Small but not small suggestions for SLNA

(Baonghean) - We often mention the word "professional", but those are not big and grand things. In my opinion, we should be professional from the smallest things, to gradually move on to bigger things...

The seemingly simple but meaningful thing is the club logo, it is meaningful because it is the presence, representing the image of the team on the chest of the player's shirt every time they go on the field, placed right at the position of each person's heart. It is the image, the pride for the players to look at when competing.

SLNA players on the field against Saigon in 2016. Photo: Trung Won

So small but not too small for that reason. The current team logo, in my opinion, is a bit monotonous and does not have much meaning, so it needs to be renewed to have a more professional appearance, for example, simply adding 3 stars to represent the team's 3 national championships. Currently, the club is also lacking a traditional song, mascot, symbol, team nickname...

To enhance the image and brand of the club, we need to have a team tradition room, honor and recognize the contributions of outstanding individuals in the development of the team's history, and even cast statues to honor them. Every year, organize a vote for the most favorite player of the fans to encourage and motivate the players in a timely manner.

In order to increase revenue, the club can open a sales system for merchandise, clothing, and souvenirs. To do so, it is necessary to have a professional marketing department to promote the club's image. Let's look at the current branding methods that some Vietnamese clubs are doing, with Hanoi T&T, Dong Thap, Becamex Binh Duong leading the way... they are building a very good communication channel. In professional football, revenue from advertising, television copyright, souvenir sales, and ticket sales is very important, and it depends a lot on the image and brand of the team.

Before the match, more than 1,000 SLNA fans paraded around the main streets of Da Nang City. Photo: TW

Another current problem is that although the number of football fans is very large and spread across the country, the activities are still fragmented and do not have a common voice. For example, the Southern Fan Club, although very bustling and attracting a large number of fans, operates quite independently from the Club. The Club should start building a unified fan management system with a schedule of activities, exchanges, and clear rules and regulations for the 3 regions. Of course, to operate in a systematic manner, in addition to the enthusiasm and passion of the fans, there needs to be a stable source of funding to maintain those activities. That source can be mobilized from social activities, calling for contributions from organizations, sponsors, and individuals. That will be an extended arm between the fans and the team.

And the most important thing is still the quality, playing style, identity, and achievements on the field of the team. We have not yet built and determined a unique playing style for the team, which comes from the lack of unity in the youth training system. That is also a common weakness of Vietnamese teams. Let's look at the Thais and the Japanese.

They have built a style of play and philosophy that suits their physique and personality right from the youth teams. To do that, we need to change the mindset right from the youth training work. We must cooperate with large youth training centers, invite good experts with strategic professional vision, regularly export coaches to learn expertise, only then can we hope to build a unique style of play for the team right from the youth teams.

The road is bumpy but we still have to go to reach the destination. Fans always hope that the team will develop and become the leading flag of Vietnamese football.

Pham Son