August 7, 2004

Jurong, Sembawang Rangers & Sengkang Marine who sat out this season S-league will not receive any more funding from the S-League for their Prime League teams from next season.

This year, the 3 clubs were given more than $100,000 to take part in the Prime League

All 3 clubs could also lose their Singapore Pools licenses to run betting outlets by next June, unless they rejoin the S-League & it could hit them badly as the betting outlets have been a steady source of income for the 3 clubs since 1999.

S-League CEO Chan King Fook said the reasons behind that were priority had to be given to clubs who are participating in the S-League Z& the 3 clubs knew that subsidies would only be given to them in the first year they sat out of the S-League.

Sengkang Marine club manager Dilwant Singh was disappointed with the decision & said it was disturbing as the club had been in a  precarious financial situation since playing in the S-League & it is would be a struggle for the club to carry on.  Still he said the club will not give up & they will try to find a way to carry on.

However the trio did not despair for they only need to look at Gombak United as an example.

Gombak United, know as the Bulls, had pulled out of the S-League a year earlier than them in 2003 & at the beginning of this year the club saw their funding while in June, the club lost the licence to operate their betting outlet, despite several appeals. Instead of the financial disaster expected, the Bulls remained self-sufficient & continue to participate in the Prime League & run the Centre of Excellence programme without running up debts again. Tthe club have also nearly all their debts.

With the club doing so well, S-League CEO Chan King Fook expects the Bulls to make a comeback in the 2006 season.