IT WAS the perfect shot in the arm.

In February, the S-League was shortlisted by the Asian Football Confederation as one of the top 10 leagues in Asia to be revamped in a drive to make it more commercially viable and attractive to fans.

It is the only football league in South-east Asia to be selected for this prestigious honour.

Last month, the AFC's Professional League Ad-Hoc Committee conducted a site study of the S-League and went away highly impressed.

The purpose of the visit was to assess Singapore's suitability of playing in the revamped Asian Champions League in 2009.

The committee studied the stadium facilities, league and club management, media coverage and the marketing, branding and sponsorship aspects of the S-League.

At the end of the visit, AFC observers Hideki Kato and Tokuaki Suzuki gave the thumbs-up to the 12-year-old league.

Suzuki said: 'I have been impressed with what I've seen so far.

'The S-League is very forward- looking in embracing new technology and we are also very excited by the fresh and innovative ideas that the S-League management has come up with to raise their brand profile and brand equity.'

Indeed, things are looking up for the S-League, thanks to the effort by its chief executive officer Winston Lee and his marketing communications team.

The average match attendance has increased from 2,526 to 2,700 this year.

Moving the Match of the Week to a neutral ground, such as the Jalan Besar Stadium, on Friday nights has also reaped dividends.

The average 'live' match attendance has shot up by two-fold from 1,500 to 3,000.

Television viewership is also on the rise. An average of 80,000 fans tuned in to watch the S-League matches this year - a stark increase from 37,000 last year.

The S-League is also used as a successful branding example at Fifa seminars.

So what makes the S-League tick?

According to Lee, there is more than one factor that contributes to the rising popularity of the S-League.

He said the introduction of foreign teams has raised the level of competitiveness in the S-League.

The three foreign clubs this season are Japan's Albirex Niigata and newcomers Korean Super Reds and Liaoning Guangyuan of China.

Lee said: 'The foreign teams bring a different flavour to the S-League. The teams also raise their game when they play against the foreign teams. In a way, they feel that they are representing Singapore.

'Admittedly, the foreign teams did not perform to expectations at the beginning of the season. But they have settled down well and are now giving the big teams a fight.'

In a bid to improve the quality of the squads, the salary cap of players is also raised every year.

Strict fitness tests are also enforced to ensure that the standard of football is not compromised.

Lee said: 'The message we're trying to send out is this, 'You have to be fit to play football and not play football to be fit'.'

SPONSORSHIP

The commercial viability of the S-League has translated into more sponsorship dollars.

Non-sports related brands such as Levi's and Nokia have joined forces.

Nike's $1 million a year sponsorship over five years also shows its confidence in the S-League.

All but one S-League club have a main sponsor.

On and off the pitch, the S-League has spared no effort in creating an enjoyable experience for the fans.

Football fans get to watch selected matches for free.

Freebies such as Andersen's ice-cream, Nestle cereals and popcorn are given out on matchdays.

Fans are also entertained by innovative marketing gimmicks such as the H-TWO-O Double Your Money Dare Challenge and the Hyundai Goal-in-One Challenge during the matches.

As the name suggests, the H-TWO-O Double Your Money Dare Challenge gives fans the chance to double their prize by meeting the challenge issued by the S-League.

Fans also stand the chance to win attractive prizes such as a 1.4 manual Hyundai Verna car, DVD Home Theatre Systems, XBox 360s and Apple iPods in the Goal-in-One Challenge.

All they have to do is to stand 15 metres away and kick the ball into any of the holes in a board bearing the names of the prizes.

Like in the pub scene, the S-League also has its Ladies' Night on Fridays.

Instead of giving out free drinks, the female fans are encouraged to let their hair down and play football after the 'live' game on Friday nights.