I'm not a movie critic

The movie tickets

As a promise to Mr Dollah Kassim and eagerly been waiting for the release of the movie. Finally, I headed to see the movie - "Kallang Roar" just now after work.

Had our quick dinner at the KFC, right outside the cinema

At first, we thought of having it seen at Lido after there's no suitable time slot at Shaw's Balestier cinema, but in the end we settled at where it was all about - Kallang (because of the ample of parking lots for my colleague who is driving.)

Now, as mentioned I was never meant to be a movie critic and all I can say is this movie is a sincere production.

For the younger generation, be it the fans, players and whosoever, this movie shall see as a tool of inspiring and learn to appreciate the game of football.

Back in the good ol' days, life as an amateur footballer was a tough one as depicted by the character "Samad" who lost his job because of his centralized training with the team then (once read that another player Arshad Khamis was forced to quit the game because of his work commitments).

As such, full-timers in the S.League should learn to cherish what they are doing now unlike those players in those era, who constantly had to juggle so many things at one-go.

"Uncle" Choo Seng Quee

Although I'm not sure if the players nowadays could even cope if "Uncle" is their coach, whose tough, non-nonsense "garang" way of coaching is legendary and still awed by those who were under him.

But one thing for sure, what "Uncle" left behind is what it is all about

"Untuk Bangsa Dan Negara!"

heading to Jakarta...

No, no, no... I'm not the one heading to Jakarta (unless someone is willing to pick up the tabs) but the national team this coming December for the AFF Suzuki Cup 2008 (used to be known as "Tiger Cup" and "Asean Football Championship").

We are being drawn to the follow group.

Group A
1. Indonesia, 2. Singapore, 3. Myanmar, 4. Qualifiers Runners-up

Good Luck to the boys in defending their title as the "King of Asean football", especially when we are up against the Indonesians at the Senanyang (now known as "Gelora Bung Karno Stadium")

(P.S: Don't pick up any water bottle from the pitch side, unless it is from your own team, ask Daniel Bennett - he should know what I mean)

Kena "SHOOTed"...

RIP "Shoot" (1969-2008)

I wasn't aware until I "googled" and "WIKIed" around to know the demise of "SHOOT" magazine.

Quoted from the "wiki" page of SHOOT:

"Shoot's circulation fell from 120,000 copies per week in 1996 to 33,455 in Autumn 2007. ^[5]. It had changed to a monthly publication in 2000 as it faced massive competition from its long-term rival Match and a series of new titles including FourFourTwo, When Saturday Comes and other failed competitors such as 90 Minutes and Total Football.

Its circulation in 2007 rose 7% year-on-year and it relaunced as a weekly magazine in late February 2008. ^[6] However, publishers IPC closed the magazine at the end of June 2008.^[7]"

I recalled in my younger days (when I was still a Liverpool fanatic), those before the days of the internet with papers and BBC World Service being the instant source for any latest news for English footbal news, "SHOOT" magazine was something like a "dessert after the main course".

There's something you can't avoid - CHANGE and remain INNOVATING at ALL TIMES.

The demise of the "SHOOT" bears the best testament for this fact (see the tag above the word SHOOT - "Britain's BEST seller").

(P.S: Also found this relic during my tidying up months ago)

Amid the shadow.... (Stags hang on for Cup glory..)

... of the Olympics and beginning of the EPL season (again), Tampines Rovers overcome the one-goal deficit and beat Home United in the returning leg of their Singapore Cup quarter-final fixture.

Ex-Protectors Qiu Li started the ball rolling by scoring the first before his national team-mate Fahrudin Mustafic scored with well-executed header.

SOME PICTURES TAKEN
Tampines' warming up

Inside the corporate box of the stadium.

One of many Home United's attempts to come back to level the game.

Indra Sahdan (with the ball) made his presence felt in the Stag's box

This would have made it "tiga-kosong" (3-0)

Shot this from Home United's supporters section.

After a hard fought victory, Shariff Samat (on the right) looking towards this direction.

Tampines coach Vorawan Chitavanich delighted with the win.

Stag's debriefing session at the end of the day.

Home United's coach Mr PN Sivaji being interviewed by the cable media.

............(.........).......

Bought this copy yesterday...

If they want it, come and have it but they must pay for it...

I read that those guys in London still refused to give up their plan to stage that controversial "39th" game outside England.

Like many parochial-mined football fans, I don't favour this sort of "invasion" as the potential of having a staple of "holiday football" is eminent.

Picture credit: Wikipedia

However, having watched the annual National Day Parade held on the 9th August, at the "Floating Platform" (pictured above), my stand somehow tweaked a bit.

Ok, ok, hold your knives and rotten eggs that are aiming at me.

Tweaked in a sense that I'm NOT accepting the proposal for that "39th" game to be played in this region but how about having a showcase event of top class football action on the platform whenever is convenient? A break from the conventional ambience of playing in a surrounded arena is the point we need to sell in order to entice some of the biggest names in football to play on it.

Now, take a look at the location of the platform.


View Floating Platform in a larger map
Strategically located at the Central Business District (CBD), not only with the Singapore skyline formed as the backdrop of the platform, some of the best hotels and the major retailing establishments are located within a stone throw of it.

So transportation and logistically wise have not things being made easier as teams concerned would be housed in one of hotels around that area?

Being a top money-spinner whenever these top teams turn up in this region, be ready to see hordes of fans from outside Singapore congregate here too.

Picture credit :"TODAY"

If these fans can't afford the premium rate charged by the CBD hotels, strings of low-budget accommodations are ready within the walk of any MRT stations, aren't they?

Not only that retailers, entertainment operators might want to cash onto this potential "gold-mine" by having some kind of mega-sale season or side events in line with the tournament.

Whilst I noted that retailers then didn't benefited much when the IOC and WTO delegates were here years back, but they were on working trip, we are talking having fun like the annual Hong Kong 7s !

Local football clubs might want to tap onto chances by playing a game or two of friendlies with these visiting sides and establish any form of working relationship (something concrete rather than having a memorandum signed).

So much so it wouldn't be surprise that ticket to this tournament don't come cheap, but the fact is if more than 30,000 fans don't mind paying $60 to sit on the wooden planks (as pictured above, shot at the "last match" against the Australians LAST year) of Kallang weeks ago when Brazil's Olympics played here, paying slightly more for one of the 27,000 plastic seats is reasonable eh?

It's about generating some tourist dollars to boast the country economy by making this proposed football showcase tournament an annual or bi-annual marquee event in Singapore, like what they want from the upcoming F1 race, isn't it?

Reaching out to the mass...

Ripped off by "PrtSc" from my desktop

Very often via my "sitemeter" tracker, I always have visitors googled "livestream" of some particular matches and eventually ended up at my blog.

Not that long ago.. I came across another online software- USTREAM, that allows "livestreaming" video.

The best part of it is the simplicity in setting up the whole thing.

Simply register an account, plug-in your video camera and you're really to "camera".

Wondering would be a loophole to more loss of revenue if someone simply sneak a video camera in, plug onto his/her laptop, connect to "Wireless@SG", which is available at some venue, so as to allow some fans to catch the game at their comfort zone?