Sport

Song Lam Nghe An: Need to awaken the pride of Nghe An football

Pham Xuan Viet • November 25, 2024 17:45

If we talk about a football team that is closely associated with the identity, pride and resilience of Vietnamese football, we cannot fail to mention Song Lam Nghe An (SLNA). The football team of the sunny and windy land, the birthplace of bright talents, was once the pride of fans across the country.

I went to Vinh city on a weekend afternoon where the match between the host and the guests was about to take place.Lam River Nghe Anand the visiting team Viettel. This place used to be a place where cheers echoed throughout the stands, but this afternoon the stadium became quiet. The facilities of Vinh Stadium are increasingly degraded. Garbage is everywhere around the field, the toilets have no power and give off an unpleasant smell, the stands are patchy and empty.

What was once a symbol of vitality is now fading away. But the most heartbreaking thing is the serious decline in the number of spectators coming to the stadium - the clearest evidence of the gradual indifference between the team and the fans.

bna_3(1)-e2c526ca0b7c50480f953b1b58cf4433.jpg — Olaha could not help Song Lam Nghe An get an honorary goal at home in the match against The Cong Viettel. Photo: Chung Le

In the last two seasons, Song Lam Nghe An struggled to stay in the league, their playing style lacked identity and young talents – the hope of the team – left to find new destinations. The decline in performance not only lost the trust of fans, but also caused the team to face countless difficulties.

Reasons for the decline: SLNA is facing a series of difficulties, including:

Tight finances:The team lacks the resources to retain key players and invest in its force.

Talent drain:Many excellent players leave the team to join more powerful clubs.

Declining squad quality:Rely heavily on young, inexperienced players and unremarkable foreign players.

Unchanging gameplay:Old style, lack of flexibility in tactics.

Pressure from fans:Great expectations sometimes create psychological pressure on the team.

Fierce competition in V.League:Facing heavily invested clubs makes SLNA fall behind.

Lack of management stability:Changes in leadership and strategy have not yet yielded clear results.

Audience turned away:Fans gradually lost faith as the team's performance declined.

Together to renew the image of Song Lam Nghe An

These difficulties are not only challenges, but also opportunities for SLNA to look back, change themselves and regain the trust and love from the community. To rebuild a symbol, SLNA needs to renew itself, not only from the field but also from the love of football of Nghe An fans.

bna_2(1)-c2ed0dc1d1a096aadeefef89a7f9c7a5.jpg — Coach Phan Nhu Thuat of Song Lam Nghe An. Photo: Chung Le

Starting from Vinh Stadium: No need for lavish investment, just weekend campaigns of club staff and all club players can participate in cleaning the field, spreading a positive image to the community. Cleaning, renovating and decorating, Vinh Stadium will take on a completely new look. Pictures of famous players or iconic images of the team along with some beautiful check-in points will be the highlights, attracting young people to the field.

Community Connection: Let'sVinh Stadium Not only is it a place where matches take place, but it is also a destination. The players – the pride of the SLNA training center – can interact with schools, sign autographs and take photos with fans after each match. These small things are the way to awaken the love of football from the roots, especially with the younger generation.

Professional and creative ticket sales activities: The decline in the number of spectators coming to the stadium is a worrying issue. The ticket sales department needs to have flexible strategies to attract spectators back such as ticket price incentives: Discounts or free tickets for students or family promotions; Digital transformation: Promote online ticket sales, online advertising, live streaming ticket sales... to reach young audiences, making it more convenient to buy tickets.

Boldly seek resources: There is no shortage of businesses in and outside the province that love football, but the problem is that SLNA needs a methodical strategy to call for sponsorship.

Share the values that the club brings to the community, to businesses and the inspiration from the glorious history of the team… Splitting sponsorship packages into smaller ones to make it easier to call on local businesses is also a way to improve the field, stands and toilets.

Motivation for change

SLNA used to be a symbol. That symbol cannot fade away, because behind it there are still millions of hearts that love football, love their hometown team. The people of Nghe An are always proud of their perseverance and resilience, and SLNA needs to turn that spirit into a driving force for change.

SLNA has always been proud of its top-notch youth training system, possessing many unprecedented achievements. The club's U teams have continuously dominated youth tournaments: 7 consecutive U17 championships (2004-2009), 5 U19 championships and 5 U21 championships. These achievements affirm SLNA's position as a cradle of talent, contributing excellent players to the national team.

2 (1) — A training session of Song Lam Nghe An Club before the match against Viettel. Photo: Duc Anh

A clean stadium, a well-planned strategy to retain young talent, and a committed fan base are the foundations for the team to develop. SLNA not only needs the consensus of the players and management, but also the support of those who once loved them.

Do you remember the day when Vinh Stadium was packed with spectators, yellow flags fluttering in the endless cheers? That scene is not a distant past, but a completely re-enactable future. As long as we make an effort and dare to change, the fans will “see”, the question is whether SLNA dares to dream, dares to change, and dares to make that dream come true?

Let's rebuild a strong Song Lam Nghe An together - a team of faith, identity and pride of Nghe An.