The Silverfox Hustle Podcast
The hustle beats talent when talent doesn't hustle. The Silverfox Hustle is all about showcasing positive attitudes, great work ethics and consistent quality work. The Silverfox Hustle will be the vehicle that will inspire, motivate and share positive stories through its extraordinary guests. Host and creator, Shasi, is a former professional football player and now a coach developer as well as a commentator and pundit. He shares all the values and beliefs of the Silverfox Hustle. Enjoy the journey and stories! Cheers!
The Silverfox Hustle Podcast
Silverfox Hustle Football Talk - Ian Morris, Founder of Hilderinc FC
Hilderinc Football Club's story embodies the spirit of grassroots football, illustrating how a simple idea blossomed into a thriving community-focused club. Ian Morris discusses the importance of inclusivity, the challenges of running a club without financial backing, and the club's journey over 25 years, emphasising growth through commitment to training and community values.
• The inception of Hilderinc FC through grassroots enthusiasm
• Ian's vision for inclusivity and community spirit in football
• Structural setup prioritising participation over backgrounds
• Navigating financial challenges with innovative solutions
• The role of a comprehensive online presence in club engagement
• Adapting during the pandemic to maintain community connections
• Reflections on the future of the club and grassroots football in SingaporeAs
Ian's story not only inspires aspiring club owners but also encourages us to adopt positive practices and foster a vibrant football community.
This is the Silver Fox Hustle podcast and today it's a brand new episode, and what we're going to do today is we're going to talk about football, but before that, before that, please click on the follow button. We are out everywhere on Spotify, apple Podcasts, youtube, and please don't forget to click on that. Follow that subscribe button. Please do that now if you are watching and listening to this. And, yeah, today it's the football talk episodes and we're going to talk, obviously, about football and we're going to talk about grassroots football, and with me today is the founding member of a grassroots football club. Now, I got to tell you this. It's amazing because they've been around for 25 years in Singapore and I kid you not, it's 25 years.
Speaker 1:Before we talk to the founding member of the football club, just a little bit, a little bit of story, a back story of an intro on the club itself. It's an amazing story of how an idea of a kickabout at a park with strangers from different backgrounds coming together, 25 years ago, kickstarted a brilliant movement of sorts and that has sparked, quite remarkably and arguably, one of its kind grassroots football club in Singapore. And, like I said, 25 years, sorts right, and that has sparked, quite remarkably and arguably one of its kind grassroots football club in Singapore. And, like I said, 25 years, pretty damn long time. At the moment they boast an amateur competitive team, a women's team and also a social team Now that caters to adults, grassroots ladies in general and to the general community as well, and all this without financial backing Absolutely brilliant. Now let's get started With me. Here today is the founding member of Hildrick Football Club, mr Ian Morris.
Speaker 2:Hi, good to have me here, sasi. Thank you for the opportunity.
Speaker 1:You know it is great to have you in, and I know, Ian, that you are a very shy person. You don't want to be in the limelight, which is actually by right if you are running a club and nobody wants to know. But it's not about the manager, the chairman, the founding member, it's about the club, the product itself. Right, but do tell us a little bit about yourself, Ian.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is about the club. So how the club is positioned is that there's no personality involved. It's about the club, what we believe in, and that's why it is so. Anyway, a little bit about myself. I'm a dreamer, I am an absolute, fiercely non-conformist, and that's how the club has been positioned to us. So, yeah, I dream, I dream every day, big dreams, and football club, hillary Football Club is part of the dream.
Speaker 1:It's a dream of kind of like owning a football club, something like that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, something like that. You know I had a couple of steps with football. Didn't choose a different path, right right so. I'm living a dream right now, during my life, of doing both. Beautiful Holding a football club playing in there and seeing different things.
Speaker 1:Actually, I know of someone who is a close friend of mine and he always thinks that you know, I want to. I want to, you know, own a football club. I want to make decisions. You know, I will refer you to him and maybe you can talk things out yeah, we own football clubs without money.
Speaker 2:Yeah, of course, zero cents, so we are not billionaire owners.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what clubs do you support? Or club do you support Liverpool? Really are you? I'm not, sadly, but looks like they're gonna win it.
Speaker 2:Fingers crossed, I'm not gonna say anything, yeah, until we right right, we get it done.
Speaker 1:But at the back of your mind is this I don't know man.
Speaker 2:I've seen them flum, you know, go off the rails many times, so I'm not going to say anything until we get that Right, right.
Speaker 1:Typical Liverpool fan. I'm actually an Arsenal fan. Yeah, all right, okay, all right, okay, all right, let's get started. Ian, I think this is a beautiful story and it's almost unreal. Yeah, and it started in 2000?
Speaker 2:2000. June 2000. Right, tell me the story. Okay, so I had this friend of mine and he used to like bring me around to play football, right, and those days there were no leagues, no, nothing, you know, just absolute nothing at all. So he used to bring me around play football hard courts, and it was like I was getting injured every single time playing on a hard court. You know, I'm not used to it, right? So I think one of the one of the thing that really I think the nail, that kind of like you know that hit the thing, was that I got myself injured so badly, my toenail kind of like. I don't know how it went, it was just flesh hanging out from my toe.
