The Kallang Roar! (Part Three)

Back in the good old days, we have four other national teams. Besides the National Team (The Lions), we also have a B team (The Cubs). Then we also competed in the Sultan's Gold Cup fielding a team called Singapore Malays.

We have the Singapore Indians playing in the Bardhan Cup and the other being the Singapore Chinese team also competing against Malaysian state teams in the same format and also the Ho Ho Cup triangular among Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

In 1976, Englishman Trevor Hartley became responsible for the Singapore team at age 28. I can't remember which year Singapore beat Malacca 6-2 and Lee Bee Seng was sent off for punching an opponent who must have trampled on him. Here is Bee Seng with Brian Rozario. In the same match Quah Kim Song was sent off too for fighting. And I said wow! Malaysia Cup is like that? I like! (Pix - Lee Bee Seng with Brian Rozario). And can you believe this? Before all these we have Mike Walker who played Kim Song as a sweeper?

When N. Ganesan took over at the FAS, he had the guts, passion and conviction to bring Uncle Choo in and together with Uncle brought back a few players who had quit or were dropped. Later, new additions like the "Merlion Cup" was introduced. The most famous creation was the "Lion City Cup" competition for the Under-16s where Singapore played host and fielded two teams - A & B. This format was taken over by FIFA as a junior World Cup later. Recently, we had a fantastic outing against the age group teams from Flamengo (Brazil), Newcastle & Everton (England) and Juventus (Italy) and our youngsters stood tall!! Why can't we do the same at national level? Distraction? Big-headedness?

Before all these, maybe around 74-75, there were times we hosted some famous teams like the triangular among Coventry City, Everton and Derby County all English Division One teams at the time. I saw China being held by Singapore to a 1-1 draw where speedy winger Roy Krishnan scored for Singapore. Then the Chinese team was touted to be great but remained largely unknown to the outside world and their motto carried on a banner was "Friendship First".

I have also attended the quadrangular where Singapore, Red Star Belgrade, Glasgow Celtic played. When you get to watch live action at the stadium you began to know the difference as the wide expanse of the pitch allowed you an overview seldom found on TV no matter how much technology has invaded the game. You get to see off the ball running or something happening elsewhere even when the ball was not there. When you watch Danny McGrain, Celtic's and Scotland's right fullback you immediately understood why he could walk into the World XI anytime and I saw the closest thing to Franz Beckanbauer in Red Star's captain/sweeper and Yugoslavia international Bogicevic who was called the "strolling giant". His play was effortless, spraying passes around to any distance. (Yugoslavia was then known as Brazil of Europe).

I had the good luck later of witnessing one of the best ever local NFL club game when Tampines Rovers took on Geylang International at the National Stadium with an incredible crowd of 25,000 fans. These fans who were there witnessed one of the most amazing display by an 18 year old Youth Team goalkeeper by the name of Edmund Wee who single-handedly saved every shot on the night. Can't recall the year. Edmund went on to be our top goalie. You would have seen him coming off his line in Malaysia Cup game collecting corners with one hand some times. Before him in 1977 was the commanding Eric Paine. We have Lim Chiew Peng too and later David Lee and we have many good keepers. It was lovely to watch those splendid saves.

The Players

While it is the fans that really matters, it is the players that made things happen. All players were so easily recognizable due to their distinctive style such that you do not need to see the numbers on their backs. Just by gazing at their gait, the way they ran, tackled and the moves executed, you know who they were. I didn't get to see Chu Chee Seng or Wilfred Skinner. Eric Paine was commanding, Edmund Wee was special and David Lee was so good in the air cutting off crosses. Edmund later went on to play professionally in Hong Kong. There were others like Abdul Malek and Hashim Yaakob that followed. I last saw Edmund a few years back and spoke to him. He still looked strong and cheerful.

Here you see non-nonsense Hasli Ibrahim whose overlapping runs supported Mohammed Noh on the right wing. Hasli's lunging and sliding tackles were unmistakable as he would cut opponents down like a pair of scissors with his legs taking first the ball then the opponent literally cutting his opponents down to size. I used to see him at the old Paya Lebar Airport where he worked and would chat with him on impending games.

Lim Teng Sai was stout in defence. Sometimes he would showboat playing to the galleries when the ball was on the bye-line, he would turn 180 degrees full circle to trick his opponent. He was also protective of his team mates. Once, Robert Sim's head was hit by a raised foot of a Hong Kong player in a Ho Ho Cup match and Teng Sai ran after the Hong Kong player with a flying kick before chasing him all the way into the Hong Kong half and a fracas ensued. When Pele visited Singapore and after watching the Singapore team, he named Lim Teng Sai as the best player calling him "the unpolished gem of Singapore soccer". Teng Sai used to live one street across where I lived those days in Toa Payoh.

