I know this post will upset some people, but I have to say what needs to be said. When I was approached last June about helping with the event, I was super excited. I was thrilled because it would allow me to get closer to the action and meet more people in the women's football industry.
Initial Red Flags
My excitement lasted less than 12 hours. At the only meeting I attended, I discovered that the league launch was the very next day. I had met with them just the night before. It felt strange - how could our nation's top women's league waited until the last minute to find someone to manage their social media? This was the first red flag.
The first problem arose right away when I shared my creative direction for the new social media page. A few days later, they informed me they’d already finalized the designs with the designer. I wondered why they hired me to create social media content if my job was just to repost what the association was doing. It seemed like a waste of resources—another red flag.
Gameweek 1: The Problems Begin
At first, the organizer had trouble securing the venue and confirming the dates of the games. When I say trouble confirming, I mean a day or two before the match. How are teams supposed to prepare for their travels and lodging? Even for us freelancers, everything was informed last minute. The data and live stream team were contacted the night before the game, and they had to scramble to different parts of the country because of the organizer's incompetence. By this time, it was red flag number 3,438,473,843,434!
The Communication Breakdown
From my side, my job was to post whatever was given to me. There were no creative ideas behind it, just plain copy, paste, and post. Even that, we couldn't do it properly. The creative team received information late all the time, the kickoff whistle would blow before the starting lineup was ready, and data would be available 2-3 hours after the final whistle. The whole communication and workflow was a mess.
The Livestream Disaster
Let's talk about the biggest mistake: the livestream. It was a disaster from the start, with multiple people and companies involved, no proper briefing, and everything done last minute. The quality was terrible—at one point, they streamed through someone's phone because the person responsible was late. This failure undermined the league's purpose. Group chats were chaotic and full of arguments. By week 4, they canceled the streams due to disagreements, only to bring them back later. In the end, players and fans suffered. How can scouts and fans engage without streaming?
Payments
I was fortunate not to face major issues in receiving payment for my services, aside from a slight delay. However, there were rumors that others hadn't been paid at all or had faced significant delays. If true, this is completely unacceptable and reflects poorly on both the association and our women’s game in Malaysia. The association is responsible for the company they choose to partner with to organize the tournament.
The Impact on Fans and Players
As organizers, we spent most of our time putting out fires, leaving no opportunity to be proactive throughout the tournament. Behind the scenes, there were constant discussions and chatter from players, parents, fans, and both the organizers and the association. The same question kept coming up: who’s to blame—the organizers or the association? In my view, does it even matter at this point? Our incompetence has ruined the experience for players and fans alike. The effort displayed contradicts the association's vision and mission for women’s football.
Moving Forward
The association has the resources to manage the event, so why is it so poorly run? Is it due to a lack of manpower or funding? At this point, debating the reasons seems pointless. For LWN 2025, why not open up the opportunity to organize the event 6-10 months in advance? This would allow interested parties to submit comprehensive proposals and ensure better management. There must be a more effective way to handle this, and we need to find a collective solution. Ultimately, what matters most is the outcome of the league, not the effort or hours invested. This is the reality of managing an event.
Personal Reflections
Personally, I’m grateful for the connections I’ve made throughout the season, but I’m deeply embarrassed to have been involved in such a dysfunctional project. Some may dislike me for saying this, but it comes from someone who truly believes in the potential of women’s football in Malaysia. Even though I’ve left the team, I still feel a heavy sense of guilt and responsibility for delivering such a subpar product. Nevertheless, I wish everyone the best for the second half of the season. We need to do better, and we can do better.
As a fan, we don't ask for anything extraordinary. Just show us that ‘you’ genuinely care about women's football.
Sincerely,
Just a Fan