dropped after another. You close one club, you merge two clubs together and now you are restricting players over 30. So where are the remainder of those over 30 going to go? It is a good move, because every year there will be players retiring and there must be youth players coming up.
Mervin Tan, Hougang United fan
Reaction to Woodlands Wellington and Hougang United merging
We would not like to merge with Woodlands in a way that will dilute the identity of both clubs. A healthy league thriving on strong healthy rivalry will boost the competitiveness of the players in our league, which will then help to boost the national team with stronger players. We don’t want to see Woodlands go because of the legacy that they have created. They are not just the founding member, they are the founding member with a very distinct identity, and I don’t want to see them go, I want to see them return some day.
We want to keep the Hougang Hools, this is the brand we’ve created. But it’s not up to us. What I don’t like is that it’s up to FAS (Football Association of Singapore) to meddle without giving regards to what football is all about.
Thoughts on restricting each club to have only five local players over 30 years of age
It’s totally absurd the idea that we don’t have enough players for footballers. What we don’t have is a proper structure to actually nurture these players. The root problem is the FAS upper management. They are shrinking the pool instead of expanding it. They are not finding ways to solve the problem. They are shifting the consequence of the problem to the players, forcing them to retire. We are extremely upset that this happened to our players.
I find a big flaw in the rationale. If we want to improve the S.League, then privatize it and then allow someone like Peter Lim. I dare say if he had taken the choice between Valencia and the S.League, he would have taken the S.League. They (FAS) are not addressing the root cause, because they are the root cause.
