The Singapore Premiere League (SPL) match that was supposed to take place on Tuesday (11 Apr) has been postponed.
It was initially slated to be held at the football pitch at Our Tampines Hub (OTH).
Source: Our Tampines Hub on Facebook, for illustration purposes only
Following an inspection, the artificial pitch was deemed unsafe to play on.
The postponed match also had to switch locations so that the issues at the affected pitch could be rectified.
The news was shared in a press release by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on Monday (10 Apr), ahead of the initial match date.
The fixture between Geylang International FC and Balestier Khalsa FC was supposed to happen on Tuesday at OTH.
However, the FAS and SPL pushed it back to Wednesday (12 Apr) after “extensive inspection”.
SPL officials had determined that the pitch at OTH was “unfit and unsafe for professional competition football”.
In addition, the rescheduled match was also moved to Jalan Besar Stadium. The kick-off time remains the same, at 8.30pm.
The FAS emphasised that the health and safety of all players and officials is a priority. This is especially so for a competition such as the SPL.
In this case, the association realised that the OTH pitch has fallen short of expected standards.
The FAS has notified the venue owner of OTH. They have to rectify the issues before the next inspection, which will assess the pitch’s playability.
Our Tampines Hub and its pitch were opened in August 2017.
Home to the Tampines Rovers FC, it has seen many football training sessions and competitions involving the football club and external clubs.
Source: Our Tampines Hub on Facebook
Members of the public are able to book the pitch for their own use as well.
However, according to a report by The Straits Times (ST), the pitch has not been replaced since it was opened six years ago.
Speaking to ST, an OTH spokesperson said that they agree with the FAS that the pitch was unsafe for a competitive football match.
“While we understand the frustration of not being able to compete on match day after extensive preparation for it, the safety of the players is of utmost concern.”
The spokesperson added that the pitch was damaged after a youth tournament from 7 to 9 Apr.
Apparently, segments of the pitch were damaged and they were also unable to remove the temporary lines drawn for the matches.
They said that the pitch was last returfed in 2017 and is slated for another returfing next year as part of the venue’s maintenance programme.
“We will make good the pitch as soon as possible, so that the players can resume the games,” the spokesperson assured.
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Featured image adapted from Wikipedia.
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