Hi Owen, firstly welcome to Schwarz Star FC and many fans have been asking the golden question…there were rumours of other well established teams trying to recruit you, what was the reason for you to join Schwarz Star FC?

First of all, as a new recruit, I am flattered to be interviewed by the team, thanks in advance.

During my early playing days, I’ve played for some established teams in the FAS and Prime League, Safsa was one of them. Due to the exposure and having built up a wide network of soccer kakis, I often get calls every other day to play for them. As age is catching up and am nearing my 40’s, I have to pace myself and begin to only get involve in Sunday social football till I saw Schwarz Star’s recruitment drive on Kallangroar website, so I decided to give it a go again and test my skills, the enticing part of this team is in it’s club’s commitee (I was curious what an amatuer team could be doing with a commitee with Medics, IT, Finance, Logistic etc, now I know…)

2) You have played in afew League games for the D2D team under Coach Jason. what’s your view of the team and how do you think you can offer to the team?

I like people who are respectful of the others, any race or any age group, I see this in the team so far. There are many teams that I’ve played with/for that does not possess this important aspect for the team, I believe Coach Jason has done a good job to nurture his team to play for one another.

For me, I would like to see / assist the players to gain more confidence with the ball, be able to hold the ball well and make good passes with ease and good vision, play intelligently with sleek movements / good supportive runs, football is a beautiful game isn’t it?

3) How excited are you as you prepare to embark on your journey with Schwarz Star FC?

I am looking forward to playing more games competitively with this team provided that my aging legs don’t fail me and my business travels do not clash with game days, on the whole, it is going to be an exciting season of football for me again and I hope to contribute to the team as much as possible, with the help of the “younger players” of course.

4) In the next 5 years..what do you aim to achieve in your time in SSFC and what would you like to see happening in terms of say the development or progression of SSFC ?

In the meantime, I just hope to assist and instill a certain level of confident ball playing and ball possession among the team, I always feel that confidence and having a positive mind-set is crucial in the game of soccer.

I guess the basic infrastructure of the team has already been set and it’s doing well so far. The team has to sustain the better players to form the basic core of the team, keeping their interest level high, helping them to keep fit and maybe provide a certain level of assistance in areas of academic / social / work life, at the same time, spotting good players (young / old) and bringing them into Schwarz Star.

5) What’s your message to the Schwarz Star supporters?

Keep supporting and cheer for the club, Schwarz Star will do well and will continue to shine among the hundreds of teams in Singapore. Cheers!

1) Hi Roy, how are things with you? Being nominated the Captain for the Competitive Team in the D2D League,how’s the feeling like and what’s your personal expectations for the D2D Season?

Hey guys, I would say things are cool and there are alot more football for me right now. Well it is definitely a privilege and a challenge to be the captain of the team. A famous superhero once said, “with great power comes great responsibility.” It is not a particularly easy role but I am trying and enjoying myself as much as possible with the team. Seeing the team gel, enjoying football and gaining respectable results would be a good start for us. A top 3 placing will certainly put icing to the cake.

2) What’s your view in which would be strongest as well as weakest link within the Competitive Team?

In fact, I felt that we could have at least gained a point from our first match. In my opinion, our strength lies in the depth of our team as well as our willingly to run our hearts out for the team. Also, we have a coach whom is giving us guidance from the sidelines at times and making techniques changes when needed. However we could do alot better in defending as a team and try not to leak in soft goals. After all, a clean sheet in any game will means that we gain at least a point in any case.

3) Your scored a screamer from a direct free kick in the lastest game against Swee Swee 1 FC..How did it feel to score your 1st goal for Schwarz Star FC? what’s your goal target that you aim to achieve for the season?

It always feels good to score and I was thrilled that the ball glided to where I wanted. Probably one of the best goal I ever scored. I don’t have a goal target that I want to achieve at the moment but I will be looking at contributing whenever I can.

4) You were brought in by Maverick to join Schwarz Star FC..what was the reason behind to join SSFC though you are still part of Rebels United.. How was the transition like from a rival team in the EFL Assessment League to another team?

Interesting. The way I see it, one is like a wife and the other like a mistress. Rebels has a nostalgic feeling for me as many of the players goes a long way back with me while SSFC is something very new, passionate and challenging for me. Besides, the training and coaching with SSFC is an eye-opener for myself but it was made easier with the team being welcoming towards new players. I was itchy for some football during Rebels’ off season so I decided to train with SSFC after hearing great stuffs about the club from Maverick and the rest you could say is history.