Speaker 2:So I actually did an own surgery on myself and, trust me, I didn't know there was a blood vessel or something down there. The blood spurted out and I think that was the catalyst. I said okay, I can't do this anymore. What play? Not play, but cutting my flesh every single time. So I said okay, I told him why don't we start a team himself? And he said okay, if you go, if you do it, I'll just follow you. I said okay, let's do it. So all you need is one crazy idea. One fella to follow you, so I put it on Pacific Internet, if you do.
Speaker 1:You remember that wow, that was a long time right 2000.
Speaker 2:Right way to go long way so. I put him there looking for, looking to start a football team okay okay, I don't know, just put a bait, see who bites.
Speaker 2:So I had like four guys responded, say, okay, cool, right, okay, so we meet Bishan Park. So those days parks were not meant for ball sports. But it was just nice that one month before that they actually opened it up and parks say yes, you can, even to a point that even the Rangers didn't know that Park Rangers didn't know that this is allowed. So we were the first one to actually use the park. So, go there, kick about one rickety ball. Six people, 3v3, just kicked about. I don't know really what happened, you know. So I finished two hours, we just played, and then I said, okay, I'll see you next week. No definite answer. I said, okay, all right, there, it goes right. So I'm going to try again.
Speaker 2:But over the week I got texts. I said, okay, I got a friend, I got a brother, can he come? I said, okay, I got a friend, I got a brother, can he come? I said, yeah, fine, you know, bring them on. So we, everyone, came and the numbers grew to a point that we were actually able to start a team. I said, okay, all right, here we're doing something, let's start a team, let's get jerseys. That's the first thing that everyone does get a jersey. So we used to wear white back then. Okay, so that was the first color. So we got a jersey, a bunch of, and we used to train seriously at Bishan Park, seriously for amateur no, it's not even amateur at that time.
Speaker 2:It's just like a social thing, right. So we used to train and then we used to play and this was like pre-league amateur league days no, espz, no, nothing. So there was nothing at all for us. So I got a few contacts and I didn't have any contacts back then so I just emailed random. I just kind of looked up and said who plays football? And I just kind of and I knew about this Teen Challenge thing. Okay, right, they used to organize tournaments, football tournaments. So I contacted Teen Challenge and I got to know this guy called Mark and he was my only contact in football. Alright. So, okay, alright, fine, going back there. So I had many people joining.
Speaker 2:After that the numbers grew right and then and I got to Mark and then Mark said, okay, actually we have a league running and why don't you come and join? I said, okay, alright, so meeting, pre-season managers meeting and something I don't know anybody there. So I goes there and it's actually a church league. Okay, church league, right. So church league, and we don't belong to any church and everyone seated there are church people and you know, do you know hiding place?
Speaker 1:yes, yes so that's where the league was so it's called Agape League, right, and it's called Agape.
Speaker 2:League and it's run by. It was held there and was run by this Christian sports community club or something like that. So everyone is there, church people from the church or some Christian organization here. I am, no, nothing right. So everyone was talking about their team and how this and this and this and I said, okay, come to my turn. I said, okay, right, guys, we are. I'm with a bunch of sinners, you know, seriously. I said we're a bunch of the most heathen sinners in the world and you guys were from all walks of life all races, all races that's what I wanted.
Speaker 2:I was not looking for anything else. Include everyone, and the first six guys, including myself, were all mixed. So we got the Malay, we got the Chinese, we got the Indians and mixed groups. So that's how I wanted it from the start. And so everyone was like I said we don't belong to a church, and can you let us play, right? And then it was like hush, absolute hush. Because they're like what, who are you? We don't even know you, right? You?
Speaker 1:guys have seen us as well.
Speaker 2:We have seen us and, and, and and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and and there and telling them hey, I want to play, can I take part? So there was a hush Until one person spoke up. He was the director. He was the founder and director of Hiding Place, pastor Philip. He passed away. So I always remember he said I will endorse you. I said, wow, no, it's like he doesn't even know me. He said I will endorse you, you play, give you a chance.
Speaker 2:So we took part in. You know, we're all dressed in white, we prepare pre-season and everything we're dressed in white. And at that point of time I had like five Japanese players and I had an Italian guy email me and said that you know I don't play anymore, but I would like to coach you. I said, wow, okay, all right. You know it's like okay, you know no substance, but it's all good. But then we went in. Everyone was looking at us. It's like, okay, number one, you're not from the church. And then who are these guys? Right? So, italian manager, five Japanese flares. And you know it's like who is this fellas?
Speaker 2:And we did well, we did well and and we kind of like, uh, got got a, a good vibe from everyone because they saw us being serious, the way that we ran the club. You know, no nonsense. You know we, we were professional even from the start. Even at that time we just wanted to be professional doing good, you know that kind of thing. And of course we had italian coach, you know, and apparently this italian coach, course we had an Italian coach and apparently this Italian coach this guy his name is Fabio, but I can't remember full name he used to play for Napoli when Maradona was. He was a youth player, wow, he was a goalkeeper. So well, I said, okay, alright, so we were.
Speaker 1:I know right.
Speaker 2:So we were training at Bishan Park and then we play games and stuff like that. It was real even back then, right, and that's how we started, right.
