My hidden journey: A professional soccer player reveals he is gay
My hidden journey: A professional soccer player reveals he is gay
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‘I’m a brother, son, friend, former pro footballer, entrepreneur and annoyingly competitive lad. I’m a lot of things, and one of them is gay.’ ESPN
Editor’s note:Thomas Beattie played professional soccer from 2008 to 2015. A native of England, he came up through the Hull City youth academy, but his career took him across three continents as he searched for his true identity. This is…
Singapore Football News: Warriors FC confirmed to be out in the new SPL season
The latest football news in Singapore is here to provide the latest happenings in the world of Singaporean football in which considering as the main and popular sport in the country. The final decision is confirmed by the FAS or Football Association of Singapore in which the financially troubled Warriors FC to sit out in the new SPL or Singapore Premier League. The players planned to meet the management of the team regarding on the next action following the confirmation to skip the 2020 campaign. For the record, Singapore’s most popular and successful football team is the Warriors FC citing that they will miss the new season of SPL. Providing the Warriors squad’s financial problems, the FAS confirmed the announcement in the media concerning the nine-time league champions will officially out in the 2020 event. It was a week ago since the media statement that the club rejected the decision and they were hoping to reverse the decision but unfortunately failed. FAS stated that it has been a serious concern that the Warriors FC has carrying “financial problems into this year with no chance of meeting them”. Additionally, when the squad were questioned regarding on the proposal for 2020, there was an insufficient details concerning their capability to clear the present liabilities and keep future financial survivability.
The decision of FAS to let the team out in the new season was extremely difficult on the squad’s players and staff. Additionally, the side already acquired at least 15 players for the new season, in which scheduled to start next month. Warriors FC defender Delwinder Singh, he’s one of the players signed in a contract, stated on The New Paper:
“This news does come as a surprise to us… Since I signed the contract, I’ve been professional with carrying on training. I left the club to settle the matters. That’s all I can do as a player."
There is a player that did not want to be known and stated on TNP that the team learnt of FAS through social media Facebook, following the training activity. He said:
“This is quite hard for us to accept. The club had informed us that all the issues would be settled and we would be participating in the new season. Most of us signed our contracts even before we heard about the club being told to sit out of the new season. This isn’t a decision that FAS would have reached overnight, so why weren’t the players informed? FAS could have communicated with us and we would be considering other clubs instead. Some of the players have a family to feed, so what do we do now?”
Singapore Football News: Warriors FC still on training regardless of uncertainties in SPL
Photo Credit: The Straits Times
The latest football news in Singapore is here to provide the latest happenings in the world of Singaporean football in which considering as the main and popular sport in the country. The future of this team is undecided, the players are focusing on training in the hope of the participation in the new SPL or Singapore Premier League season. Midfielder Poh Yi Feng is hoping that he can lace his boots up for the 13th season of the professional football, however, a cloud of doubt is hanging on the top of his Warriors FC squad. Following the last season ended, a 33-year-old, Yi Feng decided to stay with the Warriors, where he has been since 2016, and one of the 15 players to have an agreement with the nine-time S-League champions. Regardless of the advice that implemented by the FAS or Football Association of Singapore last week for the Warriors FC to break in the new campaign, Yi Feng and the players have been in a hard work training these past few weeks while hoping that these efforts will work out in the end. Yi Feng had talked to The Straits Times in the weekend and stated:
“As players, there’s not much we can do except to keep training until something is confirmed. Of course, (players) do talk about the situation, wondering how it will turn out. But, in case the club do get to play, we have to be prepared and fit for the season ahead. It’s a matter of professionalism for us.”
While the schedule of the games has not been released, the league usually begins in late next month or in early. Warriors defender Delwinder Singh, 27-year-old, stated:
“We can only let the club management handle this. As a player, it would not be healthy for me to think about it all the time and let it affect my training. When a decision is made, I will react accordingly.”
In order to earn a cancellation, Chairman of the Philip Lam met the President of FAS Lim Kia Tong for more than an hour on Thrusday at the Jalan Besar Stadium. When the two bosses ended their meeting, they respectively shook hands before parting ways, when Warriors FC chairman was approached, he refused to comment and only stated:
“It was a private meeting where Philip said his piece, and in a very professional manner. There was no anger. He was upfront, and it was amicable.”
Regarding on last week, Chairman Philip delivered a direct response to FAS’s advice to sit out in the campaign, stating:
“We have rejected the FAS’ decision, and have asked for an urgent meeting, while we also seek legal counsel on the matter.”
