BY ZULHILMI ZAINAL Follow on Twitter
Selangor manager Datuk Abdul Rauf Ahmad has revealed that following the sudden rejection of the club's application to play at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in the 2018 season, the Red Giants then applied to use the UiTM Stadium in Shah Alam.
The club had wanted to use the 87,411-seater stadium as its homeground this season and had initially been given the greenlight by the board of the stadium, but earlier this week the Malaysian FA (FAM) president Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and M-League organiser Football Malaysia LLP (FMLLP) shot the plan down, citing propriety and fixture issues.
On Thursday, Malaysia's Minister for Youth and Sports Khairy Jamaluddin too spoke against Selangor's plan, saying that the venue has been booked by organisers of other events.
The Red Giants now have less than three weeks before their first scheduled home match, to find an alternative home ground.
Rauf told the press on Thursday that they have tried applying to use the UiTM Stadium in Shah Alam, but that too was denied by the ground owner.
The 10,000-seater ground is the home venue of Premier League side UiTM FC, and is situated inside a university; its owner the Mara University of Technology (UiTM).
"The ground manager said that they are worried of several possible issues; such as crowd trouble and vandalism, which are admittedly valid concerns. On top of this, there's also a concern with the limited parking space inside the university
"Now we're hoping that they (FAM and FMLLP) can help us by settling the matter among themselves. If not we won't be able to hold home matches," said Rauf when met in Serdang.
Amidst the dispute, the club are expected to announce more team sponsors, and the former player provided more updates on them.
Their jersey too will be launched at the end of January, with the promotional photography session having been completed.
Last Saturday local telecommunications services provider Redone was announced as one of Selangor's sponsors this season.
"We will reveal around two or three more sponsors, but they are minor sponsors. Redone is our major sponsor. We will announce them.
"(The jersey launching is) supposed to be held on the 28th. Don't ask me for a peek, because I wasn't even there myself!" remarked Rauf.
He also revealed that the club's next friendly match will be on January 27, against third division South Korean side Daejeon Korail. The club are in Malaysia at the moment, for a pre-season tour.