5) On a more serious note..where do you see SSFC from now till say…year 2015..What do you aim to achieve in your time here with the Falcons? NFL or at least one of higher rungs of a professionally run league like Espzen.

With the team’s commitment and passion for the game and SSFC’s management, it will be a waste not to move forward. Hopefully both league and competitive team can come together, start challenging for honors and be counted among the big boys. Sponsors and more football talents will be good as well. A competition overseas soon, food for thought? On a personal note, I would like to enjoy the game I love and hopefully able to grow with the club as we reach for new heights. Many thanks!

Team Manager Brandon was recently interviewed by Star Times upon touching down on Changi Airport after his honeymoon in Italy.

1) Hi and welcome back to Singapore after 2 weeks of holiday in Italy. What do you miss most about Singapore during your stay in Italy?

Well, I definitely miss the local food such as the Hokkien Mee, Curry and the spices in Singapore.. Over in Italy, there were alot of bread and also pizzas/pasta which I was not really used to and eating it everyday makes me appreciate Singapore flavour.

I also do miss family and friends in Singapore and most notable my guys in Schwarz Star FC..getting every opportunity to surf the net and interact with them on the team shoutout box as well as the occasional emails.

I would like to thank Leonie and the committee for doing a great job in my absence with regards to the management of the team

2) Heard from sources that you managed to play a game of soccer with the locals at the beach?

Yes its true, I was at this place called Cinque Terra ,happened to see a futsal court and there were some teenagers (7-8 of them) playing so I asked if I could join them..so had a 1 hour session with them..I had to play barefoot as I didnt bring soccer gear with me and I was wearing sandals.

2-3 of the players were about 13-14 years old but their playing mentality if like of a 24 year old. There was maturity and also “sound ” techinque for theie age. After the session, I sat down with the guys and had a chit chat session with them( though was very hard as they were speaking Italian) so after awhile managed to get a hang of what they were saying.

One was them is currently a youth player in the Barcelona rank and is having holiday now.

3) So any plans for the coming future for SSFC?

Though I was on holiday, the fact that my mind tends to drift away to think about SSFC..”how can I make the team better in terms of playing as well as the operational perspectives”…( But I did all these thinking while my wife was napping away on the train )

There will definitely be changes within SSFC..in order to compete with the rest of the teams..there must be changes not whole sale but rather just some fine tuning in the system.

Schwarz Star FC will be a leaner and more efficient team able to compete with the best in the region.

However this process will take some time to implement and I seek the players understanding and patience during this transition period.

The first fine tuning will be the team hierachy/committee of which a dynamic and driven approach will be taken. This is in view that a solid foundation for every team/organisation stems from a driven/motivated committee. This is in alignment of our vision to reach the NFL in 2012 and the basic building blocks are to be in place to reach our goal.

Players must also know that their slot in either the D2D/EFL squad must not be taken for granted and everyone to be kept on their toes through hard work and committment.

4) So when will you be returning to office…?

Since Leonie and the committee is doing a fine job in my absence , I guess they can continue for alittle while longer while I have a longer break.

But on a serious note, I will be away for the next few weeks as I am still settling down into my new place and also spening some time with mywife and family before coming back to the helm again..but rest assured..” I will be back”.

Schwarz Star FC has been invited by Questra Vipers to participate in the Invitational Tournament this coming weekend to further bolster not just the friendship of both teams but also amongst other invited teams such as TBI and Greats FC…

When interviewed by Star Times, Team Manager Brandon was quoted: ” This will be a good exposure for the lads as we will be sending in a mixture of senior as well as trialists for this tournament., There will be certain notable absentees from the senior team such as Captain Taufiq, Razmy, Fii,Kevin etc etc due to work and family committements for the coming weekend. Farhan will stand in as the Captain for the Tournament and I have absolute confidence in him leading out the guys with passion and conviction for the tournament. There will also be afew trialists whom I am keen to recruit into Schwarz Star FC and they will be given the opportunity to showcase their potential.”

The Falcons manager is currently engaged with his preparations for his upcoming wedding in June but admits club matters remain at the forefront of his mind.
Obviously I want to enjoy the wedding and the honeymoon with my wife to be.
But I can’t wait to get back to Schwarz Star FC and try to put it right.”
He added: “As soon as the game against J-Heat finished , I wished the start of next season was the next day. The best thing is to forget the season we had and get on with it.
Brandon is adamant that Schwarzians must all be pulling in the same direction if they’re to bounce back strongly next season.
Brandon is acutely aware of the disappointment felt by fans and players alike within Schwarz Star FC after a mixed 1st season in the EFL Qualifing Division – insisting he shares their frustrations.
However, he is convinced next term will see a stronger push for silverware by the Falcons

But now is a break for the players before all gather again in 2weeks time to start their early preparations..

