A whistle blower has presented TMSG with evidence of how much women players from one of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) clubs earned over the 2024 season.
TMSG had first heard about the paltry sums being paid to women’s players who play in the Women’s Premier League a few weeks ago.
The WPL is an amateur league and players are not accrued full-time salaries.
But with clubs being provided subsidies by the Football Association of Singapore, should the women players be accorded some level of respect for their time and effort?
Back to the club in question, details of which was sent to TMSG by a whistle blower.
The highest amount paid to a player was $275.62 over six months, which would mean an average of $45 per month.
The total amount was paid at the end of the season.
The lowest received by a player was $6.89.
For this club, the amounts paid to them were for the matches which they had won.
The WPL is into its 24th season, declared the FAS when it announced the new season which began on 1 March with nine teams playing at a single venue at Choa Chu Kang Stadium.
But the question remains that given that the WPL is apparently into its 24th season, how is it that the progress and development has been snail-like.
TMSG reached out to the club for verification and received a phone call and an email response from the club.
TMSG has decided not to name the club and its appointment holder who responded via email.
This is mainly because we are of the opinion that the club is doing whatever it can within its means to try and make things work.
The issue lies squarely on the FAS and the amount of subsidies provided for football and the affiliates.
TMSG understands that clubs which participate in the WPL receive a subsidy of $30,000 from the FAS.
This was also verified with the WPL club TMSG sought answers from.
“Running a WPL team involves various expenses including training facilities, equipment, coaching staff, and other operational costs,” said the club President in response to queries.
“While the exact figure can fluctuate depending on the season, it requires a significant investment to maintain a competitive team at this level.”
The club added that for players who are studying and who are unemployed, they were given a $100 a month allowance in 2024 which supported them for transport needs.
“While the resources are limited, we do our best to support the players with additional assistance when possible,” said the club President.
“We’ve been fortunate to partner with sponsors who believe in the potential of women’s football, despite the challenges.
“Their support allows us to continue running and growing the team. The process is ongoing, and we’re continually exploring new avenues,” the club president added.
The worst part is that this is probably not the worst among the participating clubs.
Another club official who spoke to TMSG asked why was it affiliates are not being accorded fair amounts of subsidies given that more can be due from the Singapore Totalisator Board through its betting revenues.
“This is the issue which should be addressed, apart from clubs needing to do more to raise money for their clubs,” said the official.
From how things are going, it seems a lot easier said than done.
MAIN PHOTO: TMSG READER