Two men in very hot seats CEO Lim and deputy Gouttefangeas charged to revive the fortunes of the S-League

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SINGAPORE - There were 70 names on the list, including candidates from abroad, all hoping to be given the chance to breathe new life into Singapore football.

After a four-month manhunt, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) yesterday finally announced the name of the man charged with the task of setting the S-League abuzz once again.

Former SAFFC chairman Lim Chin will assume the role of S-League chief executive officer (CEO).

Following his input, the selection panel of FAS president Zainudin Nordin, bowling chief Jessie Phua, Singapore Sports Council CEO Lim Teck Yin and Prof Ho Peng Kee appointed former Etoile FC chairman Johan Gouttefangeas as deputy CEO.

Tasked with drawing up a five-year strategic plan, Lim and Gouttefangeas will adopt a business approach as they look to shake up the competition.

For the 2012 season, they will plot the future of the domestic league under the guidance of a management committee headed by Zainudin.

Said Zainudin: "The S-League will be run by these two gentlemen as a commercial company. It is a business and will be run as a business unit. Their aim is to make it a viable, sustainable success.

"(Lim) may not be a businessman, but there will be a commercial team (in the management committee) surrounding him. He's the guy who will ensure that things - the nuts and bolts - are put in place properly."

Former Singapore Armed Forces Chief of Artillery Lim follows in the footsteps of military men taking on leadership roles in the sports fraternity, like Chan Chun Sing, Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, and SSC's Lim.

While FAS's initiatives for the 2012 season, christened S-League version 2.0, are already being implemented, Lim, 50, said: "These initiatives are not locked in, and we may have to tweak them as we go along. But we will approach it positively and make them work.

"One of my immediate priorities is to explore ways to increase match-day attendance and revenue streams."

Football is the No 1 sport in the country and the S-League is its lifeblood, giving youngsters hope of pursuing a professional career and also providing the national team with the players to do battle on the international front.

But the competition has been suffering over the last few years. The S-League has been plagued by falling attendances and dwindling interest from sponsors, and to help their rebuilding efforts, Lim and Gouttefangeas will first look to fill three key positions - director of competitions, director of marketing and director of corporate communications - in their Strategic Business Unit.

Gouttefangeas, who was chairman of French outfit Etoile when they became the first foreign side to lift the S-League title in 2010, has been tapped for his marketing expertise and extensive contacts in Europe. One of the priorities from now is to send talented local players for stints abroad.

Said the 34-year-old Frenchman: "All our initiatives will be aimed at one goal - to attract more fans to the stadiums."

While the FAS released details of S-League version 2.0 yesterday, key issues remained to be addressed.

With the 2012 S-League season set to kick-off in a month, the fixture list has yet to be released.

The official broadcasters of the competition have also not been named.

Key performance indicators for Lim and Gouttefangeas were also not revealed yesterday, along with the guidelines for the strategic plan the duo have been tasked to draw up.

But Gouttefangeas said: "I think the league is on the right track. This is going to be an exciting season."