1. Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen, friends and supporters of Singapore Football.

2. Tonight, we celebrate the close of another successful Great Eastern - YEO’S S.League season. A big thank you to everyone here for contributing to the success and my heartfelt congratulations to all award nominees and winners tonight.

3. We started the 2009 S.League season on a positive note, with Great Eastern’s foray into Singapore football as the new co-title sponsor to partner our long-time supporter YEO’S.

4. And it carried on from there as we witnessed another remarkable season. This has definitely been one of the best seasons in recent years with enough thrills and spills to keep us glued to our seats for the past ten months.
5. Congratulations to SAFFC for yet another S.League title. Four consecutive league titles in a row and eight league titles in fourteen seasons is never an easy accomplishment in any league.

6. SAFFC also became the first team to represent Singapore to compete in the AFC Champions League following our top ten ranking among the professional leagues in Asia by the Asian Football Confederation. They beat the Thailand and Indonesian league champions in the playoffs to earn a place to compete with the well-resourced Chinese, Japanese and Korean champions in the group stages. To cap off their maiden ACL appearance, they earned a credible draw with Shanghai Shenhua at the Jalan Besar stadium. With next season’s competition set to be more competitive, we wish them the best of luck on their Asian journey.

7. Congratulations are also in line for Geylang United for winning their first ever RHB Singapore Cup yesterday night after tremendous game where they raised their game beyond expectations. An extraordinary achievement as they knocked out SAFFC, Home United, Albirex Niigata (Singapore) and finally Bangkok Glass in the final to clinch their first silverware since 2001. They qualify for next year’s AFC Cup and we know that they will do Singapore proud.

8. Gombak United also had a laudable season as they finished in their highest ever S.League position when they came in third after an exhilarating start to the season where they went the first 12 league games unbeaten.

9. Special mention must go to Brunei DPMM FC for providing color and excitement to the League. Critics did not expect them to be contenders in their inaugural season but they became the first foreign team to clinch silverware by winning the League Cup. Together with Albirex Niigata and Super Reds, this has been the best performance by foreign teams in the S.League.

9. DPMM also became the first country outside Singapore to telecast S.League matches ‘LIVE’ when they featured DPMM’s matches at home. S.League matches in Brunei was another novel concept, with our teams traveling to Bandar Seri Begawan to play in front of capacity crowds. I am hopeful that DPMM will be able to work closely with their relevant authorities to amicably sort out the outstanding issue with FIFA so that they can apply to participate in next season’s S.League.

10. The League Cup also scored another first as new media partner StarHub collaborated with FAS to broadcast 13 of the League Cup 2009 matches ‘LIVE’ on the football channel, CHANNEL 27. The coverage on cable TV was another breakthrough for local football and the feedback from viewers was positive.

11. In August this year, S.League was also featured by one of our local papers, TODAY, amongst 50 success stories in Singapore’s 50 years of nation building. This is another testament to the growth and success of S.League.

12. More and more of our S.League players are on the way to becoming icons, spearheading brands like H-TWO-O and Nike in their advertising and promotion programmes.

13. Our players are also highly sought after by clubs in both the Asean and Asia region for their footballing skills, a testament to the standard of the S.League. Despite of the global economic crisis, the S.League continues to provide our elite footballers, coaches administrators with jobs in the local football industry which contributes $220 millions to the Singapore economy.

14. Earlier on, our Lions went through to the third round of the FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers for the first time and they are now on course to secure - also for the first time - a place in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup Final. In preparation for their next crucial AFC Asian Cup qualifier match against Thailand on 14 November, the Lions participated in the 4-team Ho Chi Minh City International Football Tournament in October and emerged champions.

15. I would like to ask all of you here to encourage everyone you know to come to the match at the National Stadium to support your Lions on 14 November. With the whole of Singapore rallying around them, I am confident that our Lions will do us proud.

16. And let us not forget the Singapore Under-23 team, the Young Lions, who will be competing in the SEA Games in Vientiane, Laos. They put in an improved performance to end their S.League campaign and we wish them all the best.

17. Looking forward to the 2010 S.League, steps are being taken to raise the standards even more, both on and off the pitch. For example, new quality foreigners are being recruited to add spice and glamour to the League. New clubs have applied to compete in the coming season. I believe that with the new initiatives coupled with new quality foreign players, we will continue to raise the tempo of our game and provide higher entertainment for our fans.

18. We have also developed a comprehensive strategic plan to take Singapore football from being Asean’s best to being one of Asia’s best. Among the key initiatives in place is our new National Football syllabus which is based on the best practices of leading football nations in the world. Another initiative is the launch of our Junior Centres of Excellence for players aged 8, 10 and 12 years old. More details will be shared at the launch of our Strategic Plan. This is only the beginning and lots of hard work remains. I believe the goals are realistic and achievable. The real challenge for all of us involved is to grasp the opportunities and build on our success. I am confident that with strategic capacity building, enhanced resources and continuous support of stakeholders, we will bring Singapore Football to the next level.

19. This 4-year plan was shared with Noh Alam Shah recently together with our existing initiatives and programmes. Alam Shah gave positive feedback on our existing programmes as well as the Strategic Plan. With regards to his comments in the local media some time ago, which were unfounded, he has sincerely apologised to the FAS. He also said that FAS is a transparent organization which is accessible to all players and one that is always open to constructive criticism. He noted the various communication channels available and has pledged to work closely with FAS.

20. Finally, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our sponsors, media and friends for their steadfast support in making the S.League what it is today. My special thanks to the volunteers at all our clubs, especially the chairmen. It is only through the concerted efforts of all stakeholders that the S.League will continue to grow even stronger.

21. My thanks to our Guest of Honour, Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, Senior Minister of State for Law & Home Affairs and Advisor to FAS for gracing tonight’s proceedings.

22. Once again, congratulations to all the nominees and award winners.

23. Enjoy the evening! Thank you.