Apart from the tasks of the team’s players and full time employee, he spotlights the $1.36 million loan he and the other members of the club’s leadership have raised into the team, as the causes of the rejection.
Singapore Football News: FAS advises the Warriors FC to break off 2020 SPL season
Photo Credit: Warriors FC Facebook
The latest Singapore football news is here to provide the latest happenings in the world of Singaporean football in which considering as the main and popular sport in the country. Singapore: The FAS or Football Association of Singapore has advised the SPL or Singapore Premier League Squad Warriors FC to break off in the 2020 Singapore Premier League. In a talk to the media on December 31, 2019 Tuesday, FAS stated the decision was made within the “best interest of the club”. This come after the Warriors FC chairman Philip Lam’s talk with the Straits Times where he brings up that the team had “declined” the settlement by the association. Philip stated:
“We have rejected the FAS decision, and have asked for an urgent meeting, while we also seek legal counsel on the matter. It is sad the FAS has not engaged us in this matter and heard us out before it reached this decision, and we hope to hear from the FAS soonest over this decision to have Warriors sit out the 2020 season.”
In its answer to media questions, the Football Association in Singapore committed that it had written to the team, advising it to sit out of the Singapore Premier League and Singapore Cup for the next season.
“The decision to instruct WRFC (Warriors) to sit out the upcoming season was made in the best interests of the club,” FAS stated.
Additionally, the team’s “dire financial state” which means it is powerless to comply with the squad licensing requirements anticipated of the entire SPL teams. Lam stated:
“At present, WRFC remains liable for a significant amount of debt owed to employees/players and social/tax authorities. These outstanding liabilities have also been the subject of court proceedings against WRFC. This situation has persisted for some time, and the amounts remains substantial. There might be further debts to which FAS may not privy to. To date, WRFC has not yet been able to sufficiently demonstrate that it would be able to meet these outstanding before the start of the 2020 SPL season.”
In the session of sit out period, the Warriors must focus its work to combine its resources and not put any added liabilities without the guarantees of new revenue systems. The institution stated it has also been in talk with the team since at least September on this year.
It added “Notwithstanding, the FAS remains committed to assisting the club to pull through this difficult period, and will continue to render our assistance where we can.”
Top Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca has finally completed Abia Warriors FC striker, Chisom Chikatara’s deal, the club announced on its website on Friday.
The former Japanese International and Tottenham Hotspur's midfielder spoke about how he had worked from the bottom to the top, and eventually representing his country in a World Cup and also played in the biggest league in the World.
Samurai Blue
JPF: Having represented Japan in the World Youth Championship as a 17yrs old, did it occur to you that you would eventually progress to the senior team and played in a FIFA World Cup?
KT: Never, not at all. I didn’t even have the confidence of becoming a professional footballer at that age, let alone to be selected for the senior team and play in a World Cup. My confidence grew only after the FIFA World Youth U-20 Championship where I became a professional player with Shimizu S-Pulse. that’s when I knew I wanted to play at the highest level.
(Photo: soccer-king.jp)
JPF: What do you think was your strength which caught coach Philippe Troussier’s attention and eventually drafted you into the Japan National Team?
KT: There were many good midfielders during my time in the J.League but I think it could be my aggressiveness or defensive ability which stood out from the rest. For example, current Nagoya Grampus Eight’s coach Dragan Stojkovic was an extremely good player during my time in the J.League. No player dared to get close to him as they were showing him too much respect. Well, for me I would go in hard just to get the ball away from him. I mean in a World Cup, you shouldn’t be overwhelmed by the fact that those were all well-known footballers whom you were always watching from the TV. Coach Philippe Troussier probably knew that I could do the job in this aspect.
JPF: You had played together with the late Matsuda Naoki in the Japan National Team, could you tell us more about him?
KT: Matsuda-san was a very influential and winning-oriented player. Players would always feel motivated with him around in the team. He also had a very strong mentality which I believe if he was to play in Europe, he would definitely succeed.
(Photo: jsgoal.jp)
J.League Football
JPF: Having recorded 271 appearances at Japanese top flight, and also having played in Korea’s K.League, do you think that Japanese J.League is the best in Asia?
KT: The style of play between K.League and J.League is different but K.League has got more quality foreign players. In terms of league organization, J.League is probably the best. However, if you look at the AFC Champions League (ACL) this season, J.League teams are not doing exactly well but I still feel that J.League’s standard is still among the best in Asia.
JPF: During your J.League playing days, who did you look up to for inspiration?
