Quotes: Believe it or not, goals can change a game.
History
Friday, November 12, 2010, 5:02 AM
Looking back at 100 Years of Singapore soccer.
Quah Kim Song does an acrobatic feat by lifting himself off the ground to send in a scorching header in the fourth minute to give Singapore a bright start in last night's Malaysia Cup final.
1892 - 1992
1892: SINGAPORE soccer's earliest beginnings recorded on August 29, 1892, with the founding of the Singapore Amateur Football Association, the governing body of soccer before the turn of the century.
1921: BIRTH of the HMS Malaya Cup. Singapore won first Cup final on Oct 1, 1921, with a 2-1 win over Selangor in Kuala Lumpur. Both teams fielded a good number of Europeans.
1925: FIRST Malaya Cup final to be played in Singapore, at the now defunct Anson Road Stadium. Singapore beat Selangor 2-1 to be the first team to win the trophy three times in a row.
1933: A CROWD of 10,000 packed the Anson Road Stadium to watch Singapore score the biggest Malaya Cup final win -- an 8-2 thrashing of Selangor. Chia Keng Hock scored a hat-trick.
1950's: LEAGUE soccer gains popularity as expatriate teams like Royal Air Force and Marines were matched by the top local clubs -- Argonauts, Darul Afiah, Haikowyu, Joyful Indians, Pasir Panjang Rovers, Jollilads, Chinese Athletic, Indian Brotherhood and Tiger Standard.
1950's: THE late Soh Ghee Soon is the longest serving president of the Singapore Amateur Football Association -- from the early 1950's to 1963. Also a former Vice-president of the Asian Football Confederation.
1951: SKIPPER Harith Omar is chaired as he holds the Malaya Cup in 1951. Singapore beat Perak 6-1.
1960: SKIPPER Lee Kok Seng with the Malaya Cup, which Singapore won by beating Perak 2-0.
1966: QUAH Kim Swee leads Singapore to fourth-place in the Asian Games in Bangkok -- the best international soccer achievement this century. Singapore lost bronze medal (2-0) to Japan.
1974: GEORGE Suppiah becomes first Singapore soccer referee to officiate in the 1974 World Cup finals in West Germany. His career record: 43 international 'A' matches from 1953 to 1978.
1974: The eight-year chairmanship of lawyer Nadesan Ganesan, from 1974 to 1981, will probably go down in history as one of Singapore soccer's best eras. The Kallang Roar drove Singapore to two Malaysia Cup successes -- in 1977 and 1980.
1975: MAJOR breakthrough in National Football League (NFL), which was revamped from 118 clubs to 30. Geylang International wins top honours in the first three years.
1977: DOLLAH Kassim (right) hoists Malaysia Cup after Singapore beat Penang 3-2 in extra-time. Quah Kim Song netted the winner. Coach: Choo Seng Quee.
1977: LAUNCH of the Lion City Cup, hailed by FAS chairman N Ganesan as the only Under-16 soccer tournament in the world. It paved the way, at FIFA's request, for a World Youth U-16 tournament in China in 1985.
1980: ON June 28, coach Jita Singh (bottom) emulates Choo Seng Quee's feat three years earlier with a Malaysia Cup final victory -- a 2-1 win over defending champion Selangor. Fandi Ahmad, 17, scored the winner.
1981: SINGAPORE out of the Malaysia Cup for the first time since 1921.
1982: MERLION Cup, Singapore's first soccer international, is launched.
1983: "UNCLE" Choo Seng Quee (above), arguably the greatest post-war coach in Malaysia and Singapore, dies.
1989: FIRST foreign players for Singapore team -- Yugoslavs Josko Spanjic and Boris Lucic.
1992: AN all-time record crowd of 22,071 paid a record $58,000 on Feb 15 to watch the Premier League's "Battle of the Giants" between Geylang International and Tiong Bahru CSC, which ended 0-0.
1992: GEYLANG International wins the Premier League title for record fifth season, bringing its tally to eight since the domestic league was revamped in 1975.
1992: SINGAPORE goes down to Division Two of the Malaysia Cup Semi-Pro League for the first time since the competition started in 1921.
