LionsXII considering hosting one match at the new Sports Hub

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http://www.todayonline.com/sports/football/lionsxii-match-sports-hub?singlepage=true

LionsXII's 2014 team kit

The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is exploring the possibility of hosting one of the LionsXII’s Malaysian Super League (MSL) home matches at the Sports Hub’s 55,000-seater National Stadium this season.

FAS President Zainudin Nordin said such a move could only happen if crowd support for the LionsXII this year was encouraging.

The old 60,000-capacity National Stadium would regularly be completely filled when Singapore competed in the Malaysian League and Malaysia Cup in the 1970s to 1994, the year the side won the League and Cup double before pulling out of the tournaments.

Since Singapore returned to Malaysian competitions in 2012, attendances at the 7,500-seater JBS have been encouraging.

According to the FAS, the LionsXII’s average attendance for their 11 home matches last season was 7,200, with matches against Selangor, Johor Darul Takzim (now known as Johor Darul Takzim I), Kelantan and Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM) sold out.

Likewise, the LionsXII’s three Malaysia Cup group-stage matches and their quarter-final first-leg clash with ATM were also sold-out affairs.

Local observers told TODAY that while the LionsXII will not fill up the National Stadium, the move can help increase their fan base.

The LionsXII begin their title-defence against Pahang in Kuantan on Friday.

The FAS also announced yesterday that the LionsXII will play their first two home matches — the FA Cup tie against KL DRB Hicome on Jan 21 and the MSL clash against Selangor four days later — at Bishan Stadium, as the JBS is undergoing returfing works that will be completed in February.

LionsXII home matches this season (all matches at Jalan Besar unless indicated):
Jan 25 - Selangor (Bishan Stadium)
Feb 8 - Terengganu
Mar 8 - Kelantan
Mat 22 - PKNS
Mar 29 - T-Team
Apr 12 - Sime Darby
Apr 15 - Pahang
May 10 - Johor Darul Takzim I
May 24 - ATM
June 14 - Sarawak
June 21 - Perak

TV info:
All LionsXII matches will be shown ‘live’ on StarHub’s free sports channel SuperSports Arena (StarHub TV Channels 112 and 201, and 76.25Mhz) starting with the Charity Shield match between Pahang and LionsXII on Jan 17 (8.30pm)