http://www.todayonline.com/Sports/EDC120611-0000010/S-League-sponsor-mulls-exit
Yeo's is into its ninth straight year as co-title sponsor of the league, and Wong Lye Yin, Senior Marketing Manager of the soft-drinks manufacturer, said any decision to extend it beyond this season hinges on concrete plans in place to attract crowds back to matches.
At a time when companies are scaling back sponsorship, it will be a blow to an already ailing league should Yeo's - which last renewed its contract in 2010 for S$1.8 million in cash over three seasons - pulls the plug and looks elsewhere instead.
"We have had a lot of naysayers questioning why we are putting a lot of money as co-title sponsor into what they call a money-losing S-League," said Wong. "But sports sponsorship is a long-term thing. We have had our glory days with the S-League and can't throw it aside and say 'that's it', just because it is having one of its bad days."
Yeo's candid assessment should be a wake-up call for the FAS and the S-League to speed up reforms and repay in some measure the faith of a sponsor which came on board in 2004 to help the local game.
Wong said Yeo's will even consider bringing in big-name foreign players for short stints with local clubs for a few matches if this can help hype up the league and draw fans back.
"It is a good idea and we are open to it," she said. "But it should not be only Yeo's doing this. If it helps to show other sponsors it will improve the league and benefit everyone, we are willing to consider a proposal to be the one to take the first step."
"So far FAS president Zainudin Nordin is on track, but sometimes there are issues which we think they could have done better and others they should not have done," Wong said.
"There is lots of room for improvement, especially in bringing fans back and how we can work closer together. We have lost some crowds and attention to the MSL this year, and this is one important point we need to discuss."
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