‘WITHOUT the fans, football is nothing.’
It is that rare occasion around the world when the fans are absent; surely missed but never forgotten.
Having given them various reasons to cheer (and brag) with multiple major trophies, momentous occasions and a football brand they can be proud of, HRH Major General Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Crown Prince of Johor, served up a reminder of how much the fans matter to the Johor Darul Ta'zim FC (JDT).
JDT finally unveiled the 2021 Home & Away Kit along with a surprise: the sale of the once-exclusive Away player version at a discounted rate.
By subsiding over 50% of the cost, the Away jersey, which was originally priced at a hefty RM429, will now be sold for RM185 ─ the same exact price as the Home fan version ─ as a gesture of appreciation by HRH Tunku Ismail for the undying support of the JDT fans.
Why was the Away picked? Its white base symbolises the eye-catching Sultan Ibrahim Stadium for a second season after 2020's white and gold apparel.
The 2021 jersey reveal took place just two days after JDT celebrated its stadium's first anniversary.
This wasn't the first time during the 'no fans' period that the Southern Tigers have shown their appreciation for the fans.
To witness JDT break their record for a seventh straight Malaysia Super League title, the club hosted a free in-car viewing party at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium car park. While fans were not allowed inside the stadium, the authorities allowed an in-car viewing party so long as the Covid-19 standard operating procedures were adhered to.
A group of fans were also invited to play in a friendly among JDT Staff — including the Crown Prince of Johor ─ at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in October 2020.
HRH Tunku Ismail and JDT officials have regularly had public Q&A sessions to share updates and respond to the concerns of fans. The JDT Café, which is adjacent to the JDT Training Centre, has hosted these events in the past.
In a bid to improve their services, club officials were ordered to meet the fans a few days after the launch of the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in order to get feedback on their stadium experience.
In previous years, HRH Tunku Ismail invited groups of handicapped JDT supporters to the Tan Sri Dato' Haji Hassan Yunos Stadium to meet the players, a tradition that has become a ritual before every home match.
The importance JDT has for its fans is proof of how compassionate the club can be with the immediate and extended family.
The club regularly undertakes corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, which affords the players a chance to showcase their humanitarian side.
For example, then-club captain, Safiq Rahim, fulfilled a meet-&-greet wish of a blind fan in 2016 while Akhyar Rashid fulfilled a Make a Wish Foundation request last year.
Also in 2016, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, Sultan of Johor and HRH Tunku Ismail fulfilled a meet-&-greet wish for a five-year-old JDT fan with a skin disorder.
The Royal Family also made a financial contribution to help pay for the child's medical expenses.
The fans will always be welcomed and thought about at JDT. That's just the way it is here. The sooner the Covid-19 cloud passes, the sooner the entire JDT Family can be reunited once again. ─ The Vibes, 25 February, 2021
Former journalist Vijhay is Head of Content at Johor Darul Ta'zim FC following stints with Malay Mail, Sports247.my, FourFourTwo Malaysia and FOX Malaysia. You may have also heard him on BFM Football or watched him on Media Prima's football programmes. Vijhay can be reached at @vijhayvick on Twitter.
