We have heard a lot recently about many S.League players being forced out of their jobs after the changes implemented by Lim Chin and his band of merry committee members.

The fans are also suffering along with the players, with The HOOLs and the Woodlands Wellington fans now caught in limbo as they have no idea what the future holds for them. Even worse for the fans of Tanjong Pagar United, they have no one left to support at Queenstown stadium and I think this issue will run deeper than just fans not having a team to cheer on anymore.

I always remember the first time the HOOLs made their entrance to Hougang Stadium in 2010. A small band of fans came down to support Sengkang Punggol in a match against Beijing Guoan through the invitation of our coach Aide Iskandar.

That group of about five people was making so much noise that they gave the atmosphere a Premier League vibe instead of the usual incessant pointless drumming we usually hear.

It drove us on to victory that day and in the following years, along with the change of name to Hougang United, it slowly changed from a fan-player relationship to a friendship with the players.

The Woodlands fans are now also facing a decision since their beloved Rams will be merging with Hougang United. Their support has risen steadily in recent years despite the poor performances on the field because of their community outreach and the fact that they are the only club in the North of Singapore!

It’s easy to say that these two fan groups can just combine their support to make one big fan base. But is it really that easy? They have forged an identity within themselves and have dedicated supporters of their own team in their own part of the country.

It will be a real pity to lose these dedicated fans.

They made the players feel like superstars and showed their appreciation, waiting for us after the games, no matter the result, to shake our hands and ask for our signatures.

These changes, in my opinion, will also affect the dreams of young football players who want to make it big one day.

For those who didn’t know my allegiances in the S.League, I was a die-hard Tampines Rovers fan back when I was in primary school. Now this was during the era of Hussein Aljunied, Des Bulpin and various others who were part of the coaching revolving door at Tampines Stadium.

Tampines were by no means the powerhouse of Singapore football at that time. In fact, they were the whipping boys, frequently finishing close to the bottom of the league during that period.

That didn’t stop me being a Rovers fan though. On matchdays, I would be so eager to catch the match that evening that I would leave my house five hours before kick off just to make a 30-minute walk by myself to the stadium as I just wanted to feel the presence of my hometown club.

I would await my heroes making their way into the stadium and just shaking their hands would put a beaming smile on my face. The likes of Scott O’Donell, Marko Kraljevic and Marco Antonio would try their best to drive the team forward but they never did finish high up the league table.

I would walk home dejected with my Rovers fridge magnet or pennant, bought from the merchandise truck that used to be at every home game, still filled with hope that the club would do better in the next game.

As soon as the Milo Soccer School, where the elite 10-12 year olds of Singapore went to closed down, it was a no-brainer for me to join Tampines Rovers’ youth team. I’ll always remember a young and scrawny winger by the name of Mohd Noor Ali watching our trainings and giving me advice on playing the role of a left-winger. Many years later, I’d be playing with him.

I went up the ranks from under-12 all the way to the Prime League side, even declining the opportunity to join SAFFC’s youth team along the way despite the fact that they were the place to be if you wanted to reach the next level.

I never managed to play in the S.League for my boyhood club, and in fact found myself on the back of many defeats whenever the team I represented faced the Stags.

However, they gave me a dream to achieve my potential from a die-hard supporter to a youth team player and giving me the football education to further my career in other clubs.

These regulations imposed by the league are supposed to give more opportunities to youngsters trying to break into the league.

What about that young kid who supports Hougang United, Woodlands Wellington or Tanjong Pagar United though?

Where does he go from here?