Speaker 1:You know, I think that's a wonderful story and it's how you guys grew as well, and I think that's how most social teams out there probably started not in the same way, but they probably grew and all. But there's a difference between your club and the others because obviously, one for one, you stayed on for the longest of times, since day one, and obviously 25 years and you said this just now it's the way you guys are run. It's we're going to talk about that a little bit later on in terms of the way you guys do it right. But first up, I want to touch on the name. So who came up with the name? By the way, it's Hildrick FC. It's a silent N, by the way. So who came up with the?
Speaker 2:Okay, when we started we were called Harvester, right, so there was a name that you know, it's like church kind of thing. So stuck with that for a good 12 years. And then one day I got in contact. I used to like write into people. Seriously, I would just shamelessly write into people hey, you know, sponsor us, you know that kind of thing, just try. I believe in trying, die, trying, run. Don't trying at all, right, so try. So I got to know this guy from. He was the media boss from Zoo Meets Zoo Cards. Okay, right, I'm not sure whether they're still around. So he said you know what, why do you change your name? I was a bit offended. It's like, yes, no, it's like, why don't you change the name? He says it sounds too churchy. All right, okay. I said okay, I'll tell you what I don't agree with you, but let me go and think about it. So actually, the more I thought about it, I said, yeah, okay, and that was a time that there was this big issue about the city harvest. Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 1:Okay right.
Speaker 2:So, okay, it makes sense, okay, and I used to have people ask me are you like related to them?
Speaker 2:I said no, it's okay. So I took six months to like look through every name. So I need to stick with the HFC acronym because we have been like 12 years. People know us as HFC. So very narrow, right, hfc. So I look through Greek, italian, latin, hebrew and everything until I found Anglo-Saxon it's all English Hilrich Winch, warrior. Right, and it fits us because you know we fight without anything. We keep fighting and perfectly fit and it's the H HFC Nice. So 2012 changed the name to Hilrik Football Club and kind of like changed and I believe that changing of name is in many cultures. Changing of name signifies a new destiny, a new pathway or something like that. So that kind of like tied into what we were actually Okay.
Speaker 1:So obviously, I mean, it was kind of like a natural process. Yeah, the club's growing and you know, you got people in place and stuff like that. But how do you actually go about setting up a proper club? Now, obviously we talk about registering, that's one, that's easy.
Speaker 1:But you know, as a, how do you position yourself? Again, it's a grassroots football club, yeah, grassroots football club. I would say amateur grassroots football club, amateur grassroots football club. Okay, so how do you go about structuring Like, okay, you're the founder, now right. So how do you go about?
Speaker 2:Because it's amazing the way you guys went through this process. I think the key thing about us, the most miraculous thing about us, is that no one is related to anyone. Okay, most miraculous thing about us is that no one is related to anyone, okay. So everyone comes as an individual and then they maybe bring one or two friends kind of thing. So we don't there was, I didn't have a friend's background or an ethnic background, okay, organization background, school background, okay. So it's like purely out from the scratch, okay, and and that's how it's found. But it's an interesting story. So the first team was found through the forum, right, okay. So second team after that first season, everyone the Japanese guys left. My Italian coach got a red card in his last game and he left and had to reform the second team, thank you.
Speaker 2:So I said I told the guys. I said guys to say why do we have trials? You know, just put it up internet and get people to come. So one guy said okay, let me do it. I said, okay, his name is daniel. I said okay, let me. Okay. He said let me do it. Okay, fine, you do it. Take some some stress from away from me. So the next week when we had a training session, trial session. We had like 30 people turn up. Okay, 30, 35. I'm like wondering wow, goodness, seriously.
Speaker 2:And then we were like you know, with charts and like real, you know, pretending to be oh, what's your name, you know what's your position, you know that kind of thing, and we selected a good number, like 15 of them half of the thing, and I asked him after the, after the session hey, daniel, how did you like get so many people in one go?
Speaker 2:you know, we took a time to slowly build up the first year how did he get so many people? So he said, yeah, he was so nonchalant. He said, yeah, I put it up on Sammy Boy Okay. So the second group of guys, second team I don't know how many of them were from Sammy Boy, okay.
Speaker 2:Or playing in a church league Okay, right, probably we needed that, probably are coming from semi boy, so so, and surprisingly, this guy stayed with me for 10 years. Wow, they grew as a teenager, many of them and adults and different phase of life. Yeah, so that's the thing we be. I believe in inclusivity, right? So that's how we started and then, progressively, we had traction with different things website and all this social media and all this thing came about, right, and that kind of like brought people in and from different walks of life, right, yeah?
Speaker 1:So now you've got a proper like a chairman and committee members.
Speaker 2:So what? Yeah, so in 2015, we registered as ROS under ROS society. So I said we needed to do that because 15 years now we have so many things going on, let's register it. So I got the guys who were with me. They never quite liked me all the time, but for whatever reason they kind of like okay. So got them president, chairman and so on. So that's how we structured ourselves, nice.
Speaker 1:Now, this is the part that I want to talk to you about. Right, I was looking through your website and I'm not kidding you. Your website, or the club's website, is much more comprehensive, better, aesthetically wise information, wise content, wise, wise. It's much better than most of the professional clubs here in Singapore. I dare say, and I'm very sorry to if I've, you know, hit a nerve. It's true, you know, and the reason why I say so is you've got stuff like the MVPs, the most valuable player of the year, stats on assist goals, match reports, as in proper match reports in there. And First question is who the hell is doing all this? You're looking at me, really. You actually run the website.
