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Singapore Premier League introduces stadium-sharing venture

The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has announced plans for a shared-stadium initiative for clubs in the Singapore Premier League.

Eight of the nine SPL clubs will share stadiums on match days from this season onwards as part of Singapore’s Sports Facilities Master Plan (SFMP), which is designed to give greater access to sports facilities and enable wider participation.

Bishan Stadium (pictured) will be shared by Home United and Balestier Khalsa; Jalan Besar Stadium will be shared by Young Lions and Hougang United; Jurong East Stadium will be shared by Albirex Niigata and Warriors FC; and Our Tampines Hub will be shared by Tampines Rovers and Geylang International.

The remaining club, Brunei DPMM, will continue playing at Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium.

Yazeen Buhari, secretary general of FAS, said, according to the Today Singapore website: “There’s a consolidation of resources so that there’s a focus on each of these four stadiums to have programmes purely for football – more football-centric.

“Secondly, (when) you have a stadium like that with an infrastructure upgrade, it creates more opportunities for commercial optimisation for the clubs.”

He added that the move is a “semi-permanent” one.

Bishan Stadium, Jalan Besar Stadium and Jurong East Stadium have been undergoing renovation work since early January, with upgrades to existing facilities and the addition of the latest hardware.

All three venues will be fitted with new bucket seats and LED boards, while sound systems will be upgraded in a move to drive fan engagement.

Image: Football Association of Singapore