Singaporeans still care about football

In the world of Singapore football it can be extremely difficult to find Singaporeans displaying passionate support for their local teams.

As a football journalist I find it downright sad but then again it’s also a damning indictment on the state of football in Singapore at the moment. The sport in Singapore has sunken to a new low and frankly it can’t get any lower.

However in my profession which needs me to cover games around the island, I still do have the pleasure of witnessing avid Singaporean fans who never fail to put on a colourful display for their teams. Certain fan groups include the Ultras Eagles of Geylang International and Hougang United’s Hougang Hools.

Of course these groups are the more prominent ones but then there are also the individuals. The individuals who wear their heart on their sleeve and last night’s game between Balestier Khalsa and Brunei DPMM FC afforded me the opportunity to chance upon this sort of individual.

This individual who I presume to be a Singaporean proudly unveiled his Balestier scarf even as his team lost 4-2 on aggregate to DPMM. It has been bemoaned that loyalty is a rare commodity in modern football these days, but such loyal fans prove that it isn’t dead.

But on a more important note, such individuals and fan groups have only served to highlight to me that despite the current situation of football in Singapore, people still care about the game. Football is never complete without its 12th man and that is how it should always be.

For Singapore I still do harbour hope that people will show their concern in a more open fashion by attending the local games. The result is secondary but what is important is that we stand in solidarity to support our local football players, just like the Balestier fan who never stopped proclaiming his love for the club. That is what we local football fans must aspire to be.