<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Promoters breached 'anthem' pact: FAS
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->THE Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is heartened by e-mail messages and letters expressing strong support for our national football team.
The Lions and the FAS value and appreciate the kind support of our football fans over the years, including the match on Sunday, and pledge to continue to put in more effort both on and off the field so as to win over more Singaporeans to support the Lions.
In a cosmopolitan society like Singapore, where people have easy access to overseas professional club matches on television, it is natural that many are also ardent fans of foreign clubs. It has also been FAS' position that support for a favourite overseas club team and the Lions need not be mutually exclusive.
Mr James Lim, secretary of the Official Liverpool Fan Club, could not have put it better when he wrote in an e-mail message to FAS: 'We may be Liverpool fans, but we are also Singaporeans who love our national team.'
On the issue of the National Anthem, since this match was not an A International played between two national teams, FAS and the promoters agreed that the Singapore National Anthem and the Liverpool club 'anthem' would not be played as part of the official match ceremony. We were shocked and disappointed when this agreement was breached when the Liverpool anthem was played immediately after the introduction of our guest of honour to the two teams.
Similarly, the promoters and emcee assured FAS they would give fair coverage and support to the Lions during the pre-match segments.
FAS is in the midst of finalising the post-match review and will take up these breaches officially with the promoters, as well as other issues that have been brought to our attention, before taking appropriate action.
Once again, we thank the writers and football fans for their continuous support. We urge all Singapore fans to go to the National Stadium on Aug 12, to cheer on the Lions as they take on Asian giants China in an A International match as part of the National Day Challenge at 7.30pm.
Lee Tien Sin (Ms)
Marketing Division
Football Association of Singapore
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->THE Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is heartened by e-mail messages and letters expressing strong support for our national football team.
The Lions and the FAS value and appreciate the kind support of our football fans over the years, including the match on Sunday, and pledge to continue to put in more effort both on and off the field so as to win over more Singaporeans to support the Lions.
In a cosmopolitan society like Singapore, where people have easy access to overseas professional club matches on television, it is natural that many are also ardent fans of foreign clubs. It has also been FAS' position that support for a favourite overseas club team and the Lions need not be mutually exclusive.
Mr James Lim, secretary of the Official Liverpool Fan Club, could not have put it better when he wrote in an e-mail message to FAS: 'We may be Liverpool fans, but we are also Singaporeans who love our national team.'
On the issue of the National Anthem, since this match was not an A International played between two national teams, FAS and the promoters agreed that the Singapore National Anthem and the Liverpool club 'anthem' would not be played as part of the official match ceremony. We were shocked and disappointed when this agreement was breached when the Liverpool anthem was played immediately after the introduction of our guest of honour to the two teams.
Similarly, the promoters and emcee assured FAS they would give fair coverage and support to the Lions during the pre-match segments.
FAS is in the midst of finalising the post-match review and will take up these breaches officially with the promoters, as well as other issues that have been brought to our attention, before taking appropriate action.
Once again, we thank the writers and football fans for their continuous support. We urge all Singapore fans to go to the National Stadium on Aug 12, to cheer on the Lions as they take on Asian giants China in an A International match as part of the National Day Challenge at 7.30pm.
Lee Tien Sin (Ms)
Marketing Division
Football Association of Singapore
