After the usual pre season controversy and dilly dallying the SLeague finally got under way last night with a couple of games. Hougang United drew 1-1 with Tanjong Pagar at Hougang Stadium. Jordan Webb gave the home team the lead but Takaya Kawanabe pulled the Jaguars level a few minutes later. Just over 400 fans bothered turning up for the season opener.

(This entry is formulated based on the transcript of the media release jointly issued by the Football Association of Singapore, StarHub and ESPN STAR Sports with quotes extracted and pictures credited accordingly)
The whole idea is actually simple when the new broadcast deal is inked today - to provide the necessary catalyst to fuel the realization of the ambitious ASEAN Super League (ASL).

"I always believe such cooperation between clubs and their locality GROs (Grassroots Organization) will do more good than anything. Both parties should leverage on the plus sides of each other to benefit themselves in the long run. And this is something I hope the "joint event" this afternoon is not a "one-off" event.

"It just got off from a shaky footing when there are many in reality is trying so hard to look good..."

Clementi Stadium in rainJust less than a week from the kickoff of the 2012 S.League season, the league authority dropped another shocker that totally caught everyone in the fraternity off guard when it was announced defending champions Tampines Rovers will be relocated to Clementi Stadium, while its previous tenants Tanjong Pagar United will be "heading home" to Queenstown Stadium.

It is being reported from Singapore that two teams in the SLeague are going to move to different stadiums for the new season that begins this weekend. Champions Tampines Rovers are going to play their home games at Clementi Stadium while Tanjong Pagar will use Queenstown for the upcoming campaign.

Geylang is perhaps the most down to earth place in Singapore. It's where people cross the road before the light turns red, cyclists brush pedestrians aside on the footpath and the hookers brazenly display their ways along the lorongs and in the coffee shops.
Into this world have come two former Arsenal trainees, Oliver Nicholas and Rhema Obed who have hit the east after failing to make the grade in England.

(This entry is formulated based on the transcript of the media release issued by the Football Association of Singapore)
"I'm stepping down" said Johan Gouttefangeas(facing front)
SINGAPORE, 30 JANUARY 2012 – The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced today that Mr Johan Gouttefangeas will step down as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the S.

2012 Geylang United HOME kit Having heard the outcry over the decision to change the traditional green home strip to a maroon one, Geylang United decided to revert, although not entirely, the unpopular choice of colour.
Instead, the maroon kit will become the Eagles' away jersey with a mainly white-coloured based uniform (pictured above, depending your browser settings) be the choice of the home outfit for the new season.

Etoile FC were allowed to play two seasons in the S-League despite having failed to provide the full $500,000 banker's guarantee that foreign clubs have to put up, it is believed.

That is one reason why the club, facing debts 'a few times more' than the $100,000 that has been reported, has been struggling to repay money owed to players from last season.

(The entry is formulated based on the transcript of the media release issued by the Football Association of Singapore).
File PictureSINGAPORE, 27 JANUARY 2012 – The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has completed its investigation into the allegations against S.League Deputy Chief Executive Officer Johan Gouttefangeas (pictured above).

Mr Ang had been the face of the clubIn less than a week, perennial underachievers Geylang United are hit by another news when it was announced that their long-serving chairman Mr Patrick Ang (pictured left) will step down from his post on 1st February.
According to the media release issued by the Football Association of Singapore, the long-time veteran in the local football scene will hand over the reins to former national skipper Leong Kok Fann.

DPM Teo Chee Hean (fifth from left at back row) graced the fixture draw in MBS (Picture credit: FAS)

I'm not mean to dampen the mood of everyone here, but I guess many of you out there must be disappointed by this time of the day when we are only made known of the opening round instead of the FULL fixture list of this season S.

In a new bid to attract more interest it seems the SLeague have come up with a novel way of releasing the fixture list for the new season. Taking a leaf from the harry Potter movies they are announcing them bit by bit. The logic, such as it is, is that if it's good enough for JK Rawlings' teen magicians it's gotta be good enough for the SLeague.

