WHAT IS YOUR WISH LIST FOR 2014 AND BEYOND? When football tournament was formally introduced in Malaysia circa 1979 many were enthusiastic about the prospect of having an exciting live football matches, week in, week out. After some time, money started to flow in our fledgling football leagues. Nevertheless, similar to many other things in this world which was first fuelled by mostly passion, deep rooted interest and a little bit of insanity, money was not really an issue back then. Talent was raw but exceptional. Footballers during those days tend to do magic with their fancy footwork, eye-catching dribbles and mind-blowing goals. They inspired ordinary people to become super humans. At least, in their imaginations. Fast forward 30 years later or so. Money seems to alter the various facets in our football life, whether it is legal or otherwise. However, there are a few things that will remain; they refused to change. They are definitely our recollection on our past glory, our past victories and colourful history. Today, many are too excited to witness how and when that momentous feeling; that festive occasion; that moment of truth to recur. Many are waiting in their bated breath for that elusive silverware to be returned to its rightful ‘owner’. A return that has been long and overdue. Waiting is indeed excruciating. But not even the mighty dinosaurs could escape from ‘change’. Change is inevitable especially in football. Johor’s football in general and its unrelenting aficionados in particular, are not an exception. JDT is already a nationwide phenomenon. But what is more important is how do we progress afterwards? How do we go about in managing such huge amount of talents coming from all around the world to our team? And how about the gargantuan fans which are continuously growing as we speak? Thus, when our esteemed FAM suggested months ago that the entire league will undergo massive changes, there is only one direction that we are heading to : Privatization. As football fans how do we respond to this? Anxious? Excited? Jaded? Or have we given up already? Basically, privatization in football means that there will be plenty of changes taken place for the eternal good of the sport, the unyielding fans and of course, the clubs’ coffers. Taking cue from the Barclays Premier League (BPL), a corporate entity should be created to manage both the Super League and Premier League in a professional manner and this corporate entity shall not necessarily include the statute-bound FAM. It shall consist of Board of Directors, which shall appoint its CEO and Chairman, where each and every football club members will contribute as the Shareholders. I strongly believe that when the clubs are given shares in this corporation, they will have equal vote in the Boardroom; they will definitely have more say on how the tournaments nationwide should be run; they will have more say to voice out the pertinent issues amongst the disgruntled fans (remember “flares”, “receipt rolls” anyone?) and rightfully they should be given with more power, more authority and more freedom to determine the single most crucial element in modern professional football; how to generate (more) money for the clubs! Football clubs usually generate their moolah in three related sources of income, namely Sponsorship, Ticket sales and TV rights. How do the clubs capitalize on this gold mine once the floodgate is open? That’s entirely up to them. Why did I mention only about ‘clubs’ instead of ‘football associations’? With due respect to all seasoned officers in their respective state related football associations, it is my humble opinion that it is best to leave the daily running of a football team to a group of qualified, well-trained and professional people. They know what the best is for the clubs and the fans because that’s their forte. Incorporating a football team and its administration is deemed logical in modern era in order to secure a stable future for the club as a whole. What’s next? Commercialization, of course. Well, commercialization sounded a bit too sophisticated and out of place especially when the basic amenities in our stadiums are still in deplorable condition. Smelly and unhygienic toilets, worn out seats, limited parking space and the list goes on. All in all, the atmosphere is not conducive at all. I mean this 2013, frivolous issue like smelly toilet should be a thing in the past. Even several shopping malls in JB have upgraded their toilets, so why not toilets at our own stadiums? Remember guys, you pay decent money to enter and use the facilities provided in the stadium and as a fan cum consumer we expect the facilities provided should be in a working condition. A friend of mine suggested that from next season onwards, the seats in the stadium should be numbered as well. The number printed on your ticket will refer to your dedicated seat in the stadium. This is actually a good idea since everybody is assured of their seating and perhaps the seating furore that transpired in Stadium Darul Makmur during the match between JDT and Pahang in the F.A. Cup Semi final will not recur. Ever. Maybe, in the future fans are allowed to choose their seating similar to what we normally do when we watch movies in cinemas. And finally, one touchy issue, I think. As a Muslim, no matter how big or important the match is, Solat is my top priority. Based on my experience, PBNJ should do a lot more to upgrade our Musolla. The one that I frequently used in Stadium Larkin which is situated on the ground floor is inevitably crowded with players and fans, home and away. Adding a second and third musolla should ease the congestion and provide comfort and convenience to everybody, Muslims especially. I had once prayed in this supposedly makeshift musolla. I don’t intend to be a whiner but there no point of investing millions of ringgit to uplift the stadium’s façade but we are left to pray in musolla that is in a sorry state. As the saying goes; “Always prioritize your religion and the world will clamour at your feet.” So far, this is my wish list for the time being. What’s yours? Would you care to share with us? - Mohd Ridwan Bin Talib.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Oct 2013 18:02:49 +0000
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