test in on last day of 2007

This is just a short test being carried out to test something.. :)

Met an "old friend"

This signboard caught my attention during my Vivocity stroll.

Little would I expected but that was what I saw.

Initially, I thought it might be just a case of pure coincidence but as I positioned outside to observe the ambience and setting that you can't help, however, to notice the football cushion seats they have outside the restaurant.

Suddenly, Wang Jinhui (the vice-chairman of the defunct club) appeared from the outlet, therefore confirmed everything, as he was seen giving some instructions or whatsoever to his staff.

From "http://bolasepako.blogspot.com/2005/12/from-site-to-blog-logo-on-left.html"

Thought Sinchi had long gone from the scene after they failed to fulfil the promises they made after they pulled out from the league.

Much was said that they would be involved in the futsal development, yet having successfully branched into F&B line, I guess they would feel more a sense of achievement in that area other than football itself.

A peek at the NFL...

Was surfing around the FAS website and saw something pretty interesting.

(Picture above: This is the mailing address of "Redhill Rangers". )

I would like to mention that this club was founded in the early 1980s at a coffeeshop (based on what I read) in Bukit Merah ("Red Hill" in Malay, of course) area.

They eventually rose to the top and played in the Primier League and one of their first foreign signings - the eccentric custodian Sandro Radun (the "white" Rene Higuita).

In the later years, they decided to join the S.League and shifted their base to Bukit Gombak and changed their name to "Gombak United".

I think there were some changes in the management that must saw the team split into two, with the Bulls (Gombak United) remains where it is now and the splitter group decided to carry on the name "Redhill Rangers" and play their matches in the lower rungs of the setup.

(P.s: whatever mentioned above is true to my knowledge, please kindly feedback if there's any mistake, thanks)

Unfortunately, not all the (football) clubs in Singapore have the luxury of having their own clubhouses (except Geylang United), unless they are someone like Singapore Recreation Club - the SRC, if not, like what I was told some NFL clubs actually operate from residential premises or "tumpang" (lodging) around any office that is available via gesture of goodwill.

Just take a look the addresses of clubs of "Redhill Rangers", "Bishan Arsenal" and "Toa Payoh", the given addresses look more like those in the residential than of that you would thought otherwise.

But one thing, I could not figure is what "Toa Payoh United" is based in Bukit Batok St21?

Another case of "mix-up in location"??

Looking for that year-end gift...

(photo courtesy of sleague.com)

Something pretty disturbing occurred yesterday at Peninsula Plaza.

You see, I was hunting high and low for this particular national team t-shirt (not jersey, as illustrated and worn by Faizal Hamid) for ages.

So I happened to drop by into this sporting goods shop inside "Peninsula", as I was told that's the outlet most likely to have it.

"We are NOT as DIE-HARD as you," said the shop assistant in a half-jested manner.

"But we would have PLENTY of stock, if (Singapore) lost." he added (which I interpreted as "C'mon, dun waste your bloody time, man!").

Sad reality but that's the fact that I still can't find the T-shirt I'm looking despite it's that of the national team.

Yeah, I did went to the various NIKE outlets in Singapore but to no avail.

Why could such a thing happened? Does this means this team being :

• three-time Asean champions in recent times
• now among the top 20 teams of this continent

mean nothing to anyone of us?

Season Greetings to all ...

DOUBLE ONE - Anuual Review 2007

I ran out of ideas when I wrote this annual review.

A recap of some significant events in local football that occurred during these past months.

• We retained the Asean title (formerly the Tiger Cup)
• The 2007 S.League title race was a keenly-fought affair, with SAFFC emerged as the victors ahead of Home United and Tampines Rovers .
• Our clubs failed progressed beyond the quarter-finals of AFC Cup (again...)
• SEA Games - yes, we did achieved what AP HO asked for - medal of any colour, don't we? Just a pity we faced the Thais in the semis…

You may want to ask what am I gonna touch on this year's review?

Read on....

Youth development (follow up to Thava's plead)

Prelude: Balestier Khalsa's vice-chairman Mr S Thavaneson, prior this season, lamented the dearth of attention on clubs' youth development program.

Just wonder if one day we might want to have a complete overhaul of the existing youth development program we have?

The reason(s)?

• Free the clubs from straining their thin resources.
• Let the schools (i.e.: the JCs, Polytechnics and etc.?) shouldered the responsibility of grooming the players.

Here I am proposing the American system where it's the schools that are grooming the players for the professional sports clubs, rather having the clubs "DIY" and eat into their wafer-thin resources.

At the end of the day, we should see a player who is groomed for the bigger stage and equipped himself with certain academic qualifications, in case his playing career ended prematurely.

Although this proposal may sounded radical and would run into conflict with this current system, it is to provide some other viable options.

