SINGAPORE, 7 JANUARY 2019 – The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) conducted the FAS Match Commissioner Seminar over the weekend in preparation for the 2019 domestic football season.

Attended by 25 participants, the course aimed to equip match commissioners (MCs) with the necessary skills to organise all FAS-sanctioned matches in a professional manner. The MC’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, inspection of the stadium, safety and security, verification of players’ identity and any other match activity that does not occur on the field of play.

The focus of this year’s seminar is on the local context, where participants were provided far more personalised content on match organisation in Singapore. As part of FAS’ push to promote learning and in line with the Singapore Premier League pillar of sustainability, this year’s seminar was run in-house by the FAS Competitions Division.

Head of Competitions Division Aloysius Vetha said: “We engaged AFC last year to provide an overall perspective on the best practices in match organisation. At the same time, we had our staff understudy him so that they can learn how best to conduct the seminar. We are also looking at having our experienced MCs deliver segments of the course in future so that we can build a culture of continuous development.”

Apart from focusing on conveying the essential knowledge of a MC, the FAS looked into raising the MCs’ level of professionalism holistically, by equipping them with tangible items such as a folder and a uniform attire for match day.

Abdul Kahar, who has 10 years of experience as an FAS match commissioner, said: “Last year’s course was refreshing as we got to hear from an AFC expert who shared the best practices. This year, the FAS Competitions Division provided us with the minute details of match organisation in Singapore, which is important as we run the matches on the ground on game day.

“Almost every participant was able to share what they have experienced before during matches, which mentally prepares us for the coming season when we experience these different situations. By sharing our experiences, we become much more knowledgeable as we may not have come across these incidents. I am now more confident in performing my role as a match commissioner.”