Synergy, ferventness, cause, samagat ...

Whatever you want to call it, can only happen when ordinary Singaporeans converge towards creating something extraordinary - to bridge the gap between the disenchanted fans and the league authorities.

We decided long ago that complaining about it was as good as not doing anything productive. Writing letters and suggestions to the press is simply a waste of time and not our forte.

We would rather get ourselves to the stadium, lend our visual & vocal support than to sit behind a computer screen conjuring your brilliant remedy for S-league; and then waiting for your article to be published - stroking your ego while you admire your own text. Sorry hor, we were not formed to be keyboard warriors.

Neither were we formed to win some silly "Fan Club" of the year - that's the last thing on our minds - Seriously, what can you do with this award? Decorate our home? Stroke our egos again? Yawn...

Hougang Hools was formed to galvanized support for S-League and for Hougang United. To show Singaporeans and the football fraternity that organic fan support is vital to our league's survival and that our chants and songs unequivocally lifts the spirit of our club.

And Hougang Hools will continue to do so in our own fashion.

Support is the lifeblood of football

By Sazali Abdul Aziz and David Lee
The New Paper

Photo: TNP

SINGAPORE - Halfway around the globe, in the more modest environment of the S-League, those words (left) by Shankly and Platini still ring true.

As Tampines prepare to take on Harimau Muda in their most important match of the season tomorrow, their fans are also prepping themselves for the huge clash.

Win, and the Stags will retain their league title. Lose or draw, and it will all depend on what DPMM do in Brunei against Balestier Khalsa.

Speaking to The New Paper yesterday, Tampines die-hard fan Haikel Mohd, a 26-year-old student, said: "I'll definitely be there at Jalan Besar for Friday's game.

"I have class that day, but I've already decided I'm going to skip it. It's not every day your team are playing in a title-decider."

Kelantan The Red Warriors Supporters

A short introduction/lesson for our league authorities, stake holders, S.League fans and those who have not heard of the word - ULTRAS.

They are the un-official supporter groups that promote non-violent loyalty and vocal support for their beloved football clubs; and are an essential ingredient in the football scene with their elaborate displays of banners, tifos, chants etc. With ultras, a football stadium will always look and sound like a football stadium; and not a quiet library.

Kelantan FA shows you why their ultras a.k.a Red Warrior Supporters played an important part in the club's mercurial rise.

Kelantan FA's climb to the summit wasn't an over night success but a long and winding one. During the mid 1990's Malaysia's football suffered various setbacks e.g match-fixing, corruption and internal administration problems plagued the football fraternity.

The turn around came in 1994 when the state of Kelantan experienced social changes that allowed the newly appointed President of Kelantan FA Tan Sri Anuar Nusa to tap on the new found energy of it's football supporters a.k.a Red Warriors Supporters.

Since then, the club never looked back and the supporters are now renown to be the fiercest in Malaysia and even though they may seem like an annoyance to folks who would prefer a more sterile environment, ultras' on and off pitch presence and contribution to their club cannot be ignored - a force to be reckon with throughout the region. 

New league format, revised prize monies?

By Mervin Tan

Photo: Goal.com

With the announcement of the new S.League format next season, there are widespread apprehension and even derision (once again) in effecting any changes for our league, whether for better or poorer. Like what Bolasepako.com predicts about that widespread skeptism about anything to do with our very own Singaporean national league: http://www.bolasepako.com/2012/10/lack-of-sustainability-resulted.html


S.LEAGUE FORMAT 2013

Anyway, a recap of our new league format:

- Usual 2-round home-and-away format, followed by 2 post-season mini-leagues:
- Top 7 teams to playoff in a top-half mini-league (let's call it "Div 1")
- Bottom 6 teams playoff in a bottom-half mini-league ("Div 2")
- To determine final league positions

As expected, widespread skeptism, including this writer, abounded:

- "Who's going to watch Div 2?"
- "Takes away the unpredictability of, say, Hougang shocking Albirex 3-2!" (basically, every lower-end club wants the excitement to be king-makers, right?)

 and so on (more on discussion forums like Kallangroar.com's FaceBook discussion thread.

And so, to delve into the minds of the policy-makers in FAS and/or S.League CEO Lim Chin's team:

Turn your fans into Evangelists and word-of-mouth marketeers for your football club

Photo: Hougang United Football Club

By Robert Kakembo

One of the best ways to grow a fan base is to turn the converted into recruiters. Religion is thousands of years old and growing strong because they deciphered this marketing technique a long time ago. Jesus walking along the Sea of Galilee found Peter and Andrew casting their nets. He told them: 'come and follow me and I will turn you into fishers of men'. That was the beginning of turning of converts into evangelists (advocates).

This is one of the greatest marketing techniques ever discovered because it uses friends to bring friends, brother to bring brother and sister as well as acquaintances. In no time the following has multiplied. Nothing grows a fan base like this technique if applied properly. All religions have utilized this system since time immemorial. This explains why religions keeping growing from strength to strength. In my own neck of the woods every space in which a shop fails, a church has sprouted and they all seem to be thriving. Any team that uses this technique will grow an enthusiastic loyal fan base very quickly.

