FA Selangor won't play at Shah Alam Stadium for remainder of 2020...and perhaps longer

BetOdds Selangor Selangor II Super League Premier League Malaysia

The Red Giants have thrown in the towel on trying to get their aging home ground up to code, and will utilise another stadium when the season resumes.

Selangor secretary-general Johan Kamal Hamidon has revealed to Goal that the Super League side will not play their home games at their home the Shah Alam Stadium for the remainder of their 2020 season.

The Red Giants' first team will share the homeground of fellow Super League and Shah Alam-based side UiTM FC; the UiTM Stadium, while its reserve team in the Premier League will play their home games at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Stadium.

"We have decided not to go with the Shah Alam Stadium until the end of the season. The first team will play at the UiTM Stadium, while the reserve team will share the (MBPJ) Stadium.

Johan Kamal. Photo from Malaysian Football League

"There are just too many grey areas and uncertainties surrounding the Shah Alam Stadium. The issues are something we don't have much control of; such as the repair costs and the timeline. We don't want to have to move around midway through the season, and we want the team to be able to concentrate on playing," he said in a telephone call on Wednesday.

When asked about whether the stadium will be ready for the coming season, he gave another gloomy forecast.

"It's still very early to say for next year. The Selangor state government (Shah Alam Stadium owner) may close the stadium for one or two years in order to allow the renovations to take place properly.

"Again, there are grey areas in the matter. But we will make the decision regarding our home ground early so that our plans for the season passes and activation programmes can be run earlier rather than later. That way, we will save ourselves the headache of having to move our arrangements between grounds," said Johan

The 80,000 Shah Alam Stadium had initially been barred from hosting Malaysian league games by the Malaysian Football League (MFL) just weeks before the 2020 season began, ostensibily due to safety concerns caused by its worn out roof.

Their only home game so far this season before the global Covid-19 pandemic forced the suspension of competitions, a 1-1 league draw against Perak, was played at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium.

The league has recently been scheduled to continue on August 22, with only the seven remaining fixtures of the league's 'first half' set to be played, followed by a truncated Malaysia Cup.

However, it was not all bad news for the Red Giants fans. Johan also revealed that the club are likely to let its 2020 season pass holders use the passes for the 2021 season.

2020-07-22 10:00:02

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