Major Clearout
Several of Grilled's longest-serving players bade farewell to the club, key among them former coach
Luis Alcántara, Swedish striker
Ulf Hjortlind and homegrown workhorse
Weng Seng-Huat.
48 year-old Alcántara retired after club doctors confirmed that he was unlikely to kick a ball properly again, while Hjortlind will take on an advisory role at Manchester Craiova, currently in the seventh division in Romania, and Seng-Huat might yet get some playing time at Iranian Division Six club sahandane. Both went on free transfers.
Hjortlind turned down pay-as-you-play offers from Football Club Ujkowice (Polish Division Ten) and Scenziati (Italian Division Nine), stating that he had had enough of actual football. "I'm forty and need a regular income if I'm to settle down." he explained. "I would have been tempted by a better offer, but then again I'm a little old to be running about."
The Swede leaves after 118 appearances spread over eighteen playing seasons, with 112 competitive goals to show for his time at the Birds, beginning with a brace on his debut against Geylang Eagles United, coincidentally a match in which Alcántara scored his first for the Birds, and ending with a lone strike against Sunshine United in the Singapore Cup, twenty-one seasons on.
Seng-Huat had to choose between sahandane and Dutch Division Seven side Bayburt JK, but opted for Iran as he felt that he had a greater chance of making an impact. "It feels strange to leave Grilled, but there's one last campaign in this old dog yet." the 42 year-old defender grinned.
Ahmad Yunus bin Abdul Manap,
Li Shunguo,
Ong Tian Hock and
Sim Tong Ping were also released after failing to make the grade.
