BoLASEPaKO.com - A Blog on Singapore Football

"Is this VIP?" queried the short-sighted "uncle" usher as he examined the pass I am holding. After much deliberation, I was allowed into Bishan stadium and to think it was already RD32, yet ushers of one of the best run clubs can't figured out who are, aren't allowed into the ground? It was a much toned-down affair, as both sides were without the services of their national players, who were away for national duty, that the match ended in a goal-less draw (so was it right to term as "Season Finale"??). Some Pictures on that day.... Formality before the game as both teams greeted the fans and wished each other well before the kick-off. Quite a sizable turnout at the Bishan Stadium, despite being a live televised match on Channel 5. SAFFC's coach Richard Bok shared his thoughts with the media after the game. (P.s: was supposed to load it up on Friday but due to some technical delay, it's only ready by today :P)

Hmmm... yes, this is the match that's gonna decided who is going to be crowned as the league champions BUT to term it as a season finale (as listed on the TV listing of "The Straits Times") sounded not so appropriate. As the Singapore Cup Final is scheduled next Sunday, thus completed the whole season. wouldn't it be better to sound THAT as the "season finale"? Anyway, different people different interpretation ...

This time round from the Koreans. Nobody expected their arrival at Woodlands stadium, until a group of 150 odd of them turned out around 20 minutes before the kickoff. Donned in the red tops, these expat Koreans sure made their presence felt at the normally subtle side of the mainstand. "Dae-Han-Min-Guk" (the official name of South Korea) as the group chanted with the aid of drums and water bottles filled with beans!! Was told by their presumably group leader, these Koreans belong to a church organization and promised to "return next season". It was indeed a nice effort by these expatriates, as their spirited drumming and cheering helped to spur the Super Reds on, whom unfortunately lost to Woodlands Wellington by a solitary goal. Not bad eh, wished they had made their presence earlier, who knows if these "twelfth player" would have made a real difference. What a shame but a really good effort anyway, kudos guys!! The short clip of the Koreans supporters

Albirex Niigata (Singapore) completed their home fixture after beating follow guest participants- Liaoning Guangyuan 2-0 at its Jurong East home ground. As a show of appreciation, the playing, coaching staff of the club lined up in a straight row at the end of the match to say "thank you" to its supporters (pictured above) . Not a bad idea eh.. even if the team is not doing that well, I think it's still a nice gesture by the club. "This one for the album, Cheese!!"

I would like to recommend a book, yes! And it's a "textbook" to be precise. Not sure how you guys thought about it. Nay... not those published by the Ministry of Education. But the one as illustrated above. In short, it traced the conceiving to the launch and the wanning of hype of the J-League, plus insights in areas such as administration, players recruiting/developing, generate publicity, creating awareness, fans participating and etc. Not only that, it also explained why the game of football is seen as a tool to break away from the core traditional Japanese values that have been dominating all aspects of their life. This should served as a useful reference to all involved in Singapore soccer, who might still remained clueless, how to run the game. Yes! You may argue that the background and setting are different from ours but bear that in mind - Football was completely an "alien" game prior the introduction of the J-League. Isn't it sad that for us, who