Hougang United have just made local football history recently, when they spent $50,000 for the transfer of sometimes Singapore International striker Fazrul Nawaz to their club from Tampines Rovers.
While the fee of $50,000 seems like peanuts in the world of professional football, in Singapore, it is virtually unheard of for players to move between clubs for a fee. To put it in context, Singapore's previous record high for transfers were held by Singapore legends Nazri Nasir, who cost $36,000 when he moved from Sembawang Rangers to SAF FC, and V Sundramoothy, who cost $20,000 when he moved from Woodlands Wellington to Jurong FC.
And with the state of football on Singapore now in such a sad state, where even top teams like the Warriors were not able to pay their staff salaries on time this past year, questions need to be asked whether transfer fees are viable in a league that is all but facing a slow and painful death.