But the question is how do you turn fans into evangelists? Let us understand who customers are and who fans are. A customer is defined by the Oxford dictionary as a person you serve, protect and nurture. A fan on the other hand is everything above and he is also part of you. The major problems that keep fans away from the stadium include competing goods and amenities but more importantly the alienating of the fans by the clubs they support. Most clubs are very remote and exclude the fans. They just pay leap service to issues concerning fans and only need them when they want their custom. There lies the genesis of empty stadiums and poor merchandise sells. If your club wants to get a die hard following, then you have to walk the extra mile. This is a mile very few clubs are prepared to walk. This is a mile to increase the loyalty of your fans, bring them closer to the club, improve their experience, make the fans and the club into one and they will become evangelists.

What needs to be done to lure fans and turn them into evangelists?

1. Put the fans at the heart of your football club. Your club should start seeing your fans as a major ingredient of the club and not an irritating necessity. Mould your club in such a way that it starts to be receptive to the needs fans. Every person from the Chief Executive to the last person in the club should be taught how to handle and deal with fans courteously and quickly. If a fan calls the club, regardless of the touch point he must treated with courtesy and given the necessary help quickly. This is very difficult to pull off, but possible. This is what makes your fans rave with happiness.
   
   
2. Give the fans free information of what is going on in the club frequently. If you win communicate with the fans. They want to know what went right. If you lose communicate, they want to know what went wrong. If you are bringing a new player let the fans know and if you are dropping a player communicate the details. Do not use mass media to communicate use direct communication with the individual fans. It will seem cumbersome but that is the price that has to be paid to turn fans into evangelists and word-of-mouth marketers for your club. One on one communication with each fan is becoming easier with the advent of the internet and mobile technology. The more knowledge you share with the fans the more they will tell other disengaged fans about it. The more they will try to lure them to come and share in the experience.
   
   
3. Continuously gather information from the fans. What do they want to happen at the club? What do they see going right or wrong? Gather the good and the bad information and communicate with the fans what your decisions are. If the advice you get from them is good adopt it and let them know. You get evangelists by doing this.
   
   

Bill-ing a united Hougang

By FiveFootWay.com
Justin Zhuang

Bill Ng is building a community by empowering people and making sure the bills are paid at his football club.

Photo: Zakaria Zainal

Let’s get this out of the way: Bill Ng may have withdrew his offer to takeover Scottish football giants Glasgow Rangers, but the businessman says he has not given up hope. The man, who has been making the news with a bid for the financially troubled club and suddenly dropping out of the race when he was seen a a frontrunner, says he is bidding his time to see how the sale of the club develops.

Meanwhile, it is business as usual at Hougang United, the football club in Singapore that he took over as its chairman in the middle of 2009. Once perennial cellar-dwellers in the S-League for over a decade, the club’s fortunes have transformed since Bill took over. It is now a mid-table club that reached the Singapore League Cup final last year, and more than once during our interview, he declares Hougang will fight for top honours next season. Currently, the team is 8th out of 13 teams in the league.

The improved performance on the pitch has also been matched by what’s happening around it. Hougang United’s home is in Hougang Stadium, which sits inside a public housing estate. On most days, the stadium’s stands are empty while residents fill the tracks, jogging and walking to keep fit. But on match days, this is reversed, as residents turn up in orange and black, the club’s official colours, all ready to support their team, The Cheetahs.

Frankly, S-League football bred better players for international glory

Straits Times Forum

I EXPERIENCED the Malaysia Cup euphoria at first hand when I was younger, and was thrilled by the football skills of the late Mokhtar Dahari and other Malaysian icons ('FAS: Singapore team are a hit with the fans...' by the Football Association of Singapore and '... They won't be unless the Roar returns' by Mr Ang Chin Guan; both on Tuesday).

I was even more excited watching Fandi Ahmad and V. Sundramoorthy play. But I was often disappointed by the Singapore national team's performance in bigger competitions.

When Singapore left the Malaysia Cup and started the S-League, we developed a generation that went on to win three editions of Asean's premier tournament. Singapore was feared in South-east Asia for a decade and, to me, that was our golden age internationally.

HGFC CHAIRMAN’S NEW YEAR ADDRESS – YEAR OF 2012

It has been proven a challenging 2011 with much uncertainty worldwide, especially in the financial sector Europe in the second half of 2011. There are also many adverse, world changing events over the whole year.

Likewise in 2011, Hougang United Football Club (HGFC) faced great challenges.

HGFC’s mascot, Cheetah, has also faced great challenges to survive the year. Similar to a Cheetah in the great wilderness, we strived for excellence and our thirst for agility has brought us a closure to 2011. With our Cheetah’s superior, competitive and subtly aggressive characteristic, our belief that the Cheetah presents an accurate symbol of the Club’s ambitions has been proven in year 2011 and we hang on to the belief into the year 2012.