Here you see Samad Alapitchay congratulating the boys as Captain. Samad was a tower of strength with his aerial prowess in defending. He would sometimes make marauding runs into the opposition's half.

S. Rajagopal was enigmatic. He was called the "Camel" due his his galloping runs that resembled a camel on the trot. He made the left flank his own and was known for his flamboyance with his in-swinging corners, banana free-kicks and the over head bicycle kicks. He has even scored direct from corner kicks.

Raja could have quit or dropped from the squad and there were rumours of his frequent drinking bouts and late nights. I saw him a few times coming out from Tropicana at the old Holiday Inn at Scotts. It was Uncle Choo who brought him back and what a good decision it was.

I have met S. Rajagopal several times in the last few years and he used to tell me about those good old days. He wore a cowboy hat walking around town in his usual element. He told me he can't play as well when he can't drink. He confirmed that he was the only one allowed some leeway for drinks, it was unofficial but he did it anyway. Some time ago, unfortunately he had a heart attack while playing for Singapore Veterans versus Malaysia Veterans and though he recovered I have never met him since. Here's how to execute a bicycle kick perfectly.

There were other defenders like Robert Sim, Lim Tien Jit (Rocky), Lim Tang Boon, Au-Yeong Pak Kuan, Terry Pathmanathan, Jai Prakash, the late Borhan Abu Samah, Syed Mutalib (the later two built and played like tanks), Lim Tong Hai and Kadir Yahya. Kadir was very good defender and now a coach with the Sports School.

Raja with his overhead kick:
















Muniady Kumar or M. Kumar was a midfielder who played like a leech to his opponent. He stuck to them like one. Once, he floated a shot from 30m into the opponent's net.

Zainal Abideen was a midfield maestro. He controlled the pace of the game and the turf. Many games were won or lost in the engine room. Zainal has great touch and telepathic understanding with Mohammed Noh who both played for Toa Payoh United. Zainal strolled in midfield like a general and sprayed pinpoint passes to Noh, Dollah and Kim Song. He was masterclass and has no peers. However, later in around 1978 he ran into problems with new coach Sebastian Yap as he was told not to hold on to the ball but to pass quickly but his forte was in holding the ball. The squabble ended in Yap giving him an ultimatum to turn up or be dropped as Zainal was unmotivated in training. He chose not to and was dropped. He was later lobbied back into the team.

V. Khanisen was a midfield dynamo. He was said to have a third lung as he could cover every blade of grass in a match and quite often named as man of the match. Others like Gulam Mohamed, Saswadimata Dasuki, Hashim Hosni, Malek Awab, Yahya Madon, Nasri Nasir and Leong Kok Fann were also prominent. Hasnim, Malek and Kok Fann also used to win many man-of-the-match awards. Hasnim was skilful, Kok Fann intelligent and Malek despite his small frame was courageous and never stopped running. Then there was the very talented and skilful R. Suriamurthi.

One of my all-time favourites was Mohammed Noh aka Mat Noh. Noh was good looking, elegant and always a delight to watch with a ball on the wings such that he was the closest thing to Leeds and England player Alan Clarke. Both wore the no. 8. Noh embellished style with grace and elegance. His body feints and dummies sold often sent opponents sliding on their backsides and on top of it, scored goals and made great crosses. He also possessed a good header and was an intelligent footballer. Noh could trap a ball in the air from a long pass using the top of his right foot to cushion it and land it. Soft spoken and well liked he was a good boy but he got red carded once when an opponent charged into him badly and he retaliated with a kick to his back side. Footage of Alan Clarke (sorry I could not find Mat Noh):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoRszS7FUtg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxtoJZeOZoA&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1jwL7iA2eM

He was the captain of Toa Payoh United and had a fairy tale wedding with popular singer Rahima Rahim but were later divorced. I heard a rumour once that Barcelona was interested in him. Noh was sheer elegance. He was the first celebrity couple long before David Beckham and Victoria. 

Noh was the poster boy of Singapore soccer. There was a certain Abdul Halim who came up and was said to play like Noh and represented Singapore briefly. He was good but I never thought he was like Noh as I knew him and played with him before. A very nice bloke though.