Speaker 2:I am the web designer, web journalist, the editor, the kit man, the water boy. Why it's crazy? You got to be crazy. You got to be crazy, you got to be crazy. You're going to be doing this like 25 years. You got to be just be crazy.
Speaker 1:This is amazing, man, and really seriously, I got to take my hats off to you, take everything out to you. You know, this is really where we talk about a passion project and whatever. This is amazing. It takes a lot of, obviously, time, hard work as well, you know, and compiling all this stuff and I got to say this as well it goes back to pride as well, you know, when you want to put stuff out there, you must have a pride to actually it's not good enough, it doesn't go out, you know, and this is amazing and again, it teaches us all everything, including the clubs out there. It's amazing. It's no, seriously, and you know. Kudos to you, well done.
Speaker 2:I have. I have zero, zero background with anything that I do. Okay, I don't know anything about. I don't know anything about website. I don't know anything about editing. So all I know is I just wanted to you know, if you're going to fall, if you're going to fail, fail big, you know, do something big and then fail, it's fine, you know, it's fine, it's okay to try. You know, and found those free websites, right, yeah, so there, I started up. When I look at it, I do have some screenshots of it. It's so crude. I'm like, seriously, people really believe you know, and I used to write match reports, right, so I remember every single detail I'm playing and I remember every single detail that happened on the pitch and I'll write it down. My first match report my guys were laughing at it. Seriously, it's so funny, you know, it's like okay when they say funny, right, okay, I said okay, next one, next one. I need to be better.
Speaker 2:So every time, when people say hey, no it's not too nice, I'll say okay, I'll do better. You take it as a feedback match report, scores and everything up. I used to get emails from people from Africa from different kinds of hey, I want to come and join you, Can you give me a contract? Okay. Initially I was replying hey, you know, we are not a professional team, we are amateur team. You know we don't pay people pay to play, you know, so that kind of thing. So that was the initial. I used to respond to emails and I'm like every week I have like 10 emails they say can I come in, can you give me a contract? I stop replying to these emails. So when people are based in Singapore, when they reply yeah, okay, are you based in Singapore? Okay, come beautiful, beautiful.
Speaker 1:Do you still play, by the way?
Speaker 2:what position. I played everywhere, but my predominant position is number 10, wow as in.
Speaker 1:But my predominant position is number 10. Wow, as in, just behind the striker kind of playmaker. You want to tell me your age? No, tell us your age, no. Okay, by the way, you look really fit and you can play in that number 10. I can see that I do, your favourite Liverpool player.
Speaker 2:I don't really have a favourite Liverpool player. I don't follow clubs. I'll follow the club rather than players. Okay, nice nice.
Speaker 1:Now let's talk a little bit about because I said it at the beginning there's no financial backing, official financial backing from the government or whatever to run the club right. So how do you guys manage? Now, obviously I know that you guys do have sponsors, right, you guys have do have sponsors right, but how do you guys manage?
Speaker 2:so when I first started, we collected $10 right from everyone who comes. Hey, $10. Of course we didn't do that when we were at Bishan Park because you know you can't justify it's a free pitch, right. So when we started playing, it's like $10. Okay, guys, $10 for the game. And then we play it's like every. Every other teams does that. So when we go into Leagues and I would say, okay, we do Maybe $50 Tournament fees and then $10 every time, Okay.
Speaker 2:So that's how we manage it. In fact, I kept this $10 For a good 22 years Inflation and everything Okay, until I was forced by the committee During the AGM. They said no, ian, you can't, we need to increase it. So the extras you pay. Yeah, I've come up with my pocket money. I think I'm sure a lot of guys I know a lot of guys have done that. Literally they say you know, you're a student, I pay for you. So a lot of guys who do this I don't think I'm the exception, I know people who do that literally helped me and said no, you can't, we need to increase Suggested plus whatever. And I said okay, settle with $12. So for the last few years, we collect $12. So that's how we fund ourselves.
Speaker 2:In terms of sponsors, I think the only substantial sponsor that we had no disrespect to everyone else, you know, I think Muddy Murphys were the ones that literally gave us some and whatever, you know, do whatever with it. No free drinks. Of course we needed to give back. We do, we do, we do. That's our clubhouse.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, nice, nice, nice. Now putting aside financials. Obviously right, and obviously that's a challenge. What other challenges do you face or have you faced or still facing right?
Speaker 2:Right now as a club. I think you know being different in itself is a challenge. You know where I refuse to follow the norm. I refuse to be in any other football club.
Speaker 1:When you say refuse to follow the norm, what do you mean? As in what's the norm?
Speaker 2:The norm is play football and then go back and then come back, play football. You know that's it. You know you don't have anything that you even hold back, you know to. For us it's different. So when we play that's why we have the website and all this comes you know where we project ourselves as professional as possible.