Let us face the fact that we know that are some talented youngsters but because of the "paper chase", he choose to pursue his studies instead.

After all, it is the player himself to decide if he want to play full time, but aren't he glad that because of the "school grooming", he is assured of a diploma if he can't play professionally?

Ironically, the idea of such proposal was actually (if I recalled correctly) suggested by former Malaysian, Tampines and Paya Lebar Punggol coach Chow Kwai Lam (we all aware what happened to him eh?) years back.

Save them from the blushes

The ghost of their founder Hong In Woong's pre- season proclamation (above) will haunted the team as long as they remained in this doldrums.

The "Super" Reds (formerly known as Korean Super Reds) will always be remembered for the "etched impact" on their first season.

This club must have went through an overhaul in the management as well (other than the players) in mid- season.

Hong, the founding chairman-cum-coach, was being replaced by Charlie Yoon Y.G.

And in a move to distinguish the new regime from Hong's management, the word "Korean" was dropped with the club's mascot changed to a bear (rather a white stallion).

Though I have my reservation when they said they will be signing some players with K1 experience, "a fan club will be formed" and "reached out to the community" - sounds familiar eh?

But amid all the bad publicity, this team, together with Liaoning Guangyuan, did not suffer the same plight of Sporting Afrique or Paya Lebar Punggol (amalgamated with Sengkang Marine to form Sengkang Punggol last season) which busted after a season.

But whatever it is, don't fall into the "Sinchi curse" that's synonymous with most "pedatangs".

Every foreigner-based team been promised that they will not become the "Sinchi II" but somehow they eventually did (with the exception of Albirex, to lesser extend).

Some of the main reasons (based on my observation) that saw the demise of this unpopular pioneering foreigner-based team are:

• Empty promises (like tapping on the vast Chinese expat population as fan base, signing top Chinese players)
• The failure to assimilate into local environment (there's virtually no communication between them and the rest)
• Based in the run-down, reclusive Jurong stadium.
• Boring play - that sums it up

So need more to say?

The fans or pure speculators?

(The picture below - May or may not be those I'm gonna mentioned)

It's no doubt that the game is soul-less without its fans.

Yet more than a decade down the road, it seems that majority of the spectators at the grounds are neutral or bluntly speaking - the punters.

You know who they are...

• Those who normally seat opposite the main stands.
• Their main talking points are not the goals, players or the plays of the game BUT the fluctuating of the odds of match.
• They celebrated the scoring of a goal BUT not because their favourite team scored, rather they knew it very well that they won the bets they placed.

Of course, we do have some passionate supporters in the form of those guys in some of fans' clubs.

But before they launched any missiles or darts towards this blogger, all I can say is,"You guys are great BUT you still have a long way to go before established your own identity."

The general concept is that these fans clubs are a reclusive lot (pardon me if that's not the fact, please feel free to rebuke.), if not, why the size of these cheer leaders remain stagnant or even shrink in size? (my observation.)

Lack of innovative cheering, dance routine and deafening drumming of some fan clubs make one wonder if these antics are to compliment or burden the team?

Take a cue from these guys...like these Boca Junior and Turkish fans, who effectively is the 12th player of the team!

Of course, not to the extend that will go out of control in those highly-passionated places!!

Media Transformation?

Months back, I wrote something about tapping onto the alternate media in spreading the words of the league. Simply because I already gave up hope on the mainstream media on doing so.

Am I not glad to come know that there's this passionate group of S.League diehard contribute this cause through Kallangroar.com?

If this "non-cooperative" stance keep maintained by the mainstreamer, I shall say, again, we shall ditch them aside and made our voice through other media means...Not point acting like a "beggar" begging for spaces ..

Kallang Folly...

This T-shirt seems to be making a mockery out of itself..

This year will be remembered for the guessing game of when the National Stadium be playing its final game before being bulldozed.

On 30th June 2007, a grand event by SSC was staged to mark the "official closing ceremony" of the "Grand Ol' Lady", with an international friendly between Singapore and Australia (act of convenience, I guess :p)

But subsequently, much to disgust of some fans, World Cup qualifiers against Palestine (officially awarded to us, as the Palestinians did not turn up) and Tajikistan were held on the same venue.

Some fans are pissed by such acts that they felt "cheated".

Anyway, one thing for sure we aren't gonna be certain who is going to be the "last goal scorer" at the National Stadium (what a shame as this suppose-to-be coveted honour has been cheapen by such acrimonious turn of events).

BILA NAK TUTUP?

Since we were told third round qualifier will be staged at Kallang as well (are they serious?)!!

Conclusion

Life is an unlimited learning process, likewise, the same logic applied to local game.

We know we still have a long way to attain the status of those of European or even the East Asian league, but let's be patient.

