‘After 15 years in football management, I’m questioning whether it’s worth it’

Singapore-based Rasvinder Singh finds himself at a crossroads in his career. The executive director of D2D Sports is questioning whether to continue organising social football leagues and matches or pursue something more stable.

Since 2011, I have been somewhat off the beaten track, working in the niche industry of football leagues and events management.

After an unfortunate and premature exit from the Singapore Police Force due to injury, I took on various jobs following the completion of my National Service. However, I never truly found fulfilment in any of them.

In 2010, I made the conscious decision to pursue something I was genuinely passionate about, and football had always been my greatest passion. Fortunately, I was given an opportunity to work as an account manager at D2D Sports.

At the time, I did not know such a role existed, but I took to it like a fish to water. Through diligence, passion and integrity, I eventually worked my way up to becoming executive director.

Looking back on my years with the company, there have been many highs and lows. More than once, I have found myself at a crossroads in my career – questioning whether I should continue in this line of work or pursue something more stable.

Yet, each time, a new event or league would come along and draw me back in.

Today, however, I find myself at that crossroads again, but the feeling is different.

As executive director, I have had to wear many hats to keep the business operational. Being my own boss gave me flexibility and independence, both of which I valued greatly, but it also meant late nights, weekend work and the inability to switch off.

A significant part of the role involves customer service, which often means dealing with teams frustrated after a defeat.

More often than not, the blame is directed at the referees. I then find myself wearing the investigator’s hat, reviewing incidents and complaints because teams expect action rather than merely an opportunity to vent their frustrations.

After that, I inevitably have to put on the judge’s robe and make a decision – one that usually leaves at least one party unhappy.

Over time, I feel the constant cycle has begun to take a toll on me. I have grown increasingly jaded because it has become common for teams to complain about every decision that does not go their way.

If a ruling is not in their favour, there is often the threat of teams leaving the league without payment or, in today’s environment, taking to social media to damage our reputation.

Upon reflection, considering the amount of criticism and grief I have had to endure, I sometimes question whether it has all been worth it.

Despite the amount of time, energy and responsibility involved in running a league, I am not earning more than S$5,000 a month from a single competition to justify the workload and hours invested. There are periods when I am genuinely struggling to stay afloat.

It also makes me wonder whether this culture of complaints is uniquely Singaporean, or whether organisers elsewhere in the region and around the world face similar experiences.

From my experience running expatriate leagues in the past, such complaints appeared to be less common among expatriate European teams. Differences in opinion could usually be resolved through reasonable discussion without descending into slander, intimidation or personal attacks.

One deliberate decision I made was to avoid offering cash prizes in our leagues. The intention was to discourage overly competitive teams and maintain a healthier environment for players.

While this approach was largely effective before Covid, it has become less so in the post-pandemic period.

What continues to perplex me is how fiercely people will fight for a point, a decision or an advantage, despite there being no real reward beyond pride and ego.

Even at the highest levels of football, refereeing mistakes occur despite the presence of assistant referees and technologies such as Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

These decisions leave millions of viewers debating and confused every week, yet at the amateur level, there appears to be no room for human error.

At times, people also criticise the fees we charge – approximately S$180 per match for 8-a-side games and S$110 per match for certain 5-a-side leagues – especially because we do not offer cash prizes.

The implication is often that organisers are overcharging teams for excessive profit.

What many fail to see, however, are the operational costs involved in running a league – hiring facilitators and referees, providing video highlights, organising awards, maintaining league management systems and handling administrative responsibilities.

All of this is done without sponsorship support.

At the end of the day, my personal earnings amount to roughly S$200-300 per league each month, which is far from the perception that we are making huge profits from organising these competitions.

Once again, I find myself standing at a crossroads, but this time it feels different.

Perhaps it is finally time to consider something new – not only for my own growth, but to build a better future for my family.

The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the writer and do not represent that of Twentytwo13.