Gustaf Package
The end-of-season dinner would take a slightly different flavour this year, with no real honours to boast off for any of the clubs. There would be a financial coup of sorts to announce instead, with Gustaf & Son Legal Advisors taking centre stage in the proceedings, having secured a deal to sponsor all three Grilled clubs at once.
"It was not exactly what we imagined when the idea first got floated, but when Herman suggested that he could do the Buns and International too, I knew that this could be really big." Grilled Birds finance head Donovan Rajendramohan, who brokered the arrangement, commented in a press release right before the event. "And I really think that they got more than their money's worth."
While the Buns and International will be on a fixed rate, Grilled Birds will be on an incentive package, that the sponsors hope will encourage plenty of scoring. "The Birds have a fine and long history, like us, of course." Gustaf & Son spokesman Chester Ang said. "And we will be counting on them lighting it up on the regular - again like us."
The collective sponsorship signing dispensed with, it was on to the player awards, with
Lim An Keng collecting Grilled's Player of the Season recognition first, as the senior club present. There had been whispers that the obvious candidate, a 25-goal
Chan Ze Han, had taken himself out of the running having already garnered six of those, but he would be mentioned as one of the three finalists in any case, together with dark horse
Aw Keng Chuan. Lim definitely felt that Chan should have gotten it, and insisted as much in his brief acceptance speech.
Young Player of the Season went to Welshman
Joe Reece, who hit eleven from fifteen appearances despite his widely-acknowledged wastefulness in front of goal.
Gandhik Chitre and
Orest Tokarz were the other major candidates, but neither had shown themselves off quite enough to warrant the pick.
On to the Farmer Bunnies, there would be recognition for their former El Salvador youth international goalkeeper
Gilberto Sorondo, who distinguished himself almost every time he stepped up between the sticks. It was no exaggeration to say that the Buns might well have gone down had it not been for his many vital saves, and not even
Vitaliy Efendiev's goals, or the emergence of
Amirul Jufri Khairil and
Ong Li Jing on the national scene, could measure up.
The youth version then went to 19 year-old
Amaya Ravula for his quiet but steady presence at the back, that got him twenty starts - as many as Efendiev and
Amirul Jufri Khairil, and more than anyone else in the squad. "I definitely didn't plan for it to turn out this way, but Amaya just found himself among my first few selections for the backline before each match." Buns boss
Vishnu Tallapaka, who surely knows a thing or two about defending and consistency himself, explained. "Everybody just works better with him around."
Finally, it came to Grilled International, who had little other option but to nominate
Chua Jun Long, who had been the unanimous standout in an admittedly mundane campaign. Long-serving captain
Safari bin Hj Jali was the only other who came close. As for the Young Player award,
Umut Koza got the nod ahead of peers such as
Egidius van der Duin and
Remond Bergervoet, perhaps helped in part by his willingness to put his body on the line for the cause.
"Umut spared nothing in the pursuit of victory, of that I have no doubt." Safari declared in handing the trophy over. "It will be an improved next season, I am sure of that too."