A tale of 2 Leagues

Long long ago, the Football Governing Body (FGB) had its own football league but through the years, it began to slowly decline. Its administration was plagued by jaded officials who had lost the stomach to develop the sport.

In another country, a Rival Football Body (RFB) had started a league of their own and threatened the survival of FGB. The rival group had plans to attract all football fans from FGB over to its side.

The President of FGB called for emergency meeting and two groups of football fans were commissioned the task of increasing the match attendance at their respective football clubs.

They were named Group 1 and 2, and were given pretty much any legitimate means to accomplish their goal and to reignite the football passion amongst their fellow countrymen.

We believe because we are Hougang HOOLs!

 

What I have learned so far since becoming a supporter of this club is that even though a lot of obstacles have been placed in front of supporters, obstacles placed in front of the football team, obstacles placed in front of the club, we did not give up and made this club a growing family.

The reason is simple in that we as football fans believed in ourselves. We believed we could take Hougang United FC to the next level. We did not rely on others to spoon feed or push us to do the things we did for this club, but made it happen simply as football fans.

A football team can win all the time but their club isn’t great because people are there only to watch a winning team. There is an absense of emotional connection between the fans and the club.

  

Being part of Hougang United FC means that you are more than just a club supporter, you are actually a stake holder of this property – you are a Singaporean representing club and country and each time you raise your hands to sing and chant, you hold a piece of Hougang United FC next to your heart. And this pride and loyalty cannot be bought or sold. It is imbued into your soul.

You are the example to all Singaporeans and S-League clubs that football fans are the cornerstone of the football industry. Only you can make a football club great. No one else. So keep the Hougang United football tradition alive! Cheers!

(SOURCE)

We are HOUGANG HOOLs and we BELIEVE!

 

The lack of crowd and the indifferent opinions of the Foreign Talent Scheme in the S-League have all been discussed with great enthusiasm and great pain amongst the football fraternity in Singapore.

But amidst these clouds of ‘gloom & doom', a group of Singaporeans have been up and about in supporting their neighborhood club Hougang United FC.

What makes Hougang United tick?

"On behalf of the playing staff from HGFC"

This beautiful piece was written by a former Hougang United FC staff .

“This is Hougang Stadium, This is Hougang Stadium”, is one of the signature chants that greets the players when the Cheetahs, as they are affectionately known, of Hougang United are engaged in battle with opposition. That particular chant though serves as more of a statement than mere taunting of the lack of support from the opponents cheerleaders. No, that chant makes the players feel that every game, irregardless of venue, is just like their home ground because the fervent support generated by the U4U clan drives them on and that they know the 12th man is there to support them through the whole 90mins.

FC St Pauli

This is the story of a club in the German Bundesliga - FC St Pauli. It used to be playing in the 3rd tier league, currently playing top flight. But even when playing in the 3rd tier, and when average attendance was ard 2,000 for other clubs, St Pauli matches drew 15,000 diehard fans. Why!? Watch the video.

I hope Hougang United can be as unique as this club :)

Transform yourself into an Hougang United supporter

Step 1) You have to first pick a side.

                      

The one of the left - Leak Gas
On the right - the Cheetahs kick SSS!!

Being an Hougang United faithful...

... means more than just being a fan, it's about stepping up and giving a shout for yourself.

It is also about self-awakening to the country's politics that shaped the path of 100 years of footballing history in Singapore. But politics is for another time, today we talk about football supporters.

Success Bandwagon
It's easy to follow the trend of successful and established football clubs, especially those with an illustrious history but how were you part of that development? Were you supporting them when the going was tough; stuck around when it was an unheard of minnows - before it became a title contender?

If the answer is no, then you can't really claim glory for yourself at the expense of someone else's hard work can you? But here's how you can.

Diehard
The development of a football club takes time and dedication and the same goes for supporters of Hougang United. We may be small in numbers but our actions outshine thousands of fair-weathered fans who only appear when their clubs become successful.

The same example can be said for people who visit or work in Singapore. Living and playing in a successful & convenient country like Singapore isn't that difficult but it is only through the blood and sweat of our forefathers that many now enjoy it's fruit of labour.

But with time, our die-hardiness and fervent support will be the backbone and history of Hougang United's success; and we wish to continue to inject this 'fan-centric' involvement to our supporters and fans.

Commitment 
We want the same hope and belief for Hougang United as well as for other S-League clubs; to be able to witness their club's first steps and beyond; to feel her pain, her losses and also rejoice in her moments of victory.

When we putting on the Hougang United jersey, we imbue ourselves with the roar of the Kallang and every time the Cheetahs make their way to the center of the pitch, they know that every Hougang United supporter is the 12th player.

We will growl, purr and snarl over every tackle, at every attack. We'll taunt the mickey out of other fans with our banter. We'll scream at the linesmen, call out to opposing teams and tell them whatever we want. So come on Hougang! We are United! And we are not afraid!

Give them nothing but take from them...everything!

 NO SURRENDER!!