Jalan Besar Stadium set for expansion

Source

SINGAPORE - The tearing down of the National Stadium at Kallang to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub has left a void in local sports, especially in football, which has been crying out for a venue big enough to host international matches.

With the Sports Hub still some way from its targeted April 2014 completion and a Singapore side all set to welcome Malaysian Super League teams next year, sources say that the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) have decided to expand the capacity of the 6,000-seater Jalan Besar Stadium.

Speaking to Today after meeting Football Association of Malaysia officials, FAS chief Zainudin Nordin said: "One of the most significant moves forward is the decision on the stadium. There will be action soon."

The football fraternity has been clamouring for a mid-sized stadium that can seat up to 15,000, and while the Toa Payoh and Tampines stadiums were also shortlisted, sources revealed that Jalan Besar has got the final nod.

The stadium will be the home ground of the Singapore Lions side to compete in the Malaysian Super League (MSL) next year, and with fans expected to return in throngs to re-live the heydays of the Malaysia Cup, the source revealed that the choice of Jalan Besar to receive the expansion "made the most sense".

The stadium is hemmed in by the Jalan Besar Swimming Complex and the adjacent People's Association Headquarters, leaving the gallery section on Horne Road and the carpark near the stadium's south entrance as possible expansion locations.

The FAS are set to listen to proposals on the expansion, with a target to complete works before the pencilled in kickoff of the MSL in January next year.