KT: During my younger days, I looked up to players like Paolo Maldini and Edgar Davids. (JPF: Japanese player?) There wasn’t any Japanese player in particular whom I really followed. That was because during my early Shimizu S-Pulse days, there were a lot of excellent players in the team. Especially during my first professional year with S-Pulse, I could notice the big gap of difference between myself and the rest of the regular players! So I would always be training hard to be on par with them.
(Photo:matome.naver.jp)
European Football
JPF: You had only managed 4 appearances during your time at White Hart Lane. In your opinion, why was your appearance limited in the English Premier League? Weren’t you supposed to join Sunderland instead?
KT: Yes, Sunderland did offer me a contract after the World Cup but unfortunately both S-Pulse and Sunderland could not reach an agreement with the transfer fee. Eventually, Tottenham Spurs’ request for loan came and was accepted by S-Pulse. During the winter break in January 2003, I joined Spurs officially under Glenn Hoddle. As I did not undergo the pre-season with the team, it took me sometimes to adapt to the new English-speaking environment. Just when I slowly became a regular with the team for the new season, I had a bad injury which ruled me out for 2 months. To make the matter worse, the manager who signed me, Glenn Hoddle, was replaced by David Pleat. That probably put me in a more challenging situation as I struggled to recover and to re-impress the new manager.
JPF: How was the experience playing in the Dutch league with ADO Den Haag compared to the English Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur?
KT: The standard of Eredivisie is comparable to the English League as there are lots of good teams as well. Teams like Ajax Amsterdam and PSV are extremely good. With my past experience playing in England, I also adapted very fast in Netherlands. I had played against Park Ji Sung, Mark Van Bommel (both PSV) and even Patrick Vieira (then Arsenal). Both Mark Van Bommel and Patrick Vieira were tough players. They were the only two players who showed no reaction after my hard tackles! The rest of players just went down, haha!
JPF: Is there anything that you have learnt from playing in top European leagues which you are still applying that in your game now?
KT: One of the things which I had learnt was Adaptability. In J.League, I had no difficulties as most of the players communicate in Japanese. However, in English Premier League, Eredivisie or even S.League, I will have to learn to adapt to a foreign language or even culture so as to blend with my fellow teammates as a foreign player. And also as a foreign player, there is additional pressure for us to perform better than the local players. After so many years of playing overseas, I have already learnt to cope with the challenges. In fact, now I am able to voice out my own opinion during team meetings and also communicate with fellow teammates comfortably and confidently.
JPF: In your Defensive Midfielder’s role, who are some of the toughest players you have ever faced?
KT: I have played against many good oppositions but the toughest one has to be Ruud Van Nistelrooy. With his “monster” build, he had surprised me with his agility, his pace, his space awareness and his technical ability. You only need to give him half-a-metre space, he would do wonders and made a goal out of it. The game which had given me the most impact in my career would have to be against Van Nistelrooy (Tottenham Hotspurs vs Manchester United). In fact, I am still feeling shocked by his fantastic football attributes!
Singapore Football
JPF: What do you think of the standard of S.League since you are currently playing in the S.League?
KT: Personally, the quality of the foreign players is good in every team and I am enjoying myself in the S.League too. However, S.League still has room to improve. It has to advance to the next level. And I am proud and excited to be involved and to contribute to the S.League’s advancement.
(Photos: Andrew Him)
JPF: After having played in various leagues in your career, in your opinion, how can S.League draw the crowd to the stadium?
KT: To be honest, I have always been thinking about this since I started playing in the S.League. First of all, some of the local teams like Home Utd, Tampines Rovers and Albirex Niigata are playing attractive football. What we need to improve firstly, is the infrastructure, particularly the football pitch. Currently, the pitch seems to be overused. If the pitch is to be used for S.League games, Prime League games and trainings, it would never be in a good condition to play beautiful football.
Next, improve the league schedule. As a player playing in the S.League, sometimes I’m not even sure when my next game will be as the current schedule is not fixed, let alone football fans who don’t normally follow S.League news on a daily basis. How would they know when to go for the games? For example in Japan, Cup games are played during the weekdays where the attendance is half of what it has drawn for the League games in the weekend. Should the games be possible played during weekends, it can be a family outing opportunity. And if you think that the telecast of the English Premier League’s games might prevent football fans from supporting their favourite S.League teams, it will not. Catching a live game in the stadium is a different experience which the football fans will truly enjoy. Remember, football is an entertainment.
JPF: Any advice for young aspiring players?
KT: If you want to be a professional footballer, first of all you will have to love football. Only if you are truly passionate about football, you will succeed. And if you are already a professional footballer, you will have to be disciplined. You will have to take good care of your diet, train hard and keep improving yourself in all various aspects. That’s professionalism.