The Questra Cup will be the start of our preparations and there will be afew new players coming through the Schwarz Star 9nier system to further boost the current squad of players.

A special arrangement was made by Team Manager Brandon with the main purpose that players whom were not involved in Sat’s D2D League game would get some playing time under their belts and also gain match fitness.. Most notably out of the 16 players present, the only senior players were Satnam, Leon, Siva, Brandon & Yangsheng whom were roped in to guide the new players. On the bench , there were also trialists whom were eager to impress (Yangmeng, Charles, Vineet, Ijal, Balasubramanian)…

The starting 11 consisted of Maverick (GK), Ishak (LB), Satnam & Vineet (CBs), Eugene (RB), Charles (DM), Yangmeng & Fernando (CMs), Yangsheng (RW), Leon (LW) & Siva (FW)

SSFC started the game brightly with the defence not allowing any opponent past their zone and with Siva showing glimpses of his ability despite being away from the team for almost 6months due to school/work committments. The CMs were enterprising and giving balls to the wing for crosses of which one nearly went in after Siva was given a through ball by Yangmeng..

Mid way through the 1st Half…again a lapse of concentration allowed the opponents to sneak past the SSFC defence after nicking the ball from the player’s legs and shot past Maverick.. 1-0 to Unido FC..

With the immense heat starting to take a toll on the players…Wan and Kokhui went in for Fernando and Leon respectively to add more industry to the left side. 10 mins later Balasubramanian went in for Yangsheng. However soon Half time blew and Schwarzians gathered for a short discussion. Ijal went in for Siva and the 2nd half line up were as follows..

GK(Maverick), RB(Eugene),LB(Kokhui),CBs(Fernando/Vineet),DM(Charles),CMs(Wan/Yangsheng),LW(Leon),RW(Balasubramanian),FW(Ijal)

The game started slowly and both teams were cautious with majority of the action contained in the midfield battle..7mins into the 2nd half..Brandon took the place of Charles and went for a 4-4-2 formation…

SSFC conceded a 2nd goal and came in the 10min into the 2nd half when the ball was passed back to Maverick from the LB and with the hard field the ball bounced and a mis kicked from the SSFC GK landed at the opponent whom had the task of tapping the ball in despite Maverick at full stretch..

However..SSFC with their typical grit and fighting spirit crawled back into the game when Brandon gave a through ball for Ijal to latch onto..Ijal did a jink to the right leaving  the defender for dead and blasted the ball into the net past the outstretched GK to make it 2-1 …A good debut goal for Ijal…

Suddenly SSFC turned on the pressure and started attacking the Unidon’s goal..but with the over zealous attack from SSFC left gaping holes in the defence and Unidon pounced on it to make it 3-1…

SSFC continued to pile on the pressure and was given a free kick which Brandon shot to the top right hand corner of the goal but was saved by the GK…with time ticking by fast and furious..Siva and Ijal combined well only to be denied by the GK yet again…

With the final kick of the game..Brandon shot a curling shot with the hope of catching the GK off his line but yest again was saved by the GK..

Final Score: Schwarz Star FC 1 . Unido FC3

Star Times caught up with Team Manager Brandon and had managed to get his insights into the friendly: “It was a good work out for some of the players as it’s to maintain their match fitness and also to have some fun on a Sunday”

When quizzed on the 5 trialists, “Its a good work out for them and we will definitely be seeing them more often in the coming weeks. They have so far left a good first impression on those present at the game.”

After coming from the loss from the previous weekend, SSFC was keen to put things right this time round.

As Schwarzians gathered for their warm up and pep talk by Coach Kenneth, the team was keen to get off to a flying start..

However things didnt go as planned, and mid-way into the 1st half, a lapse of concentration from the SSFC defence allowed the Maverick forward to drive a shot in and 1-0 to the Mavericks..

The score line stayed the same and harsh words were dished out..SSFC came out flying and started to pound the Maverick’s goal..despite the wave after waves of attacks..SSFC was unable to break down the wall put up by the Mavericks whom were using a 4-5-1 formation and getting players in their own half..

With that..it ended 1-0 and another disappointing loss to the Schwarzians

Schwarz Star FC  O  Mavericks FC 1

1)      Hi Jingxiang, firstly welcome back to Singapore after your studies in Australia for almost 3 years..how does it feel to be back in Singapore?

