It is time for change in Singapore football, according to Hougang United chairman Bill Ng, who has emerged as one of the front runners for next month's Football Association of Singapore (FAS) election.
April 29 has been announced as the date for the first-ever contested election of FAS.
According to The Straits Times, the contest will be a struggle between 64-year-old Lim Kia Tong, an FAS council member since 1999, and outspoken businessman Ng, who is credited in turning Hougang United into an S.League force.
"Now is the time for people with hearts in the right place to take the mantle, and offer fresh alternative measures," Ng told The Straits Times.
"This is our chance to start again with a blank canvas, rather than continue with what has already been proven to not work."
Ng will have Singapore National Olympic Council vice-president Annabel Pennefather working with him.
Lim's team will include Teo Hock Seng, the former chairman of Tampines Rovers, lawyer Edwin Tong, and FAS council member Bernard Tan.
Despite being the nation's most popular and best funded sport, Singapore football is in a sorry state. The national team are ranked 163rd in the world, having fallen to an all-time low of 171st last October. The S.League is struggling, and youth sides have performed poorly in recent tournaments, like the Southeast Asian Games.
Lim refused to accept the tag of "incumbent" for his team, despite their existing connection to FAS.
"People have been saying the incumbents are not doing certain things, so it would seem they are referring to people who have been at the FAS for a certain period of time," Lim said.
"But Edwin and Bernard, they are new boys and have been in FAS for only about three years. I don't think the tag of incumbents should be attached to them. Similarly, Hock Seng is not an incumbent of the FAS."
Next month's vote will see the 44 affiliates of FAS, including S.League clubs, take part in the election at the Sports Hub. The party with a minimum of 30 votes for a two-thirds' majority will be declared the winner.