The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) Fan Club Singapore is currently the longest surviving team in D2D Sports’ Fan Club Futsal League in the republic.
They have been in the league since Season 6, which started on Feb 3, 2020. The league is currently in the final stages of Season 8, and the team has even signed up for next season, which will kick off in October.
The fan club was formed in May 2018, just before the Fifa World Cup the very same year. It was created by the parent club, PSG.
PSG had an office in Singapore, and although there was a fan club in different parts of Asia, the Singapore branch was missing, so they took the opportunity to form one.
PSG created the fan club as it was mindful of the rather large French community based in the island nation. It was also due to the fact that PSG had scheduled a trip to Singapore for the International Champions Cup (ICC) in 2018.
The club had planned several programmes involving the footballers, thus the setting up of the fan club was seen as “perfect timing”.
Romain Janson, the president of the fan club who was brought on board in May 2018, immediately created a Facebook page for the fan club to create some social media presence.
The fan club then participated in the club’s activation initiatives during the ICC and organised casual 5-aside matches. Those were among the ways Janson wooed fans to be a part of the fan club.
Janson was eager to build a strong PSG community in Singapore. Throughout 2020 and 2021, the fan club found sponsors, launched a membership campaign, and even created its own kits, among others.
While it was not difficult for Janson to get members from the 20,000-strong French community in Singapore, he faced difficulty getting locals to adore the French giants. After all, most Singaporeans are obsessed with teams from the English Premier League.
Yet, he somehow managed to get several local members to join the fan club.
Members of the fan club often gather for big games, even if the matches were played in the wee hours of the morning in Singapore. They faced difficulties doing so during the Covid-19 pandemic due to the restrictions by the local authorities.
As life returns back to almost pre-Covid-19 days in Singapore, the fan club will start gathering for live screenings at its partner bar, Picotin, very soon for Champions League matches.
Besides playing in the league, the fan club often organises get-togethers among members after work, as they passionately discuss PSG’s performances, transfers, results, and tactics.
Through the league, members of the fan club have also made friends with members of other fan clubs. This season, PSG Fan Club Singapore is keeping close tabs on another French football fan club, SINGAGONES.
Having two Ligue 1 fan clubs in the league is great, as it shows that there is interest in French football in Singapore.
Janson’s goal is to ensure that PSG fans know about the fan club and be a part of the team.
He has met amazing people through the fan club and says there is nothing better than getting together at 3am to cheer for PSG. ‘Ici C’est Paris!’
This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Twentytwo13. Main image from PSG Fan Club Singapore’s Facebook account.
