Sembawang all set to go Club await FAS green light to play in S-League, willing to give up seed money

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SINGAPORE - The paperwork has been done and they are confident their financial, management and technical structures meet the conditions set by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS).

The team have even signed former Lions striker Fandi Ahmad on a five-year contract, with plans to have him as their technical director.

Also on the payroll for five years is former Tanjong Pagar coach and international Tohari Paijan.

According to their general manager, Alfred Loi (picture), the team are ready to deliver the S$500,000 banker's guarantee to the FAS, if given the green light to play as Sembawang United in the S-League next year.

Should that happen, it will mark the reappearance of the Sembawang name in professional football here.

A previous side, with no connections to the present outfit, played as the Rangers for eight seasons before quitting in 2004.

Loi said their lawyers are in the process of registering Sembawang United as a private limited company but the key to their application to join the S-League is their financial strength.

He said they intend to be self-sufficient and are willing to forego the seed money given to local clubs, which can be close to S$1 million annually if they meet performance standards.

"We won't be asking the FAS for any seed money because we have the funding in place and a long-term strategy to generate funds," said Loi.

"Fandi and Tohari have also strengthened our management team and, hopefully, that goes some way to prove we are serious about our application."

The FAS are only expected to announce details of the 2012 S-League season later this year.

United are backed by the same businessman who is bankrolling a trip to Italy for young footballers, mostly from the Institute of Technical Education, to train under coaches at the Genova International School of Soccer (GISS) and Serie B club Vicenza Calcio.

The training stint is managed by the businessman's Sembawang Soccer Academy and estimated to cost about S$1 million.

A total of 24 trainees have already left for Italy and will be there for up to six months.

Fandi, who is GISS' talent scout for South-east Asia, is there with them but is scheduled to return at the end of the month.

Said Loi: "About 10 out of this batch will be drafted into Sembawang United, but we hope to get an answer about our S-League application soon because we need to confirm the appointment of our coach and start scouting for local and foreign players."

Although Sembawang, which has traditionally produced big-name stars like striker V Sundramoorthy and defender S Rajagopal, will ignite fans in the north, there is no guarantee they will end up with a home ground in the area.

The only available facility, Yishun Stadium, has been targeted for use by Malaysia's Harimau Muda, who are set to play in the S-League next season, in exchange for a Singapore team competing in the M-League, FA Cup and Malaysia Cup.

"With our name, it makes sense for us to be in the Sembawang area," said Loi.

"But if this is not possible, then we will accept what is given to us, but we are not going to change our name. Our intention is to have a Sembawang presence again in the S-League and it will not change."