Football: No answers about fight but teams are back on the field

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There has been no verdict, no hint of a disciplinary hearing, and no official certainty if all the guilty have been punished, but the National Football League (NFL) Division One teams involved in a brawl on Nov 12 have already returned to the pitch.

The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) had initially stopped Singapore Armed Forces Sports Association (Safsa) and Yishun Sentek Mariners from playing further league fixtures, with sources revealing that the aim was to expedite an FAS Disciplinary Committee (DC) hearing into the matter.

While Safsa's encounter against Admiralty FC on Tuesday did not kick off - Admiralty players did not show up - Yishun beat Balestier United 2-0 last night.

The FAS did not answer questions regarding disciplinary action that it has taken against these teams, or if its DC had already convened, but its spokesman clarified the fact that the association had suspended the fixtures of the teams, not the teams themselves.

"Following the incident between Yishun and Safsa on Nov 12, the fixtures involving the two teams were suspended to facilitate immediate initial investigations. The players sanctioned by match officials will be serving their relevant competition suspensions," said the FAS spokesman.

A list sent to NFL clubs revealed that four Safsa players have been suspended, three as a direct result of cards issued after the incident. Four Yishun players were suspended for direct red cards received during the Nov 12 match.

As of Monday, Safsa lead the 12-team NFL Division One standings with 53 points from 20 games. Yishun are two points behind but have one game in hand.

The FAS did not say why it allowed Safsa and Yishun to resume competitive football before disciplinary proceedings.

But it is understood that Yishun have suspended players they believe were involved in the fracas but were not sanctioned by match officials on Nov 12.

Alim Omar, sports secretary of NFL Division Two club South Avenue, believes that the DC must be convened quickly and the book should be thrown at guilty parties.

"The investigation must be thorough, unmitigated and without prejudice, but the clubs should be allowed to continue to finish their fixtures," he said.

Geylang International coach Noor Ali asserts that this incident is not just about a fracas between two teams, but one that has an impact on the football fraternity.

"If the FAS is serious about implementing a promotion-relegation system between the S-League and the NFL, it must take a strong stance on things like these," said the former Singapore international.

"Yishun and Safsa must understand that they are the two best teams in the NFL - if they behave like this, how can we have promotion?

"Both teams must be taken to task; there's no place in the S-League for this kind of behaviour."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 30, 2017, with the headline Football: No answers about fight but teams are back on the field. Subscribe