For The Love of The Game - Part 2

From yesterday's paper:

JAWATANKUASA Kabinet Mengenai Pembangunan Sukan memandang serius terhadap kemerosotan prestasi bola sepak negara dan mahu pendekatan komprehensif dan holistik diambil bagi 'menyelamatkan' sukan itu di negara ini.
Dengan ranking bola sepak negara berkedudukan ke-151 dunia, Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak yang mempengerusikan jawatankuasa itu mengarahkan Kementerian Belia dan Sukan segera berunding dengan Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia (FAM).
“Jawatankuasa membincangkan mengenai kedudukan bola sepak tanah air termasuk kedudukan beberapa persatuan bola sepak negeri yang menghadapi masalah kewangan yang tenat.
“Dengan itu, jawatankuasa menetapkan KBS mengambil pendekatan komprehensif dan holistik bagi menangani masalah ini bersama dengan FAM bagi menyelamatkan sukan ini dan melihat pembangunan sukan bola sepak di negara ini berterusan,” katanya.

Continue from my previous posting.

Who really follow the MSL or Liga Perdana ?

The answer is: no one really follow it religiously other than the football officials, players and sport writers. Just go to any MSL team locker room and you might find them discussing about the Christiano Ronaldo's hand of god act and his infamous sent off incident.

My point is might as well we DISBAND OUR LEAGUES.

It may be radical but that could be the good way to solve the financial crisis of these State FAs. People might say that we need this as a nurturing ground for our national squad and whatsoever. The truth is we love our local team very much but we only show it during the Malaysia Cup semi finals or finals only. The rest we don't care. how in the world that the State FAs could make money? I strongly believe that the MSL was design without taking proper study of the consumer behaviour. There are only some niche market of 'customers' and economically it is not viable to have this all year round.

What we can do?

Sometime when I was in Kedah, I do stop by at the roadside in Alor Semadom and watched this "Rangers" team in action. It almost few years passed by since the day that I can recognized a local macha that knows me on a first name basis. But, what the heck? I found them entertaining. Let the State FAs using the FAM grant to support more teams like the Alor Semadom Rangers, this hopefully might be able to produce more players and give better options to State teams coaches.

Did i mentioned the State Teams? Disband our league and still have the State teams? Yes, FAM should organized the Malaysia Cup on a carnival format that could only take about 4-6 weeks. Best during the time when EPL is on break and not clashing with other major tournaments such as World Cup or Euro. Get the guy from MyTeam or AirAsia or Ahmad Izham Omar to do the selling and create a Malaysia Cup mania full blast during the time, I am sure that the money generated is much more than the current collections.

We could have this State League Champions playing in another short league (must be few months gap with the Malaysia Cup event). And should leverage on the States' runners up as well. The fund should be coming from sponsors or FAM initiatives, just provide the minimal funding to the State FAs and let them become more creative on finding money.

What about the National Team?

I think FAM could send scouts (do we have any?) to the grassroots and select the best players and let them be full time in FAM run training centers, call them Malaysia A, B, C or whatever. But their stint must not be clashing with the State Leagues (suggested to be last max 2 months only). FAM should pay their basic salaries, EPF (hmmm...) and allowances. We pick our top 11 from these players.

Aren't we want to have our own Stars?

Let them play overseas and we should call them few times a year for National Duty. If they are too pampered don't ever adopt the word professional and better just play with the Alor Semadom Rangers instead.

This suggestions however need further analysis and proper study before materializing it. I know that it sounds too harsh and only few people may agree to this but my point is:

OUR LEAGUE ONLY TAKING US TO THE 151st SPOT IN THE WORLD AND WE ARE RUNNING LOSS FINANCIALLY. WHY SHOULD WE KEEP IT?