Changing SLeague Perceptions

SINGAPORE - British sports marketing guru Patrick Nally said there is no reason why the S-League cannot be a winning proposition given the huge football following in Singapore.

He said the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) must realise they own the sport here and it is in their interest to find a way to unite the various communities who follow the S-League, English Premier League and other European football.

The Englishman said the Republic's five-million population is a good base to tap from and even if there are a million football fans, it is still a powerful audience to interest sponsors.

The key, he said, is having a person with the right sports business qualifications in place.

"The question is if all football fans in Singapore have been engaged in a single way," said Nally. 

"Do those who support the various leagues have a means of connection in a single community, whether through digital media or other medium? Probably not.

"My view is that the total community is quite a big audience, a powerful one in commercial terms. 

"If you can actually get access to that audience as a community, it can be very attractive.

"This is what I mean about understanding the dynamics and coming up with a concept that engages fans, has all the clubs working as one and coordinating anything that touches football here, including broadcasters and the media, because together they are an attractive proposition for sponsors. 

"The FAS must understand that everything football that comes into their market is their product and must be coordinated." 

Nally added that the right people must be in place to manage and market football here and get fans packing the stadiums, and the FAS can tap into FIFA's resources to build this pool of expertise.

"The person overseeing this aspect of football here should have a masters degree in sports marketing," he said. 


COMMENT - it's about overcoming a national psyche that says anything local is shite and anything from a former colonial power is brilliant. It's about overcome a society where status and success are inextricably intertwined, it's about being seen as successful through basking in the glow of other's success. Should be a doddle if they teach that on a sports marketing course. Its'about changing perceptions and yes, successful marketing can do that.