Serious S-League Footballer: S-League Is A Graveyard Filled With Losers Earning Peanu

[Sammyboy RSS Feed]

An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:



SINGAPORE: Bobby*, a former professional footballer who spent many years in the S.League, considers himself lucky compared with current players.

While representing many clubs, he pulled in a salary ranging from about S$4,000 to S$9,000 per month at various points of his playing career. While this is a tiny amount compared with footballers’ salaries in Europe or even other parts of Asia, his long career allowed him to plan for a future after he retired.

“As a player, if you’re still playing professionally but have not thought about what you want to do after your playing days are over, then life will be difficult,” said the former Suzuki Cup champion.

However, many professionals are not so fortunate.

"You have players who are working part-time outside playing hours and I can understand that, because they are not earning much," said Bobby.

After spending time on the ground speaking to 10 current S.League players, Channel NewsAsia understands that average squad members earn less than S$3,000 a month, while players who regularly feature in the national team can pull in S$5,000 to S$8,000. There are instances where an elite local player can earn up to S$10,000 a month, but the players who Channel NewsAsia spoke to said such cases are rare.



“When you look at things now, even the national players are struggling to secure their contracts because clubs are talking to them late in October or November and even then, clubs will not make up their minds until December,” said Bobby.

Bobby added that it is the uncertainty of securing new contracts which is proving to be a significant barrier for players who want to continue their professional career in the S.League. “It’s not so bad when you’re single. But if you have a family to feed, it is quite scary to know that you won’t have a secure future until only the last week of the year.”

MONEY WOES THE CAUSE OF FALLING STANDARDS?

Salary and contract concerns have a spillover effect onto the playing field, according to current S.League player Carl*, who told Channel NewsAsia that there are some professionals who simply go through the motions on match days.

“Honestly, I can’t find a worse word than to describe (the S.League) as a graveyard for footballers. We are just denying the truth, no matter how hard we try. Everybody knows it and you can’t hide it,” said the player, who is on the books of one of the former S.League champions.

Despite previously being at the upper-end of the wage scale, he is unconvinced that the S.League offers a viable career for aspiring professional players. “I won’t encourage my son to play in the S.League in the future, but I won’t stop him if he chooses to do so.”

While the S.League used to offer five-figure salaries when it started in 1996, those days are long gone, he said. “Now, it’s the neighbouring countries which are the ones paying those amounts of money.”

The net result is that many players in Singapore do not feel motivated to perform at their best: “Players here have come to a conclusion that they’d rather live out their careers as something to enjoy, collect their salaries at the end of the month, and then forget about the game once it’s all over.”

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...e/3531386.html


Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com.

[jameschong1]

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by Sammyboy RSS Feed

An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

like any job, they should upgrade themselves, re-train themselves
minister lim boom heng has been advising us so many years now for workers to upgrade, re-train but people just don't listen to good advise