Introduction
Welcome to History of Football in Singapore page! My group members and I will explain the revolution of football here in Singapore. We did some research on when football was created. In the United States, soccer was eventually name soccer, as there were American Football, a sport that is familiar to Rugby.
According to our research, the game of football was invented in England in the late 1800s. Football is consider as one of most popular sport in the world. Here in Singapore, football is most popular during the 1960s.
Group Members: Henry, Hyrah, Fyfy & Azmie
History
Friday, November 12, 2010, 5:02 AM
Looking back at 100 Years of Singapore soccer.
Quah Kim Song does an acrobatic feat by lifting himself off the ground to send in a scorching header in the fourth minute to give Singapore a bright start in last night's Malaysia Cup final.
1892 - 1992
1892: SINGAPORE soccer's earliest beginnings recorded on August 29, 1892, with the founding of the Singapore Amateur Football Association, the governing body of soccer before the turn of the century.
1921: BIRTH of the HMS Malaya Cup. Singapore won first Cup final on Oct 1, 1921, with a 2-1 win over Selangor in Kuala Lumpur. Both teams fielded a good number of Europeans.
1925: FIRST Malaya Cup final to be played in Singapore, at the now defunct Anson Road Stadium. Singapore beat Selangor 2-1 to be the first team to win the trophy three times in a row.
1933: A CROWD of 10,000 packed the Anson Road Stadium to watch Singapore score the biggest Malaya Cup final win -- an 8-2 thrashing of Selangor. Chia Keng Hock scored a hat-trick.
1950's: LEAGUE soccer gains popularity as expatriate teams like Royal Air Force and Marines were matched by the top local clubs -- Argonauts, Darul Afiah, Haikowyu, Joyful Indians, Pasir Panjang Rovers, Jollilads, Chinese Athletic, Indian Brotherhood and Tiger Standard.
1950's: THE late Soh Ghee Soon is the longest serving president of the Singapore Amateur Football Association -- from the early 1950's to 1963. Also a former Vice-president of the Asian Football Confederation.
1951: SKIPPER Harith Omar is chaired as he holds the Malaya Cup in 1951. Singapore beat Perak 6-1.
1960: SKIPPER Lee Kok Seng with the Malaya Cup, which Singapore won by beating Perak 2-0.
1966: QUAH Kim Swee leads Singapore to fourth-place in the Asian Games in Bangkok -- the best international soccer achievement this century. Singapore lost bronze medal (2-0) to Japan.
1974: GEORGE Suppiah becomes first Singapore soccer referee to officiate in the 1974 World Cup finals in West Germany. His career record: 43 international 'A' matches from 1953 to 1978.
1974: The eight-year chairmanship of lawyer Nadesan Ganesan, from 1974 to 1981, will probably go down in history as one of Singapore soccer's best eras. The Kallang Roar drove Singapore to two Malaysia Cup successes -- in 1977 and 1980.
1975: MAJOR breakthrough in National Football League (NFL), which was revamped from 118 clubs to 30. Geylang International wins top honours in the first three years.
1977: DOLLAH Kassim (right) hoists Malaysia Cup after Singapore beat Penang 3-2 in extra-time. Quah Kim Song netted the winner. Coach: Choo Seng Quee.
1977: LAUNCH of the Lion City Cup, hailed by FAS chairman N Ganesan as the only Under-16 soccer tournament in the world. It paved the way, at FIFA's request, for a World Youth U-16 tournament in China in 1985.
1980: ON June 28, coach Jita Singh (bottom) emulates Choo Seng Quee's feat three years earlier with a Malaysia Cup final victory -- a 2-1 win over defending champion Selangor. Fandi Ahmad, 17, scored the winner.
1981: SINGAPORE out of the Malaysia Cup for the first time since 1921.
1982: MERLION Cup, Singapore's first soccer international, is launched.
1983: "UNCLE" Choo Seng Quee (above), arguably the greatest post-war coach in Malaysia and Singapore, dies.
1989: FIRST foreign players for Singapore team -- Yugoslavs Josko Spanjic and Boris Lucic.
1992: AN all-time record crowd of 22,071 paid a record $58,000 on Feb 15 to watch the Premier League's "Battle of the Giants" between Geylang International and Tiong Bahru CSC, which ended 0-0.