Speaker 2:So, to be different, the concept is hey, I'm a casual player, so I'm playing on the weekend, so why do you need to be so, you know, so hard up about it? You know I'm just playing for fun, what you know, what's the big deal? But we don't look at that way. So that's why we train. I think we are probably the only amateur football club that Regularly as well. Regularly as well. Right, and that's being different, because no one else wants to. No one else will think why should I train? Because I'm good enough, I played here, I played there, why do I need to train? But for me it's different. We come and play as a team and if you don't train, you regress. It's very different when we sit after the game and, no, it doesn't happen For us. That's what we didn't do, right. Let's do it right in training. Let's focus on this. This is what we didn't do last week. Let's focus on that.
Speaker 2:So that in itself is different, right, and how we run, and one of the main thing that people always can't adapt is that everyone is here in credit by merit. There is no favoritism, right? Even if you are my best friend, even if I have my cousin play, I rub shoulders with him as well Everyone is treated the same. There's no preferences. There is no because you're my buddy, I give something to you, you get a starting line up. So some of the challenge happens like this, and one of the things I think is being a one-man show is a challenge itself, because you're doing everything, as much as you want to delegate, and everything. Not everyone buys into that philosophy that this is how the club should be. There is absolutely no deviation from what we believe, and that's the thing I think is very different, because most football clubs don't have a belief. For them, it's just play football.
Speaker 1:And after that, yeah, which is basically why's just play football, which is basically why they call it social football. They have a space for that.
Speaker 2:But we don't project that way. We want to look beyond that. We are not social. We have a social element to it. But if you're serious, if you play like a crazy son of a gun on a pitch, then be professional about it.
Speaker 1:Where do you guys train? How do you get the venues? Okay, I see some beautiful pitches on IG and it's a nice venue. By the way, when is that again?
Speaker 2:So we have two pitches for Saturday and Sunday sessions. One is at Anderson Secondary School and one is at Mayflower Right, so I get the pitches directly from sports SG Okay.
Speaker 1:So active SG rather, so you do your normal booking, okay.
Speaker 2:So I had enough of the scalpers who literally yes, yes, yes. Literally. That's the problem of the situation, that the situation right now Right. So I don't want this sort of thing. So I get my own pitch and they have no hold on us. So we train them, we plan our games when we want to play. How about the weekdays? You have weekday training. Weekdays are more for the ladies, so I've got ladies. I tell you the ladies are more committed than the guys.
Speaker 1:It looks like it as well it is. I'm just looking at the.
Speaker 2:They are more committed than the guys. Okay, when you tell a lady, you know we're going to do this, we're going to have this, they will be like, yeah, I'll do it, I'll be there. When you tell a guy, he's like I know, I've got this, I've got that, I've got this, I've got that, you know. So the ladies are more committed. So, for the ladies, we have four sessions a week. Wow. So Monday training at this active SG, jerome, okay. And then on Tuesday they play at Ballester, play as in match Play amongst themselves, Right, right, every week, about 20 more than that. Where in Ballastia, what the premier pitch? Okay, that's on Tuesday. Wednesday is on at the cage right, and Saturday the ladies run their show at either Mount Favour, safra do they have?
Speaker 2:a coach there or I do the coaching on Mondays. So rest of it is them running the show and I'm just there. You know just califair, blowing whistle, timekeeping time and making sure everything is okay. You know that kind of thing. So that's how the ladies run. In fact, the ladies are pretty much the crown jewel of the club. Okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if you guys are listening at home and you're watching this and you still think that this is not special, then I don't know what it is. And you're watching this and you still think that this is not special, then I don't know what it is. What is you know? Because this is so amazing and I'm just watching and listening to this. It's out of this world really. And after all these right, have you ever thought of taking this up a notch?
Speaker 1:When I say taking up a notch. It's obviously we talk about grassroots. You position yourself as grassroots. You position yourself as grassroots the pro, as in trying to apply for the Singapore Premier League.
Speaker 2:Please, we're going to go through another one hour with this.
Speaker 1:Summarize what you want to tell me.
Speaker 2:At one point I did. At one point I did when we first registered as a club 2015, I did. I did approach FAS for Affiliation, right, I think. Thankfully, I didn't do it. The thing is Because, what do you?
Speaker 1:mean by affiliate Affiliate. Okay, but you are right, no.
Speaker 2:We are not affiliated With FAS. Okay, I have refused to. Okay. Reason being is that I know the norm. The norm is always the case and I don't fault anyone, right, because that's the pathway that everyone knows. Okay, right, the reason why? Because if you're going to affiliate with FES, I got to be normal.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:I got to do what's been told. Okay, I got to do what's been told. I don't want to go into details, but that's how it is. I would have restrictions. I've got guys who are like 40, 50, 30 year olds. If I'm playing in FAS league, these guys can't play. There is a cap. We have a multinational team, so if I'm going to play in FAS Sanctioned League, many of these guys can't play. So there will be that's a focus, it's fine. They have a focus, that's fine. So we don't fit into that focus. So that's why I decided not to.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about the so-called product, which are the players. Tell the so-called product which are the players? Right, tell me about the players. So, obviously, you've got your men's team which is playing in the league, right, amateur league, right. And then you've got the ladies team, yep, and they're called the Herrick ladies, herrick ladies. And then you have the socials. Okay, so the men, okay, takes care by on its own right. And then we have the ladies who play in a ladies league. We don't play in a ladies league.
