Guilty of violence, end the contract

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Kadir believes club should use it as a deterrent against fighting

by Patwant Singh

Updated 09:35 AM May 25, 2011

Singapore - Former Singapore international Kadir Yahaya (picture), a stalwart of the Lions in the 1990s, believes the punishments meted out by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on players guilty of fighting are heavy enough. The former defender wants to see S-League clubs drive this message home to their respective players, even before the season kicks off, and that their contracts can also be terminated.

Kadir, currently a coach at the Singapore Sports School, spoke to MediaCorp a day after the S-League match between Hougang United and Etoile FC was abandoned after both sets of players were involved in a brawl before kick-off at Hougang Stadium.

Said the former Singapore captain: "The clubs must have a standard contract, to inform their players before the start of S-League that if they are involved in this type of incident, their contracts will be terminated and there will be many other repercussions as well.

"No other club will want such a player.

"Maybe, before the start of an S-League season, there can be a conference for the players about managing their frustrations and anger."

Over the years, there have been a number of incidents that have cast a dark cloud over the S-League.

Last year, heavy fines and lengthy bans of up to eight months were slapped on a few players from the Young Lions and Beijing Guoan, for their part in a mass brawl. I

n another infamous incident, Noh Alam Shah, then with Tampines Rovers, was fined S$2,000 and banned for seven months after he attacked SAFFC defender Daniel Bennett in the 2007 RHB Singapore Cup final.

Kadir would like to see security at S-League matches enhanced even if it means extra cost are incurred. The presence of uniformed Cisco guards could even deter players from violent behaviour, while providing better security.

Such professionally trained guards can also act as impartial agents documenting incidents on the ground that can be used as references to authorities like the FAS.

Clementi Khalsa vice-chairman Jagjit Singh agreed.

And he added: "All the club officials, starting with the chairmen, can quickly convene a discussion within their own clubs first to quickly check on security.

"The question is whether the officials acted fast enough on Monday night. I think we have a standard operating procedure that needs to be seriously looked at."

Jagjit feels the current manpower situation for matches is inadequate, with volunteers or paid volunteers acting as security personnel: "I think we can consider Cisco's Certis. That would send a strong message to players, fans and everybody.

"Even if there is an increase in cost, I think we should be able to provide for that whether at club or FAS level." Patwant Singh