We are bringing FC Barcelona closer to Singapore by establishing the first official Penya Barcelonista in the city.
What a penya is
A penya is a supporters' club recognised by FC Barcelona. They exist in cities all over the world, and they are how the club has a local presence in places where it does not play: people who watch the games together, in the same room, at the same time, whatever hour that turns out to be locally.
Why Singapore
There are Barça supporters all over this city watching alone, in different bars, on different screens. There is no penya here to bring them together. That is the whole reason to start one.
Where we are now
We are at the beginning. The group is forming, and the penya has not yet applied to FC Barcelona for recognition. We are not going to describe ourselves as official until we are in the registry.
What recognition takes
FC Barcelona's process is public: a name request submitted to the club's Penyes Department, a review of the paperwork, provisional registration of the name, ratification by the club's Board of Directors, and then entry in the official register of penyes. The group also has to be entered in an associations register, and to have a minimum number of members — the minimum depends on the size of the place — a share of whom must be FC Barcelona socis. That is why the form asks.
What we are asking for now
People. If you would come to a game, put your name down. The number of us is the thing that turns this from an idea into an application.