Speaker 2:So again, how the club is positioned and how the ladies are positioned is grassroots, so where everyone can come and play so you, at any one session you may have a new person yep, a friend's friend, a friend's cousin, or? Some just random people who just find us on Instagram.
Speaker 1:So they can just walk in.
Speaker 2:They can just walk in. I've got players who are from like in their early in their teens or early 20s to mothers. I've got mothers who play with their daughters, and if you play in a league, this can't happen, okay. So in a league you end up choosing the best of the best and best of the best.
Speaker 1:And you got to have a set number of players as well throughout the league.
Speaker 2:Right, and that's commitment and all this kind of stuff. So here we have, you can come anytime you want, okay, and there is no trials, no, nothing. You don't even know how to, you don't even need to know how to kick a ball, we'll teach you how to do it. The socials, the social, the club, boomed during COVID. Okay, surprisingly, when COVID, everything was shut. We were the only crazy people who actually, the moment Circuit Breaker was lifted, we were back in training. We trained groups of five, oh yes, groups of five, groups of eight and even groups of two, and I tell you, groups of two, we mask on. Okay, we did it.
Speaker 1:As in, really follow the protocols. Protocols exactly Group number, size, distance.
Speaker 2:I used to have this ambassador watching from the bridge, Wow, and I had one guy why is one foot out of the line? Literally, I'm not kidding. He literally said why is one foot out of the line.
Speaker 1:So where is the line? It's an imaginary line.
Speaker 2:We used to have cones right. So he said how come your coach with a volunteer guy? You know why is he? Because I was so nitpicky. But we carried on and in fact this is a time the club actually grew. It's expanded big time.
Speaker 1:And because no one else got anything to do right.
Speaker 2:So we were the only one doing it and we were still doing, thinking about it. We were so crazy to do it. So I said you just need crazy idea. If crazy people follow you, it's fine, you just get going.
Speaker 2:So during this time, I was thinking nothing is there. I can't bring everybody into my competitive team, they may not be good enough, right? So, because we have a standard and everything. So I said, okay, since we can't do anything, why don't I like start something for the socials? Because I used to reject people. Can I play? Can I come and join your team? Do you have experience? No, I'm sorry, we can't. I felt bad doing that because football is for everyone, right?
Speaker 2:So during COVID 2020 has started this socials program where anyone can come but requisite, you come and train. Okay, because training, where anyone can come but requisite, you come and train. Okay, because training is underrated. You're a coach. You know that no one wants to train, especially adults, because everyone thinks they are good enough. But the fact is, everyone should train. If Ronaldo trains, why should he not be trained? Right? So I said, okay, we train. We train maybe a short period. We're not doing like spectacular trainings or whatever. It's just basic ball control, passing, moving and all this kind of thing, and then after that, the next hour we play.
Speaker 2:So that kind of like started with a few people who saw it and then now I tell you it's like every week we have I have to cap the numbers right now 39 people. So where is this again? So that's in Mayflower, so every Sunday. So we have like 39 people men, women, just come, anyone can come, anyone can walk in. You don't need to be part of the club, you can be playing for someone else. That's your thing. If you have time, you just come. We have goalkeeper training. Again, this is something which no one does before and, as I say, you can be playing for anyone else.
Speaker 1:So when they come, there's actual training sessions.
Speaker 2:I conduct training sessions, so it's like, as I say, it may not be spectacular stuff, but simple things, and what I drive to is that everybody plays the way that I would. The whole club plays, so even the competitive team and the socials play the same way. Okay, so even the ladies play the same way, right? So that is the whole.
Speaker 2:I call it the Hilrich way of play yes whether it makes sense or not, whether it looks good or not, whether it's effective or not. That's not the thing. It's like everyone plays the same way, so that kind of creates a synergy and that also helps me with player recruitment and everything.
Speaker 1:Right, this is exactly you talk about. Obviously, you're not in the setup or whatever you want to call it right. This is how a club should be run anyway. A club should be run anyway. You know what I mean, from the youth setup or you know whatever going up the stages, right the foundations and then going up to the elite levels. So it's an ecosystem in its own.
Speaker 2:Exactly. So what happens how I choose players for my? I've got a Saturday team that plays in Equatorial Football League Right and then we've got Sunday League.
Speaker 1:I'm losing track of the number of teams I remember a thousand names a week.
Speaker 2:So the Sunday team, the men's team. We've got two groups. One is the Saturday team. So how I recruit players is they come for socials. Number one I look at commitment, I look at attitude in training. If you don't have attitude in training, then, sorry, you need to be teachable, right? Yeah, not that I know everything, but we, we've set some premise, right, so you'll be committed, teachable and and and you understand what is required, what we play, of course.
Speaker 2:So when I pick a few ones, okay, you know guys, I think you can step up. They may be too good for socials, right? Okay, step up. I. Let's come for training on Sunday. So Sunday, if they can keep to the grind, okay, all right, we bring you into the Saturday team, those who can step up a little bit. The first team on Saturday Nice, so there is the ecosystem, right, right, so I don't need to recruit. I don't need to recruit, I don't need to put up. Hey, I need to be recruiting for players, trials or whatever, because it's an ongoing thing. Every week I'm seeing players, I'm assessing players, the player knows me and it's a culture, right?
