I read with great interest about the article regarding kelong in Singapore soccer in yesterday's Sunday times. A player reported that an S-league player offered him $8000 to get himself sent off. Ex-bookies revealed tactics on how they lured soccer players into fixing a match. The whole kelong business in soccer though not transparant is pretty obvious in my eyes. Last min dramatic goals are the norm in S-league nowdays, defenders who should and normally easily clear the last ditch balls somehow miskick it to the opponents. Vague effort is made to tackle or close down the attackers and it seem to me that it their minds they are trying to say to their opponent "quickly score la, I already make the path so easy for you, you want us to earn the money anot"

I don't blame the soccer players for taking bribes. The average age a player has to retire is prob about 34. Afterwhich he retires what else can he do for a living? Malays form the majority of the players and lets not kid ourself, almost all of them do not have education higher than ITE. They come from poor families( usually large ones). The easiest way out for them is to throw a game and use that extra income to feed their families.

If I had honed my skills when I was in primary school I might have made the grade to become an S-league player. I would definitely throw away matches and bet through my friends. Ben Chen, ur skills not bad, you should give it a try and if you make it pls let me know, I will fix matches through you.

3 papers down 3 more to go...