National captain Noh Alam Shah slams Singapore football

Football: National captain Noh Alam Shah slams Singapore football
By Patwant Singh, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 10 September 2009 1951 hrs
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sportsnews/view/1004160/1/.html

SINGAPORE : Singapore football captain Noh Alam Shah has slammed Singapore football, saying it is stagnant.

His remarks came ahead of his departure to Indonesia club Arema Malang where he has signed a one-year contract.

Alam Shah has been a household name, not only for his goal scoring but also his volatile temper.

Not new to controversy, the 29 year old said he has had enough of Singapore football, citing a lack of motivation due to poor attendances at S.League matches.

Several Singapore players are also contemplating a move to Indonesia clubs, which promise better salaries and capacity crowds.

Another grouse, Alam Shah thinks good players have been left out of the league because of the Football Association of Singapore's insistence on them passing the beep or fitness test.

He feels he is also being singled out by referees for past encounters.

"The referee standards has also gone down a bit, maybe me and most of the referees got history. I think they treat me (based) on (what happened in) the past and not the present. That is wrong and that's one of the reasons I am leaving," said Alam Shah, who plays for the Singapore National Team.

Alam Shah will play his last match for club Tampines Rovers against Sengkang Punggol on Friday. - CNA /ls