Don’t kill the golden goose of local football bodies

The report “A modest clubhouse, but it raked in S$36m last year” (April 20) revealed loopholes in the current regulation of football clubs, which Tiong Bahru FC exploited.

Though only a bit was spent on its football team, Tiong Bahru FC achieved what Singaporean football has not for decades: Bring in money, which is vital.

For football to be sustainable, clubs must be run like businesses, rather than having businesses run football clubs, a concept that has failed.

In Tiong Bahru FC’s case, it runs the biggest gaming business among its peers. That the money was not pumped into the team was not illegal.

Football is supposed to be a business, and it made no business sense for the club to pump millions into league competition when there is no promotion from the National Football League nor relegation from the S.League.

A regulatory change such that football clubs must spend, say, 80 per cent of their profit on their teams would ensure that they put their money where their mouth is.

Let us not kill the golden goose impulsively. Jackpot machines must stay, together with a slight regulatory adjustment.