So what 10 years had passed? So long the faith is there, we shall make it with all of support of all stakeholders who must also play their part in being objective and fair.

Instant Reaction : Reality Bites!!

I'm not sure things would have been different if we are in the final of the SEA Games.. only found out that Channel 5 was delay telecasted the match that I managed to source that Vietnamese TV was showing the game live!!

But sad to say though, the VTC, must be pissed with the fact that their much-touted side was thrashed by us , that halfway to the second half they decided to switch to volleyball instead!!

So much so that I had to rely on the KallangRoar.com for the update, after another alternate source was unavailable (Thank you guys).

What I saw in Thailand

Was in Chiangmai days ago for a short getaway and did managed to catch the action of the semi-final clash between us and Thailand (second half though).

AT THE ROADSIDE, NEAR MY HOTEL

It was such an tense encounter, I was catching the action while my friend was busy bargaining...

INSIDE THE HOTEL ROOM

Got my friend to snap my reaction after the end of the match... Alas, Tough Luck Boys

IT WAS THE BIGGEST NEWS OF THE DAY

That "Bangkok Post" had it as the TOP STORY

Looks like the SEA Games gold remains an elusive dream for us... If any Singapore player has any regret, it will be the inability to have the gold medal hang around their neck before they hit 24.

Instant Reaction: Longest 5 minutes...

The final score : 1-1

Yes, that was the longest FIVE minutes in my life...

The elusive dream is still within the reach as the strong determination saw the CUBS (even Mark Richmond got it wrong by calling them - Young Lions!!) through to the final-four to the SEA Games football tournament.

Keep the spirit up!! CUBS...

(P.S: will not be able to catch the showdown at home but hope over in Chiangmai instead..hehehehe)

The ref finally blew the whistle-What a relief!

Agu (no.21) redeemed himself by scoring the equalizer, joined in the merry making!!

Dejected Malaysian custodian - speechless!!

Book Review: "Forza Italia"

I'm not sure should I start a new label that entitled "Book Review", having read one book on Japanese football weeks ago, I happened to come across another excellent book - FORZA ITALIA at Bishan Library, not that long ago.

I picked up this book from the "dump box" where readers decided to "back out" their choice(s), I'm pretty sure they regretted for not reading this book by freelance journalist Paddy Agnew.

Written by Irishman Agnew, whom with his family been living in Italy for the past 20 odd years.

In this book, Agnew detailed the rise and fall of Diego Maradona while playing for Napoli, how AC Milan was served as a launchpad that kicked start the political career of its owner Silvio Berlusconi.

Other topics covered in this book included:

• The infamous Juventus doping scandal in late 90s
• Why dictator Mussolini was credited as the "founder" of Serie A
• The "fan power" that wrecked the game in Italy
• and etc...

Since the season is over (I mean here in Singapore), I think it's a wise idea for me to read some books, especially football literature is something rare here ...

(P.s: I will keep posting some "Book Review"s in the near future.. stay tuned)

Instant Reaction - See what I mean??

(Prelude: I am not sure if I'm right to say veteran media personnel Hakikat Rai shared the same sentiment after the dull draw last weekend, having reading his comment on "TODAY" this morning - pictured below.)



I'm sure most of the folks out there are pretty skeptical about our chances against the "mighty" Vietnamese..

After all, who can blame some of you for having that though when you up against one of the in-form teams of the region.

Anyway, the result (after some final scares) spoke for itself.. Keep on moving boys..

With some of the audience catching the game at J8's "Best Denki"..
Could only catch the last 20 minutes of the game because I just knocked-off

Hassan Sunny was the hero of the evening but can't blame him for his inability to stop the PK.


Enough said.. Keep up the tempo..

Instant Reaction: it's always the case, guys..

(Pictures from TV...)

Nice stadium, giving that nice "kampung" feeling...

I can't really image what would happend if the lately under-fired terrestrial MediaCorp did not beamed this game over Channel 5.

After all, when was the last time we saw the any of the Singapore team on free-to-all channel , be it the national or the U-23 teams?

Coach Raddy at the top of his voice..

Anyway, the commentator of the match (who is it, anyway - Bernard Lim?) kept stressing the disatrious outcome if the game ended in draw.. (man, this is pretty annoying) though the biggest drawback was his failure for calling the team - the LIONS, when it actually they are the CUBS. Other than that should we forgive for calling Isa Halim as "Mohd Isa" and Jantan Jumaa't instead of Jumaa't Jantan..

As this is not the first time the CUBS starting off in this manner, I keep my opinion WIDE OPEN.. but just don't come back straight after the Official Opening ceremony, CUBS!!

End of the Day :0-0 is not what most of us expected (except for me:P)