Just a side note. DPMM's participation will not be the first time a foreign time plays on a home/away format in Singapore League. in 1994, 2 Australian teams (Perth Kangeroos IFC & Darwin Cubs) played in the defunct Singapore Premiere League. it was disaster experimental for a planned Asia-Pacific Super League. all have gone their own ways to form S-League & Perth Glory in the A-League for more info.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FAS_Premier_League http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perth_Kangaroos_IFC http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin_Cubs some familiar faces and clubs in Singapore playing against Perth Kangeroos http://members.iinet.net.au/~jacob/wasoccer/perthkan.html
This being the third time I been to Geylang Field. The first time, I was there to catch the national team training only to have the rain disrupted the whole session, while the second time was there only to have the groundsman told me that the Lions didn't turned up for the training (as they flew off to Vietnam already then). So third time lucky and I managed to catch a friendly between Young Lions and Gombak United. http://www.bolasepako.com/2009/02/friendly-young-lions-0-1-gombak-united.html
I think what pohui meant was the event back in 1994. Just when that 2 Australian team was invited/requested to play in the Singapore Premier League. Our National team member was pulled out from playing in that league, in order to concentrate on the Malaysia Semi-Pro League/Malaysia Cup (which Singapore became a double champion that year!) What's left in the league was amateurish local players. And the two Australian team easily win the top 2 spots without a single lost! and the 2 Australian team didn't got when they came for, to play at/with a professional level game (which is against the national team players) and the idea of a Asia-Pacific Super League is down the drain after that... None of us had any idea what FAS was thinking then.
It would certainly have been more interesting if the Australians had made their appearance in Singapore the year after, rather than the year before Singapore quit Malaysian football. I was last in the area in 2007, and added this to the blog about Brunei http://leohoenig.com/2007/09/18/malaysia-brunei-and-vietnam/ To my mind, the addition of DPMM would be good for Singaporean football, but it would only make sense if they played their games in Brunei. The fact that they can expect 10 times the average S-League crowd will add greatly to the profile of the league. If DPMM entered, but playing in Singapore, they would just be another club, such as Albirex or Super Reds.
leohoenig I just read your blogs on football in the region. Interesting.. especially intrigue on your journey to Pasir Gudang to watch a match! I've to drag myself to Geylang stadium.. which is just 15min walk from where I live!
with the lead from jakartacasual blog... DPMM FC website announce they are already in S-League. and Dalian Shide Siwu is not in the list (on DPMM FC website) http://www.eteamz.com/dpmmfc/ but no confirmation from S-League website yet! I've mixed feeling to this.. what's your say ?
We have two Chinese teams in HK League too and they are no good for our league either. I went to see Citizen vs Sheffield United on Friday and was 1 of only 138 spectators. Sheffield United just want to use our league to train their young players, they are here for their own interests and provide no help in promoting the games here. If we proceed with the HK Pro League next year as Steven Lo of South China is working on, we will get rid of all Chinese teams, they are a waste of our resources.
When i saw a club called Sheffield United in hk league, i thought it's a feeder from the english club. And the emblem is so similar.
actually Sheffield United (HK) is the youth team of Chengdu Blades FC (based in Chengdu), which is owned by Sheffield United. it's interesting to see how they fare in HK League. back to S-League... still no official announcement of the verdict on Dalian Shide Siwu and match schedule... ??
I see that the official website is annoucing the Charity Shield match, that will be played on 12th Feb. Foreigners against locals to kick off the new season.
The locals will take on the best S-League foreign selection.The match will kick off at 7.45pm. Match Date : Thursday 12 February 2009 Kick off Time : 7.45pm Match Venue : Tampines Stadium Match tickets will be available 5pm till half-time at the door Adult (Gallery) $5.00 Student / Senior Citizen (Gallery) $1.00 *Only applicable for secondary school, ITE & Junior College students with proof of valid concession passes; Senior Citizens must be 60 years and above as of 2009 with proof of identification documents) ^Free entry for primary school students and below (Students must display valid concession passes for entry to stadium)
BRUNEI'S DPMM Football Club will be part of the S-League when the new season kicks off next week. It replaces Chinese side Dalian Shide, which has been removed from the league after just one season due to its poor performances on the pitch. DPMM will be the first South-east Asian side outside of Singapore to play in the 12-team League. The Bruneian side will play at least 16 games in the 33 match season at home in Bandar Seri Begawan - a first for the league - and will bear part of the travelling expenses for visiting teams. http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Sport/Story/STIStory_336495.html
I thought foreign teams are supposed to improve the quality of our league. No offence but i cannot see how a team like DPMM going to do that?
DPMM is better than Dalian Shide reserve team DPMM finished third in M League in 2006/2007 and was the Brunei NT in AFF Qualifiers. I think they will do quite well in S League
With due respect to the M-league. The current standard of the M-league is pale shadow of it's yesteryear. During it's haydays, team like Kedah, Pahang are tough team for Singapore to beat. but now, even our S-league club can trash them in the AFC Cup. DPMM FC have so far never pass the 1st round of Singapore Cup. But I'm sure their participation & fanship can add some colours to the S-League.
First and foremost the admisssion of DPMM provides something different for the S-League. Something for the fans to get excited about. With a fine stadium to be visited in the neighbourhood of Brunei airport, it changes the nature of away travel for fans of the S-League. Away matches are no longer just the next stop on the metro! When I visited Brunei in July 2007, there were something like 5000 fans in attendance, despite the fact it clashed with other events in the Sultanate's capital. This is three to four times the attendance claimed for S-League games on average, and ten times the numbers normally in the stadia. (While the Malaysian League has clearly declined since Singapore were members, Brunei themselves have prospered, with their own crowd figures staying up while those at many other clubs have dropped). Hopefully, the DPMM side, which as you say is basically the Brunei NT, can compete in the S-League. We know that Brunei NT cannot compete with Singapore NT in the current climate, but as the Singapore NT players are spread out accross the league this does not mean that DPMM (which may also be bolstered by the inclusion of foreigners) cannot compete The S-League is now established, but needs to find ways of moving forward. The claim that it is one of the top ten leagues in Asia is seen to be untrue, as the AFC has not given it any automatic slots in the newly reformed ACL. The other 'foreign' teams have not done anything for the league. They have not flooded it with Japanese. Korean or even Chinese spectators, and the players tend not to return to their homeland better for the experience, (how many current J-League, and in particular Albirex Niigata) players have cut their teeth in Singapore? To move forward, the S-League needs to try to galvanise its profile within Singapore. The admission of DPMM may help in this, or may fail dismally, but it shows a willingness to try that cannot be a bad thing
DPMM FC is potentially the biggest club in S-League now. with a potential fanbase from the population of 380,000 (Brunei) and a stadium capacity of 30,000 now, let's see whether the team's performance can tap on that! and most important how they can spark the interest in S-League.
Is DPMM allowed to sign any foreign players? If yes, is it the same number as s-league clubs? Btw, what do you guys think if s-league is to implement a 'Marquee player' rule like the A-league? I believe we have a rule similar a few years ago. I think that would draw in more fans.
i have nothing but to say hope it'll end the shambolic maze of club recruiting to the league. http://www.bolasepako.com/2009/02/can-i-go-to-brunei.html
At least the positive side of having DPMM in the league is they have instant local fans support. unlike the other foreign teams. perhaps with the exception of Albirex. the countrymen of Super Reds and Dalian don't really give a ****