Speaker 1:In Singapore we talk about grassroots football and something like what you are driving at right. Can we do better? Can there be more Hildrik FCs? I wish so, I hope so. You know. I always say Do you know of any clubs who are not, as I dare say, not as professional as you guys, but do you know any?
Speaker 2:Sadly. No, yeah, I think everyone falls under the norm. Yeah, gather a few people, play, and if the players don't want to train, what can I do? You know, my players don't want to train, so to keep the club going, they just follow what the players want. Yeah, and that way we number one.
Speaker 2:We are not building a football culture. We bemoan football culture. We bemoan what's happening up there at the higher levels, but it starts down there. We have literally neglected this, 25 years of neglect, and the rod has been set quite bad. And it's not just the top, it actually starts below, and we have a lot.
Speaker 2:I've seen a lot of talented players in this level amateur and we have a lot. I've seen a lot of talented players in this level amateur level but they don't get to move further because there is no structure, there's no pathway, because the pathway starts there. In fact, the pathway should start there, and then you slowly build up. You know, you're right, you're right. So there's a lot of things, lot of things, and, and when there's a vacuum, uh, we have different entities that come in and and monopolize the fields. Monopolize, uh, they run leagues but no quality, so they just play, get the fix and then go back. That's it. You know it doesn't add to the football culture, doesn't add to the football ecosystem and you you know, you, you spoke culture, you just said it as well.
Speaker 1:The culture and I always say this and I always believe in this as well Culture it's. We can just join in and then be part of the culture. It could be a bad culture, it could be a good culture, right, but cultures can be changed, and it's changed by people, right, and it's changed by people, yep, right. And so you, for your side, for your club, the culture has already been set by you, obviously. And then it's the standards are there, yep, you know.
Speaker 2:And so that's the difference, you know, that's the difference between the reason why we put up so many things on social media. Almost every day there's a post. I've got zero background in marketing. All I know is you post until you annoy people. They watch you and listen to you and see what you put. So what I do, why I do that is not to promote self-promote per se, but also for people to hey, you know what, let's try, let's do something like this. You know, let's may not be everything that we do, because we have different culture. Every club has its own character, right, but in their own groups, try something you know, maybe improve on maybe social media posts that you can actually attract people to come and join your club. And what I used to do for many, many years before we play a game, I and what I used to do for many, many years before we play a game, I used to do this token of appreciation.
Speaker 2:It's just a simple laminated thing. I'm a PowerPoint graphic artist, so I just use PowerPoint to do some simple thing. I'll give them before the game. Hey, you know what? Thank you for playing with that. No, I'll give them after the game. Sorry, you mean the opponents, you mean To the opponents mean to the opponent.
Speaker 1:okay, okay, yes, at my level.
Speaker 2:Anyone that plays against us will receive this right. I'll give them after the game. Right is it very easy to give before the game because you know, hey guys, you know after the, during the game, you know all kinds of things and then you feel angry and I give them after the game and playing.
Speaker 2:You know this is a token that we give to you win, lose or draw football wins. At the end of the day, whether I like it or not, I may be like upset with this team that we, you know whatever thing, um, I will still give it to them and, and I'm surprisingly, people remember that you know many years later. Hey, no, I remember you gave me that thing that I still have it. Oh, okay, you know. So this is how I I hope to to you can't change the whole world. You know when. This is how I hope to you can't change the whole world. You know, when people see something, hopefully they take the good things and try to replicate in their own character and stuff.
Speaker 1:Ian. What's Hildryk Sefci's biggest achievement so far? Just one, you've got. You've got a few. I know in 25 years you should got a few. I know In 25 years you should have a few or many. What's the biggest achievement you think in your? I think people.
Speaker 2:I didn't set up to win leagues. In fact, in this 25 years, we only won one league. We always were the bridesmaid, never bride. Every time, everyone would say, why didn't you? Why, because we played very good football but we never won. We only won it once, 2018. And that was like literally like that was sick.
Speaker 2:But I think the people we have a lot of foreigners who come Some may have used us as a stepping stone to join other clubs. Fine, it's fine. I've I used to. Recent years we've been like a rehab club. So anyone with a breakup, anyone who's going through something, will join the club and they feel okay, you know they may carry on, may not carry on, it's fine, you know, being relevant to people, I think the biggest achievement is, as biggest achievement is, as I say, the people.
Speaker 2:And it was typified just last year where the Saturday team, the league team, we went through 570 573 days without winning a single game. That's almost two years. Two years, more than two years. We didn't win a single game. We were getting whacked in the EFL Big time. We were whipping boys. We were just giving free gifts for everyone, for their goal differences and everything and even, funnily, even the friendly games that we choose against the weakest team. I purposely would choose the weakest team to play against and we never won For 500, 573 days.
Speaker 2:And it was like what the heck? You know, what can we do? Like change, you know, it's like crazy. And of course, when that happens, you do have people who have detractors and telling you, ah, it's because of you and it's fine. But you know what, with me all the way through, and they could have just walked into any team and we are losing every week. And they will come every week. I'll see their faces every week. I'm like thinking, okay, this guy, this one, definitely not, you know, not going to come back anymore. But they came back. You know this. And for 573 days they came back.
Speaker 2:And at the end of last season I normally will ask them who is going to stay so I can rebuild again or whatever, right? So I say who's going to stay? If you want to leave, it's fine. I understand. I tell you everyone put their hands up. We're going to carry on.
