The National Stadium at the Sports Hub is a spectacular arena, but it costs a lot to maintain and manage.

These costs inevitably translate into high booking and set-up fees, which in turn explains why football fans had to fork out at least $49 a ticket to watch the recent international friendlies held there.

For the love of the game to grow and thrive in Singapore, ticket prices have to be less prohibitive for the man in the street.

Perhaps it is time to consider building a mid-sized football stadium for, say, 20,000 fans, with basic facilities to ensure running costs are kept low and tickets remain affordable.

Such a facility could be modelled after the Town Square at Our Tampines Hub - purpose-built for football matches with simple seating sans a full roof.

The Jalan Besar Stadium, home to the Football Association of Singapore and our national football teams, is an excellent candidate for such reinvention.

Gurmit Singh