Amos during a training session, September 2024.
Admiralty Football Club took part in the Women’s National League (WNL) for the first time in 2023, and the debutants impressed, ending the season third in the eight-team table.
The club will play in the 2024 season of the Women’s National League (WNL) – that kicks off on Saturday, 21 September 2024 – under a different banner, as Eastern Thunder, and this time with a pipeline of younger talent starting to form behind the WNL squad.
All this development is coming to the fore in a matter-of-fact manner that seems to have become the trademark of the work at the club.
“Honestly, we didn’t set a specific goal because Admiralty [Football Club] was still new. It was quite unexpected to achieve a top-three finish, especially since we always had issues with venues and even trained on futsal pitches,” recalled Head Coach Amos Boon, chuckling.
The former S-League goalkeeper was approached to join Admiralty FC as part of its rebranding, this after he led the Singapore Cricket Club’s (SCC) Women’s Team to notable success in the SCC 7’s and SportCares Y10 League in 2022.
His jump from the men’s football to the women’s game was equally undramatic.
“When I was heading the SCC men’s team, I saw the interest level among women and felt that SCC was way behind in meeting that interest. That’s when we created the first-ever women’s team in 2021,” said Amos, who was instrumental in Eastern Thunder’s move to create a platform for younger girls to get involved in the game.
Eastern Thunder’s training session, September 2024.
“We’ve started our girls’ programme and will be participating in the Girls’ Under-10, Under-12, and Under-14 categories in the Singapore Youth League next year,” said Amos who called the women’s game the “baby of the club”.
“The women’s category still needs development and encouragement, as it’s relatively new. I hope to do my part to champion the cause and develop girls who are interested, and hopefully, some may go on to the national team,” he added.
It is this stoic dedication to women’s football that has kept many Eastern Thunder players, like 28-year-old captain Brittanie Bartlett, loyal to Amos.
Having worked with Amos since SCC, she explained: “[Amos] travels all over Singapore to bring the balls and bibs, ensuring he arrives on time. He’s always thinking about the girls and where we can train. For the longest time, we didn’t have a pitch, and he fought for us even back at SCC.”
Brittanie’s football journey has been a rollercoaster ride marked by a twist of fate and a life-changing injury.
The former track-and-field athlete from Singapore Sports School, who represented Singapore in the 2011 AFF Women’s Championship, tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in 2016 during a Women’s Premier League match while playing for Warriors (now Police Sports Association). The injury sidelined her for a year and a half. During this time, she left for her studies in Germany, but being overseas made it difficult to maintain her physiotherapy routine. Brittanie returned to Singapore in late 2019 for an internship, only for COVID-19 to delay her return to the sport.
However, a turning point came when COVID-19 restrictions began to ease in 2021. A friend invited her to a friendly match, not mentioning that it was actually a trial for Singapore Cricket Club (SCC).
“My friend said, ‘Let’s play a friendly game,’ and I didn’t realise it was an SCC trial. I showed up, and Amos was like, ‘Welcome to the SCC trials!’ I was just like, ‘Uh, okay!’” she laughed.
Brittanie’s journey back to competitive football was tumultuous, but she credits Amos for making it easier.
“Playing for SCC at that time wasn’t so serious, which was what I needed. I wasn’t sure if my knees could handle the pressure. What made me stick was that I felt he genuinely cared about the girls.
“Other coaches may do their jobs, but Amos goes above and beyond to make the team feel like a family. Many of us moved from SCC to Eastern Thunder because of the friendships we formed under his guidance,” she said, asserting that being a part of Eastern Thunder gives the opportunity to cultivate a positive team environment that emphasises both enjoyment of the game and personal growth.
“I did lose my love for track after a while because it was just too much focus on the achievements, like what are you going to do, are you going to get a gold, are you going to do this, and I kind of lost my love for it. So I don’t want the [younger] girls [in Eastern Thunder] to go through that.
“And here at Eastern Thunder, we trained hard, but we could also laugh – we had fun,” she said.
This dynamic was evident during training, where the team balanced hard work with playful banter, showcasing the strong bonds they’ve built. With players ranging from 17 to 40 years old, you wouldn’t notice the age differences at first glance.
“We have a good mix of young and experienced players. From former internationals who have played in the Women’s Premier League such as Tina Afrida, Izyan Ahmad to younger talents such as 17-year-old Tan Jie Ying, who has been called up for the Women’s Under-19 team this year, there’s something everyone can learn from each other despite any age differences,” Amos explained.
Brittanie (left) during a friendly match. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Brittanie
For the captain herself, Brittanie, who’s now completing her Masters in Art Therapy, emphasised the importance of ensuring a positive experience for the players, especially the younger ones, while keeping the focus on the task at hand.
“Since this is a relatively new team, I want us to focus on teamwork and gelling together, as well as making sure they don’t lose their love for football,” she continued.
“From there, I hope everyone has the drive to come and play. We want to perform well, ideally finishing in the top three again or even better if possible.”
Whatever the outcome, Brittanie has trust in Amos.
“He gives us clear tasks, whether it’s high pressing or focusing on dribbling or passing. Football is a team sport, and while we’re made up of individuals, we need to play as a cohesive unit,” she said.
“Coach has done all the research on what’s best for us as a group, so it’s important we focus on executing his strategies.”
With Eastern Thunder’s opening their WNL season against Singapore Khalsa Association coming on Saturday, 21 September, the team may have a new look, but the targets for Amos remain the same.
He said: “While we haven’t set a formal goal, I want us to keep raising the bar, stay smart in our play, and maintain last year’s momentum. I prefer not to put pressure on the players. It’s about enjoying the game and giving our best, then seeing where we end up.
“The first match is always crucial in a competition, so we hope to get off to a good start,” he added.
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