Speaker 2:Wow, and I think I'm very sure they didn't stay because of me, 100%. You know, I can't be asked. I can be an ass. I know myself. I don't know why they stayed. I don't know why they stayed. Seriously, I have absolutely no idea why they stayed and they stayed on and I was like, wow, okay, let's prepare for a new season. And after 573 days, we won our first game and then the first league game of the new season. We won it and we started winning games and we started becoming harder to beat, and even against we started winning games and we started becoming harder to beat, and even against the top teams in the EFL. They come and say you know, seriously, we were on the ropes, we, you know, we managed to get that last minute, kind of thing.
Speaker 1:I think it's. There's always something about sport and football that you can't explain it, but it's there and this is off my head. Right while you're talking about that, we're talking about losses and whatever. Whatever right can be anything. Have you ever thought of F, this sorry F, this I'm, I'm, I'm, I wanna almost every week, almost every week, no, kidding, no, kidding, no kidding.
Speaker 2:This is thankless job. I've been doing it for 25 years, week Almost every week. No kidding, no kidding, no kidding. This is a thankless job. I've been doing it for 25 years. Seriously, I go back. I'm like because I do everything. So why don't you Tell me I'm crazy? It's just a bit lunatic to do this.
Speaker 1:Seriously, I'm going to put this in the description of this episode crazy, ian Morris it is you got to be a little insane?
Speaker 2:honestly, I don't know. I absolutely don't know why I do this every week. I say I'm done, and then on Monday I'm back in again. You know doing it again.
Speaker 1:Okay, so, right, so one last question, ian where does Hilderick FC go from here? Good question, ian where does Hilderick FC go from here? Good question.
Speaker 2:It's 25 years, 25 years. I still feel that we have not done anything because we have not been able to make. We have made a difference in individuals in our own community, in the Hilary community, in the Hilary Club. Yes, we have made a lot of difference in individuals who have been with us. We have not made much of a difference in the Singapore scene. So how, I don't know.
Speaker 2:In fact, december last year, 30th December, I put up a statement. I said that we have reached 25 years. I'm thinking of closing it. Yeah, I think I read that one. I think I read that one. So I thought of closing it. I said, okay, I'm done, because the reason I said this not because I was getting tired, it's not that. It's just that I don't want whatever I'm doing to or the club to decline, rather go out on a high and walk down the sunset into the sunset rather than to see it decline. But thankfully, of course, we do have good people in the club who would take it up, especially the ladies. I would trust my life with the ladies. So the guys, guys, I do.
Speaker 2:There are some very good guys who have been with me for all these years, but definitely when I'm doing this much and I cannot expect anyone to keep to that capacity. That's my capacity. So someone else may not have the capacity, and will it decline? And the standards as well? The standards as well, right. So someone else may not have the capacity and will it decline? And the standards as well? Standards as well, right. So I've had a lot of people who come in and say you know all the flashy stuff, you know what I believe in the philosophy of Hilrich and this and that, and that the moment one test comes, the real test comes, ran away, you know. So I don't know if I would really have people who will keep the standards.
Speaker 2:Or maybe not even like drop a little bit is fine, but I don't want to see decline. 25 is a long time it is, and how long I don't know. And many of this I didn't plan, absolute zero planning. I just position myself and when it comes, you react. Just be prepared. That's it. Be ready, when the things come, you react, and that's how 25 years has gone on. So I don't know, I absolutely don't know whether we will even carry on until after 2025, but we are doing everything. There's no let up in everything that we're doing. We go full steam. But I would like to end it on a high. If there are things that we still are needed for, if we are still relevant, then we'll push on beautiful ian morris.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for being on this episode and has anyone you know is again off my head? Has anyone told you you look like anderson silva?
Speaker 2:everyone has told me, I look like everyone else, is like myself, so yeah, again, I, I digress right, but yeah, so thank you.
Speaker 1:So much. Can I call you crazy Ian from now on?
Speaker 1:nah, I'm just kidding it has been really an honour to have you on this episode of the Silver Fox Hustle Podcast the football episodes and I think we went through so much in 50 or so minutes and I know I know we could have gone on for two hours, three hours, you know, talking about football, the sport that we love, but it's been incredible, you know. I think the stuff that we talked about, the stuff that you talked about and something that I don't know, when people are watching this and listening to this as well, thinking how is this going on, you know, and how the things that you do, the websites, doing it all on your own and taking training sessions it's amazing, right?
Speaker 2:so, ian, thank you so much for being on the show thank you very much, sasi, for having me and to listen to all my silly stuff. You know I can go on, go on for hours talking about it, but you know more than anything it's not so much of Hilary, but you know how we can inspire to take pieces for your own selves and try to improve things on our own. And thank you for this opportunity because it really really means a lot check them out, hilary KFC.
Speaker 1:They are out on Instagram, facebook. Are you on tiktok, by the way, if ian's doing it? Yes, they're on, they're out everywhere, right? So, uh, yeah, check them out and uh, please, again, like I said before, do not forget to click on the follow button, the subscribe button we are out everywhere, as on TikTok even and click on the subscribe button Till the next episode. This is the Silver Fox Hustle Podcast. Cheers, bye.