S-League could lose Yeo’s sponsorship

Singapore’s S-League may lose its co-title sponsor Yeo’s if the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) cannot show progress in addressing dropping fails attendances.

Yeo’s is into its ninth consecutive year as co-title sponsor of the league, which is Singapore’s only professional competition, but Wong Lye Yin, senior marketing manager of the soft-drinks company, said any extension of sponsorship it beyond this season depends on the FAS devising and implementing strategies to attract fans to attend matches.

Wong said Yeo’s is also “a bit disappointed” that, at a time when the S-League needed a boost, fans are being drawn away by the LionsXII’s participation in the Malaysian Super League (MSL).

But Wong maintains Yeo’s is and remains firm supporter of the competition.

 “We have had a lot of naysayers questioning why we are putting a lot of money as co-title sponsor into what they call a money-losing S-League,” she said. “But sports sponsorship is a long-term thing. We have had our glory days with the S-League and can’t throw it aside and say ‘that’s it’, just because it is having one of its bad days.”

 Wong said Yeo’s would consider being involved in bringing in high-profile foreign players to the league draw fans to matches.

 “It is a good idea and we are open to it,” she said. “But it should not be only Yeo’s doing this. If it helps to show other sponsors it will improve the league and benefit everyone, we are willing to consider a proposal to be the one to take the first step.”

 Yeo’s must be persuaded the FAS president, Zainudin Nordin, and his colleagues will be able to boost the league’s profile and attract fans to attend before any such proposals are implemented.

Wong claims some of Zainudin’s strategic plans to boost the game have been executed but there is still room for improvement.

“So far he is on track, but sometimes there are issues which we think they could have done better and others they should not have done,” Wong said.

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