More private funding needed for Singapore football to thrive, says new FAS president Bernard Tan

SINGAPORE: More money from the private sector, making sure stakeholders have aligned interests and having enough playing fields - three areas that must be looked into if Singapore football is to improve, the newly elected president of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) said on Saturday (Sep 23).

Speaking at the 41st FAS Congress, Mr Bernard Tan said there was a need to attract private investors, as public funding alone would not be enough to meet the needs of the sport. He called for more substantial investments, especially in grassroots and youth football programmes, age group teams, the Singapore Football League and developmental courses.

Mr Tan also highlighted the importance of quality head coaches and the funds needed to support these key positions. He raised the possibility of creating more privatised clubs in the Singapore Premier League and called on Singapore companies to view support for local football as a branding opportunity.

Moving on to the footballing ecosystem - local clubs, academies, schools and the FAS - Mr Tan said it was vital for all the stakeholders to collaborate and cooperate, so that the best players for the national teams would always be available.

He also urged stakeholders to view Singapore's successes and failures in football as collective achievements or setbacks, said FAS, so as to create a sense of unity as part of "Team Singapore".

Finally, Mr Tan spoke of the need to make available more playing fields, pointing to a likely increase in the demand for such spaces, under the "Unleash the Roar" project, a national initiative launched in 2021 to grow local football. 

The points raised by Mr Tan were the latest in a series of recommendations and proposals in a year that saw Singapore