Success Of Sailors Augurs Well For SPL

Sponsor SEA’s spending on football could trigger a virtuous circle for clubs and attract big companies

- ​​​​​​​David Lee

Finally, after six seasons of foreign domination, a local club have won the Singapore Premier League (SPL).

In doing so on Sunday, the Lion City Sailors have not just restored local pride, but also taken the first steps in reinvigorating Singapore football as fans make their way back to stadiums.

Some spectators even perched themselves atop multistorey carparks nearby to watch games, albeit in the Covid-19 era when stadium capacity is limited to 1,000 spectators.

For too long, many SPL clubs have been in a purgatory of sorts, as financially stretched or indebted clubs do what they can to survive on Tote Board handouts without ever having enough to take themselves or the league to another level.

Some, like nine-time champions Warriors FC, even had to sit out the last two seasons to sort themselves out.

As a result, the SPL was ruled by Albirex Niigata, who won four championships in five seasons with an ever-changing cast of university students and lower-league rejects from Japan.

In came tech giant SEA Limited, owned by local billionaire Forrest Li, to change the landscape with the privatisation of Home United to form the Sailors last year.