New signing Jozef Kapláň (left) presented the new maroon outfit by coach Mike Wong (picture courtesy of Geylang United's official Facebook page)Fans of Geylang United would have to take some time to get used to see their beloved Eagles trooped out Bedok tunnel in not their usual green outfit.
Instead of the colour that was long associated with the most successful team in the pre S.

Many folks will be forgiven if they thought the new season of the S.League is going to kick-off a year or so, instead of the official date given the league authority - 9th February 2012.
It's not a laughing matter and consider the fact the unveiling of the CEO of the League was only done weeks ago and on the same occasion the media were only made know in larger content what are to be expected in the much touted "S.

(This entry is formulated based on the transcript of the media information issued by the Football Association of Singapore)
File Picture from "SCREWED UP!!"SINGAPORE, 17 JANUARY 2012 – The selection committee identified and interviewed a handful of candidates for the position of S.

It doesn't matter how honourable intentions may be at the Football Association of Singapore they always seem to put their foot in their mouth big time. The latest faux pas comes with the news that their newly appointed SLeague deputy CEO, and former Etoile chairman, is a declared bankrupt back in his home country of France and banned from running a business there for five years.

"Etoile Ultras" with their distinctive banner on matchdays"Etoile's sit out is not a surprise for me."
That was the first comment by Mr Pierre Foucaud, the group leader of "Etoile Ultras" - the independent Etoile FC's fan club on the 2010 S.League Champions' decision to sit out of the upcoming 2012 season.

Etoile have never been everyone's favorite cup of tea. A bunch of French journeymen pros parachuted into the tropics in the hope of kick starting their stagnant careers?
Since they arrived in 2010 the club have been involved in controversy after controversy, much of it of their own making.

(This entry is formulated with the transcript of the media release by the Football Association of Singapore - FAS)
(L-R) FAS President Mr Zainudin Nordin. S.League CEO Mr Lim Chin, Great Eastern Singapore GM Dr Khoo Kah Siang, Great Eastern Singapore Chief Marketing Officer Mr Colin ChanReaffirm its commitment towards Singapore football since 2009, insurance giants Great Eastern (GE) has agreed to continue its sponsorship of the country sole sporting professional league - the S.

There he was sitting on a chair inside the venue hall almost unnoticed when I first arrived at the Singapore Sports School in Woodlands (which I nearly lost my way because of a misguided information of an apps on my phone).
You see Brunei DPMM coach Vjeran Simunic (pictured above or left depend on your browser setting) would normally tucked in his trademark attire entirely in black colour and top off with a black baseball cap embossed with the DPMM logo on match day.

Today's the day football gets rediscovered in Singapore with the Daftly Named LionsX11 hosting Kelantan at the Jalan Besar Stadium and all 7,500 tickets sold out.
One round of SLeague games, six games, would never have accumulated that many fans yet they come crawling out the woodwork for this game.

2010 SLeague Champions Etoile are sulking. They are apparently peeved 'cos their former chairman has been appointed deputy CEO of the SLeague and are considering pulling out of Singapore's top flight.
If they go it is no loss, if they stay it is no gain.

It's probably the worst kept secret in Singapore football beyond the would DPMM rejoin in 2012 but Darren Stewart has moved to take charge of Balestier Khalsa after several years with Gombak United.
Stewart had built an exciting team at the Bulls a couple of years back and looked set to break the Uniforms monopoly on the SLeague when it was decided by the powers that be that Gabrial Obatala and Kingsley Njoku could no longer stay in the country therefore depriving the team of their first choice strikers with the seasons just 180 minutes old.

After weeks of speculation within the local football fraternity, former Gombak United coach Darren Stewart (file pictured right) is confirmed as Balestier Khalsa coach for the upcoming 2012 season.
A former Australian international himself, Stewart starred for the Tigers when they were still called Balestier Central in the S.

I'm not sure if anyone of you out there notice this scenario since the early days of the S.League that there are these two clubs been "close trading partners".
It's not uncommon to see players of this particular club swapping jerseys for another particular side after a season or two that in recent years seems to have intensified.

Picture Credit: 123RF.comIt has come to this part of the year when I would always pen my annual review to summarize my thoughts on what happened in the past twelve months in Singapore Football.
Having said that, I must admit that it's been quite a difficult year for the local football that has been struggling with myriad of procrastinating problems that remain lingering.