If Noh was the poster boy then Quah Kim Song was the Golden Boy. Kim Song was quick silver and mercurial and he was fast. Whenever Song blazed his way into the penalty box and any defender that touched him late he would go flying and probably a penalty would be awarded as he was that fast. Uncle Choo once labelled him like a mad horse and taught his team on how to conserve energy and how to use them when required. Song was a regular goal scorer with his trademark diving headers.

Kim Song came from a special footballing family. The Quahs gave us Kim Swee, Kim Beng, Kim Choon, Kim Siak, Kim Lye and Kim Song. All were household names and great footballers of thier time. I got to see only Kim Lye and Song but also saw Kim Siak briefly. As if not enough, they also gave us two footballing sisters - Doreen and Rosa. Incredible.

Kim Song scored that memorable goal versus Penang in the 1977 final which we won with a flying header. You see him here with Franz Beckanbauer.

Those were so many years ago and relying on my memory is not fail-proofed. Despite trying my best some names may have slipped my mind but Dollah Kassim can never be forgotten. Dollah passed away recently after lying in coma after a heart attack while turning out for for Singapore ex internationals in a veterans' friendly. Dollah was not fast and he had thin legs but this man played soccer like no other. He would hold the ball, released it at the perfect moment, scored from the penalty spot and bent in free kicks or floated it into the net from open play and is full of trickery and cunning. That was why he was called the "Gelek King"!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_znSRFC1Wg (interview)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idLlnPncdDU (ex internationals)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9NO_yK5Hf0 (tribute)

Only charismatic players like Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo or Zinedine Zidane could score audacious goals. In a game versus Pahang at Kallang in 1976, Mat Noh scored off a goal mouth melee after a scramble with an audacious back heel. Dollah upped the ante when he scored what I have witnessed to be the greatest goal ever scored. Maradona and Messi could in one fell swoop dribbled through 5 or 6 players to score running at full speed. Dollah made a run and when he ran his head and backside were stuck out and his arms opened (see pix) and with the ball running he looked left and right as the Pahang defenders back-pedalled.

Dollah first appeared to be going for it with a shot as a defender drew near him but feinted a shot as the defender slid past him watching the ball still stuck to Dollah's feet. Then as he was preparing to take a shot another opponent lunged desperately at him but Dollah pulled the ball back and pushed it aside as he landed on his back side. With only the goalie left and half rushing out, Dollah pretended to take a shot sending the goalie diving at full stretch but the wrong way and he merely stepped on the ball. Finally with bodies everywhere around the goal mouth, a last defender ran towards the goal line but Dollah majestically stab the ball into an opened goal! Friends, you will never get to see a goal like that, not even Maradona or Messi can do it but only Dollah could.

Nasir Jalil or "Crazy Horse" is so called simply because he ran around like a crazy horse. Hands and legs flapping very expressively and running everywhere non-stop. He disturbed opponents like no other as you would not know where he was going. He was also to Singapore what David Fairclough was to Liverpool those days - "Supersub" coming on to score and scoring vital goals. Thanks to Nasir Jalil he got the all important goal for Singapore in the 1977 Malaysia Cup Final versus Penang and brought Singapore back in contention. It was a regret that he passed on recently due to a tumour while he was still in his early 50s.

Ho Kwan Hock was a striker extraordinaire from the beginning as a school boy. He was my all time Boy of the Rovers character as the school's chief striker in the schools A division. His calling was evident when in the schools final at Jalan Besar versus SJI (a respected and strong opponent) when trailing 1-2, he took matters into his own hands when he dribbled 6-7 players to score with a solo slalom. He was a regular star in the Combined Schools team and often featured in the newspapers for his exploit and goal scoring ability and oft described as a "dashing striker".

Other strikers were like Arshad Khamis, Brian Batchelor, Samsuddin Rahmat, Samsir Rahmat, Abdul Halim, D. Tokijan. I have played with Halim and Samsir at some point in time. Here was my home club Toa Payoh United with some of the national players like Hasli Ibrahim, Abdul Ghani, Biran Rozario, Mat Noh, Zainal Abideen and Syed Mutalib.

This was also a time where the NASL was into gear as teams like New York Cosmos recruited Pele and they came to Singapore to play. Other greats like George Best, Rodney Marsh, Georgia Chinaglia joined the North America Soccer League in the late 70s or early 80s.

If you are in touch with these players, please let them know I have written about them. It is not for me but for them. Thanks for the memories!!

To Be Continued.....