While the Singapore Lions have not made the finals of the regional ASEAN Football Federation Championship since 2012, or even qualified for the knockout stages of the Southeast Asian Games since 2013, 19% of 2,057 Singaporeans surveyed still believe that the Lions will qualify for the World Cup in 2034.
ABOUT THE SURVEY
The Yahoo Singapore Football Study – which was commissioned by Yahoo – was conducted with international research firm YouGov, aiming to uncover unique insights on the city-state’s perceptions towards the sport.
The study was conducted as part of the Season 2 launch of Yahoo’s Footballing Weekly, a weekly talk show that provides news, expert insights, analysis, and commentaries on the latest football action.
The study surveyed an audience of 2,057 Singaporeans aged 18 and above across Singapore in July 2023 to understand Singaporean perceptions and behaviours towards the sport.
“As the first whistle blows on this year’s Yahoo Footballing Weekly, we wanted to take a deeper dive into the perspectives, behaviours, and attitudes of Singaporeans towards football,” said Chia Han Keong, co-host and Yahoo editor.
“The insights uncovered are enlightening especially as we ponder on the current state and future fortunes of Singapore football. As a nation, we have always loved the sport, but there is clearly a long way to go before the national team can taste sweet success.”
These are the key findings from the Yahoo Singapore Football Study.
GOAL 2034 AND SINGAPORE AT THE WORLD CUP
Only 19% respondents agreed that the goal can be met, with 37% on the other side of the fence.
However, with support being a critical factor for the success of the Lions, the survey found that 39% of Singaporeans do not think that the current level of support for the development of football in Singapore is adequate for it to be successful, with 33% neutral respondents and only 28% agreeing that support is sufficient.
The survey also showed that Singaporeans who support the national team or local clubs are more optimistic about the country’s aspirations for the Unleash the Roar! project – a bid to develop a national squad that could qualify for the 2034 World Cup.
On the flip side, 39% of local football fans believe that Singapore will be represented at the world’s biggest sporting event within the next 10 years, while only 9% of those who identify as non-supporters agree.
The bottomline is that there is still a lot of convincing to do to have Singaporeans put their faith in the Unleash the Roar! project and this will only happen if results begin to show at the regional and continental levels.
POPULARITY OF FOOTBALL DROPPING AMONG YOUNGSTERS
While 80% of survey respondents felt that football was important to Singapore’s cultural identity, the Baby Boomers (45%) and Gen X (43%) are still standing tall as advocates of football’s significance.
However, the support is beginning to wane as the younger generations such as millennials (35%) and Gen Z (37%) are trailing behind in their support for football in Singapore.
Given the data points made available by the Yahoo study, perhaps it is an opportune moment for a greater survey and study to be conducted at a wider level to discover which sports in Singapore are the most followed, and why, as this would determine the use of future spaces for sports and recreational use.
ONLY 35% CURRENTLY SUPPORT LOCAL FOOTBALL OR THE NATIONAL TEAM
The popular notion that football is Singapore’s national sport appears to be a myth, according to the study by Yahoo as it revealed that only 35% saying that they currently support local football clubs or the national team.
However, a further 70% said that they would be encouraged to support a local football club or the national team if at least one of their criteria was fulfilled.
The top three criteria identified were talented and skilled players (35%), if football was their hobby or interest (30%) and if teams had a strong team spirit (28%).
FOOTBALL NEEDS TO BE FREE
Despite their love for the beautiful game, fans are split when it comes to paying to attend live matches.
Nearly half (45%) of Singaporeans will not want to attend a live match if they have to pay, whether it involves a top European football club like the recent pre-season friendly match between Liverpool and Bayern Munich (photo below), or the Singapore national team at the Singapore National Stadium.
Out of those that were willing to pay to attend a match, respondents were willing to pay more to attend a match involving a top European football club as compared to the Singapore national team.
16% would be willing to pay more than $100 for a top European football club, while only 7% would be willing to pay the same price for the Singapore national team.
The study also revealed that Singaporeans are mixed when it comes to catching the action away from the sidelines as 45% said they tune in to watch live matches online or on TV, with almost a third of respondents (32%) spending up to three hours a week catching up on the game and reliving each important aspect.
Meanwhile, 55% said they do not watch live football matches online or on TV.
MAIN PHOTO: TNP
IF YOU HAVE A STORY TO SHARE, DROP US A LINE AT HELLO@TMSG.SG
