Football fields snapped up on ActiveSG using IT

fb: Football match organisers are using scripting to book fields on ActiveSG ahead of other users, says one social footballer.

by Hamzah Omar Yaacob

AT LEAST one recreational footballer has accused match organisers of gaming the ActiveSG online booking system for football fields. Banker and social footballer Mr Soon Kay Hock, 56, says he suspects computer programming known as scripting is deployed to enable organisers to book their preferred slots ahead of other users.

He approached TMG after our March 18 story on weekend about a lack of desirable football fields and slots available on the weekends through ActiveSG, which rents out football pitches for a fee, mainly secondary school fields, over the weekend.

Amateur footballers say they have to turn to match organisers, if they want to play on better quality fields in the late afternoons and evenings. Match organisers charge up to more than double the price of booking fees on ActiveSG for games arranged on ActiveSG pitches. The games include opposing teams and a referee.

However, Sports Singapore said that it welcomed match organisers and allows them to only book slots in advance during off-peak hours on weekends. Read the full story here.

Mr Soon took up the matter to Sports Singapore last year, and got a response from them in February this year saying that it had taken “punitive actions against those who were found responsible for scripting and selling of football slots.”

TMG asked Sports Singapore what action was taken, and replied that they had revoked membership of those caught. Booking facilities through ActiveSG requires users to become members on the site by registering their personal details. When asked about how many such cases were found and who had been behind scripting, Sports Singapore declined to comment.

Mr Soon says that he was frustrated at what he sees as an “abuse of government resources.” He added that “all I want is a fairer system” and said the problem still persists even after engaging Sports Singapore.

We spoke to match organisers D2D sports, and said they did not use scripting but instead booked slots when they were released to the public. However, they suspected other match organisers of using scripting saying “so many fields that they get… honestly, on our part we’re struggling to get fields.”

Muhammad Syafie, 21, who uses a match organiser to secure fields on the weekend said he was not aware. But added: “No wonder they always get the field.”

 

 

 

The post Football fields snapped up on ActiveSG using IT appeared first on The Middle Ground.

- Hamzah Omar Yaacob