LionsXII pull in the bucks

Source

SINGAPORE - If playing to capacity crowds at the Jalan Besar Stadium is anything to go by, the LionsXII's participation in the Malaysian Super League (MSL) is for the moment a success, insofar as re-igniting fan interest in local football.

V Sundramoorthy's side are currently fourth after eight matches in the MSL and interest in the team has translated into healthy takings at the box office, with the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) collecting an estimated S$67,500 for each of their four home games.

Three of their matches at the Jalan Besar Stadium were sold out, with only the clash with Negeri Sembilan on Feb 11 falling short, leaving 100 tickets unsold from the 7,500 available.

The total gross revenue from the MSL matches for the FAS is close to S$300,000, and this is set to swell with a further nine home games left in the league. There is also potential revenue from two other competitions, the Malaysian FA Cup and the Malaysia Cup.

While the current figures are unofficial, FAS deputy director for marketing and competitions Ridzal Saat was quick to caution that they are not an indication that the association are swimming in money.

He told Today about 80 per cent of the takings have gone into operational expenses, which include a 10 per cent levy due to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

"We are not making truckloads of cash, if that is what anyone thinks," he said.

"We have about 140 security people for each game and they don't come free. We also have to pay for the pitch, transport for the visiting teams and other operational expenses and what is left over is roughly about 20 per cent."

That balance, Ridzal added, goes into the fund to finance the LionsXII's Malaysian campaign across the three competitions.

Travel and accommodation expenses alone for the entire season's away games are estimated at S$900,000. Including salaries and bonuses for the entire team, the bill adds up to about S$2 million, which is the budget the FAS have set for the team.

Said Ridzal: "Together with the money from our sponsors, SilkPro and StarHub, we can barely (break even) for the entire season, and this is if the LionsXII continue to perform well and play to capacity crowds at the Jalan Besar Stadium. If they don't and the attendance starts falling, then we will fall short.

"And this is why we are still scouting for sponsors, we need that extra buffer, just in case."

If the LionsXII have struck a chord with local fans and brought them back in droves to the Jalan Besar Stadium, they have made equally strong impact on television.

According to FAS commercial and business development senior manager Rikram Jit Singh, about 600,000 viewers watch each of the LionsXII home and away matches that have been shown live by StarHub on cable television, the Internet and mobile telephones.

Said Rikram: "It has really been encouraging. We have seen fans young and old, especially those who can't get tickets, watching the matches at coffeeshops and pubs supporting the LionsXII. Many of the players have become instant household names.

"We are also hoping this will rub off on the S-League because many of the fans we spoke to told us that watching the LionsXII has ignited an interest in our own league."