SINGAPORE (25 Jan 2011) – The FA of Singapore (FAS) have placed their trust on Vanda Sports to reignite interest in the S-League.
Winston Lee, the general secretary of the FAS said that he is confident that Vanda Sports can rekindle interest in the domestic competition.
“Based on their track record, we are optimistic that Vanda will be able to deliver an enhanced fan experience to keep fans coming back, and also attract new supporters,” said Winston to MediaCorp.
“Vanda have expertise in sports marketing and in particular in engaging fans. More importantly, Ian Mullane (Vanda founder) and his team have passion to do this well.
“We’re giving them a free hand and full support and we believe in their capability to do the job.”
Vanda, organisers of the successful White Collar boxing programme across Asia, had put pen to paper with the FAS to kick-start Project Tribe.
Supported by the Singapore Tote Board, the project aims to develop a loyal following of commercially involved fans and create a commercial infrastructure within the Young Lions’ set-up this season.
If successful, the sports agency will do the same with the other clubs in the 12-team competition. Interest in the S-League has dwindled alarmingly, with many matches last season drawing just a few hundred paying fans as such, there is a big expectations on Vanda to deliver.
Showing their commitment to the cause, FAS have acceded to Vanda’s request for 5pm kick-off times on Saturdays for Young Lions’ home matches at Jalan Besar Stadium.
Over the course of the season, the team will play six games at home on Saturday and the idea is to create a family-friendly carnival atmosphere.
The Young Lions will open the season at home on Saturday, Feb 12, against SAFFC. Before the big kick-off, Vanda will announce a major sponsor for the Young Lions and their media team will also launch a revamped team website, Facebook and twitter page.
There will also be a web-based Young Lions TV channel, in a bid to constantly engage fans. They plan to count the exact number of fans at stadiums, taking note of their age, race and other details, as part of their effort to understand which of their programmes work.
“Improving the fan experience is Vanda’s primary objective and we must see an increase in attendance at the stadiums and increased traffic on the social media sites,” said Lee.
“We must be patient with Vanda, we cannot expect results immediately.”