Thanks! I never felt better finally being back home. I’m able to indulge in the wide variety of mouth-watering food, enjoy the hot and wet weather, the “Kiasu” Singaporeans and the joys of playing soccer.  You should know that it’s really difficult to find a grass patch in Melbourne City to play in, and if you do, 365 days a year, there are water restrictions rules implemented, knowing that I’m a hardcore soccer fan, you can imagine how many times I have been fined.

2) The past 3 years have been rather difficult for you as you were away from your family and also soccer especially Schwarz Star FC since you were one of the co-founders of the team in 2004..so how do you keep yourself in the loop of the happenings of the team while you are overseas..?

While abroad, the only sources of  information would be; the website, Facebook and Brandon. The website is very homey and bursting with information about our players, present, past and upcoming results/fixtures, player of the month awards, photo galleries, etc. You be surprised that it’s one of the most detailed website I ever came across. Meanwhile, for live news, I would shift my attention to Facebook where most of my SSFC friends are the older players (Helmi, Thava, Yun, Mevin, Kevin.. …. ….) so any news pertaining to SSFC, will be lit up in the player’s shoutout box. Lastly, I got my trusted friend of 10 years, Brandon who without fail keeps me updated with the team news and answer my queries should I have any. Thanks Brandon!

3) What do you think of the progress of the team now in comparison to a few years ago before you left for Australia? What do you think of the management of the team so far under the current stewardship of Team Manager Brandon and his committee?

 Before I left for Australia, we had a huge team thanks to the publicity we had from THE NEW PAPER and ESPN talk show. However, having a huge team equals a high player turnover. Everyone wants to play competitive soccer, wouldn’t settle being subs and we only have one Brandon. Even now, I do feel bad for leaving Brandon to handle everything. We also did enlist 2 voluntary coaches during that time, however, they along with players lack commitment and patience. Soccer training sessions were just kick-abouts and after a few disappointing results (all our friendlies ended in thrashings), they left the team. The old SSFC was disorganised and had no clear direction in mind.

Honestly, I was totally impressed with the progress of SSFC presently. A 360 degree make-over. We had a committee team (each tasked with respective roles & responsibilities), a re-vamped website, team jerseys, FAS coaches (Kenneth and Jason), Contact ICs per game, bonding sessions, weekly friendlies, weekly training sessions afterwards, participation in the leagues (two teams) and most importantly, the commitment of players.  There’s also an older age group within the team who provide advice to younger players. In the past, the team consisted of secondary and polytechnic students, who come and go frequently (loss of interest in the team or NS). I studied Business Management and Brandon along with his committee implemented all the principals of management and a lot more. SSFC can put any MNC to shame with what you all have done in such a short period of time. You all did an excellent job! If I didn’t have a limit, I would gladly continue on and on.

 4) Having been back in Singapore only for a few months and you have been entrusted in safeguarding the goal for the Competitive team in the D2D League..how does it feel to be back in the thick of action?

It feels great! I have not been active in Soccer in Australia except for a few participations in futsal tournaments. One can see that I have not been in the best of shape (Gained weight, Loss of Stamina and faced difficulties adjusting to the weather change). Finally, I understand how European teams felt when they play in hot and humid countries during the World Club Championships. The average temperature in Melbourne was 8 to 15 degrees!

Originally, I have always been a winger during my hay days. Fast, accurate crossing and powerful long shots. However, I can no longer be the Beckham (that time, no Ronaldinho or Ronaldo) that I used to be, so being a Goalkeeper was the obvious choice for me. Brandon and I are considered old in soccer terms so it’s time, we move aside to let the younger generation take over. Like what the Singapore Coach (Roman) says, we should groom a player when they are 16-17 and once they are 21-23 years old, they should be performing to a standard of Ronaldo and Rooney’s level.

Just like Brandon, I’m willing to play in any position the team needs me to play in. Anything for the team. It’s really great to see that I’m getting back my stamina, regaining my confidence, learning from my mistakes, improving game after game and getting the respect of the players.

5) What do you wish to see in the evolution of Schwarz Star FC in the next coming 2-3 years and how would you see yourself in the set-up for the of the evolution?

I have seen how much SSFC revolutionise in the past few years, so I’m expecting much more in the upcoming 2-3 years. I hope to see the team having a stronghold in the EFL and D2D league respectively (Top 3 or Champions), lesser player turnover, secure a sponsor and organise a major soccer tournament to build up publicity/revenue for the club.

I would love to be part of the set-up of the evolution. Any task, I will give my utmost best. Brandon!! Assign me a position on the committee! It’s time I should do my part for SSFC.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to be interviewed!