Among the changes being mooted next year for the expanded 14 team SLeague are games to be spread over three match days. At the moment games are as good as played seven days a week so the same stewards and fans don't miss a game. The season will kick off 9/2/12.
Etoile also have asked to be allowed to play local players.

I've never been a fan of the League Cup. In a season of 33 league games (28 next season) plus the Singapore Cup I have always felt this is a competition too much on the crowded calendar but I don't call the shots and no one listens to me so who cares?!

With the revamp of the SLeague next season it would be nice if we could also have a revamp of this insignificant little competition.

It's been another exciting season in the SLeague with the title race not being decided until the last game of the season. The penultimate game between Home United and Tampines Rovers saw the Stags win 1-0; they went into their last game knowing three points would be enough. They won 5-0 to secure their first title in six years.

If fans of Indonesian football have any awareness at all of Singapore football it is probably limited to Tampines Rovers. The team from the east coast of the city state have provided several internationals to clubs in Indonesia with varying degrees of success.

Khairul Amri is widely recognized as one of the most talented players of his generation and when he made the move to Persiba Balikpapan many hoped he would bring his prodigious talent to one Oil City.

The SLeague may have just finished but teams there are already looking to next season. Tampines Rovers, champions, are looking at another trip to Thailand at the end of January in what is becoming an annual event while SAFFC are considering options reportedly including Vietnam, Malaysia or Australia.

The year's award night was held on the following evening after the last three games were completed on the previous night at Grand Copthorne with the usual gala setting for this annual get-together for the local football fraternity.
The night kicked off with the awarding of the "Young Player of the Year" to Albirex Niigata (S)'s Tatsuro Inui beating the likes of Lions stars Hariss Harun and Safuwan Baharudin.

Indonesia Premier League
PSMS v Persebaya 1-2Persiraja v Persija (!) 3-3
Other games were scheduled but never happened. Arema flew all the way to Papua to play Persipura...but last year's champions had already withdrawn from the league and were playing n the Inter Island Cup. Who the hell allowed them to fly when they had no opponent?

To many at the game just now at Bishan Stadium, they jolly well knew that Home United's title fate was no longer in their hands after they lost to their closest rivals Tampines Rovers nights ago that saw they being dislodged from the top of the table.
Home United - 2011 League runners-upStill to the recently crowned Singapore Cup winners, they remained focused with their task tonight and went on to beat a depleted Geylang United 5-0 before collecting the league runners-up cheque of $75,000 and medals from the guest of honour, Mr Sarjit Singh who is the honorary treasurer of the FAS at the end of the night.

Intrigued by the nominations for Supporters of the Year in the SLeague. Normally SAFFC win it with their neo super hero style outfits and dangerously young cheerleaders and of course they are in the running again this year.
Looking at contenders this year, SAFFC, Gombak, Albirex Niigata and Young Lions, you get the feeling that for all the rhetoric that comes out of the FAS about rebranding the game it's all just same old, same old.

Next year sees a Singapore team competing in the Malaysia Super League, a throwback to the times when they competed in the prestigious Malaysia Cup fondly remembered by fans of that generation.
The Singapore Lions is a team being specially built to compete north of the causeway, the season starts in January, and is being slowly, almost painfully, put together piece by piece.

Ahmad Latif's goal just after the hour mark means that the SLeague won't be decided until Sunday when both Home United and Tampines Rovers play their final game of the season.
You could say it's advantage Tampines as they have a narrow one point lead going into Crunch Sunday (hey, ESPN do it all the time) but Home United have the superior goal difference.

Mr Teo Hock Seng, Tampines chairman hugged by his players
after the 1-0 victory over Home United on an atrocious field. A decent turn out at the Tampines Stadium saw the epic clash between Tampines Rovers and league leaders Home United on a unplayable surface marred by the heavy downpour before the start.

Two games played last night, two away wins in the SLeague. Wins for both Home United and Tampines Rovers means the title won't be decided until after the SEA Games when the two collide.
Tampines needed Ahmad Fahmie's 89' winner to get three points at Gombak United while two second half goals in 10 minutes brought Home the points and keeps them clear.