SINGAPORE – A 46-year-old man was arrested for a “rash act causing hurt”, after a parent of a youth footballer was allegedly hit by a chair following a match on May 11.
The incident occurred just outside Sengkang Secondary School after an Under-14 Singapore Youth League (SYL) match between Geylang International and Albirex Singapore Football Academy, which Geylang won 8-0.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, the police said on May 12 that it received a call for assistance at 10 Compassvale Lane on May 11 at about 7.15pm.
“A 51-year-old man was conveyed conscious to the hospital. A 46-year-old man was arrested for rash act causing hurt. Police investigations are ongoing,” said the police statement.
The SYL is an elite youth football competition, and it is an initiative under the Unleash The Roar! national football project jointly run by Sport Singapore and the Football Association of Singapore (FAS).
Speaking to ST on May 12, the alleged victim Daniel Tay – who is in his 50s and the father of one of Albirex’s players – said that the incident occurred after the match when a parent of a Geylang player allegedly attacked him with a metal foldable chair.
According to Tay, a fellow parent of an Albirex player had approached the Geylang coach after the final whistle to raise concerns that she had been insulted by several Geylang players during the game. Tay said the coach apologised for his players’ behaviour. However, as the parent walked away, she was reportedly taunted by a group of Geylang players’ parents.
Tay said he witnessed the exchange and stepped in “to be a good social citizen”, reprimanding the group for “harassing” the woman. At that point, tensions allegedly escalated, with the group shouting at him, though no physical altercation occurred then.
He added that he walked out of the school with the match commissioner, and that was when he was allegedly struck by a metal foldable chair.
Tay sustained injuries to his left eye and cheekbone, and required medical attention at Sengkang General Hospital. He made a police report immediately after the alleged assault.
Albirex said in a statement on Facebook: “The club strongly condemns any aggressive actions against our players, coaches, parents and our supporters, and is committed to ensuring a safe environment for all. As this matter is in the hands of the police, the club will continue to support the affected parent, but will not be making further comments at this time.”
In a statement posted on its social media pages, the SYL said that it was alerted to an altercation between supporters after the match. The league added that it is in touch with both clubs and that investigations are ongoing.
“We remind players and supporters to respect league rules and to abstain from unruly behaviour. Violence will not be tolerated and we will not hesitate to report violent acts to the authorities. Disciplinary action will also be taken against such errant behaviour,” said its statement.
Geylang also said in a statement on May 12 that they take such matters seriously.
The club’s U-14 coach Dawood Anuar told ST said both teams’ players had engaged in mocking during the game, adding that this led to tensions between the footballers, as well as the parents, as they left the premises.
He said: “After the final whistle… one of the Albirex parents came up to me and said she felt upset and disrespected that she was insulted during the game. I apologised to her but told her that my players had also told me that the opponents also insulted my players with some words about their mothers.”
Minutes after that interaction, Dawood said he heard a commotion and saw the parents holding one another back, adding that “I saw an Albirex parent with a cut”.
The inaugural season of the SYL was held in 2024 and the latest campaign featuring more than 300 teams kicked off on Feb 8. The league caters to age groups from Under-eight to Under-17 and provides a competitive platform for young players – boys and girls – to showcase their talent and gain experience.
Matches take place on weekends and comprise teams from FAS, private clubs and academies.
Tay said that some parents can be vocal during matches and some may “cross the line”. While he hopes that sufficient punishment will be handed out, he does not want to see parents banned from games.
“It just takes one or two bad apples to spoil the whole thing. I can’t say it’s a one-off, because it has been happening. But neither do I want to see them ban parents, because parents are the backbone of the SYL,” he said.
Offenders convicted of causing hurt to any person by performing a rash act can be jailed for up to a year and/or fined up to $5,000.