1992: GEYLANG International wins the Premier League title for record fifth season, bringing its tally to eight since the domestic league was revamped in 1975.
1992: SINGAPORE goes down to Division Two of the Malaysia Cup Semi-Pro League for the first time since the competition started in 1921.
Dollah Kassim (born 13 March 1949) was one of the most famous Singaporean footballers during the 1970s. in 1977, he helped Singapore bring the Malaysia cup to Singapore. Dubbed the "Gelek King", a nickname referring to his superior ball control, he was well known for his extraordinary dribbling skills.
A tribute to the late Dollah Kassim.
V. Sundramoorthy was a Singaporean footballer in the 1980s and 1990s, and widely touted as one of the country's most skillful and talented footballers ever. During his playing days in Alor Setar plying his trade for Kedah FA, Sundramoorthy helped Kedah to defeat Singapore 2-0 in the final of the 1990 Malaysia Cup.
During Singapore's run-up to the 1993 Malaysia Cup Final appearance, Sundramoorthy was one of the most influential players in the team. He was a player well-known for his dribbling skills and his finishing.
One of Sundramoorthy's most famous goals was a bicycle kick scored against Brunei in a 1993 FAM Division II League tie at the National Stadium.
Sundramoorthy made several appearances for the Singapore national football team, including participating at the 1990 Asian Games football tournament.
Sundramoorthy moved on to a coaching role in the domestic S.League, becoming the first-ever player/manager in S.League's history (coaching Jurong Football Club). He also has had a short stint playing European football in Switzerland with FC Basel. He is now the coach of the Young Lions and also the Singapore Under-23 football team..
Sundramoorthy was nicknamed 'The Dazzler' at the height of his prowess and 'King Cobra' when he was the player-coach of Jurong FC. Sundram also had a biography titled 'The Dazzler'.
'
Malek Awab was a Singaporean footballer in the 1980s and 1990s.
Malek Awab also holds the record for the most number of international caps for his country, Singapore (121 caps).
Representing the Lions in midfield, Malek was often seen running tirelessly for 90 minutes of the game, closing down on opposition players and making cutting runs into the opponents half. Together with Fandi Ahmad, Abbas Saad and V. Sundramoorthy, they formed the backbone of the squad which won the Malaysia Cup in 1994.
Awab played for the Kuala Lumpur FA side that won the Malaysia Cup in 1988.
Married to seamstress Sharifah Nazihah.
Abbas Saad, Best Foreigner that ever donned the Lion's colors.
Born in Lebanon, Saad moved to Australia and started a professional footballing career. A midfielder with a good eye for goal, he played in the Malaysian League for Johor and Singapore in the early 1990s. He was a key member of teams that won the League and Malaysia Cup double with both Johor in 1991 and Singapore in 1994.
However a year after the 1994 triumph with Singapore, he was charged with match-fixing. He was tried, convicted and fined S$50,000 by the courts in Singapore in June 1995, but always maintained his innocence. He then received a global playing ban from FIFA.
After his ban ended, he played for several teams in the National Soccer League in Australia – Sydney Olympic in 1996–97, Sydney United from 1997–99, and for Northern Spirit FC in the 1999–00 season.
Fandi Ahmad (born 29 May 1962) is a football coach and former professional footballer from Singapore. During his playing career, he enjoyed success playing in both Europe and Asia, and was captain of the Singapore national football team (1993–97). He is considered by many to be Singapore's best-ever football player, and Asia's best striker. His most regular playing position was that of striker, though he also sometimes played in midfield.
In 1978, at the age 16, Fandi then became the youngest-ever player ever to play for the Singapore national team (a feat erased in 2007 by young starlet Hariss Harun). In 1980 he was a member of the Singapore representative side which won the Malaysia Cup. He scored the winning goal in the final, where Singapore beat arch rivals Selangor 2-1.
In 1982, Fandi was offered a place at Ajax Amsterdam after a trial, but he rejected it due to his difficulties adapting to the language and lifestyle. Instead he chose to return to Asia and joined Niac Mitra in Indonesia.
In 1983, Fandi did move to the Netherlands, where he played for FC Groningen from 1983 to 1985 in the Dutch football league (Eredivisie). Prior to his arrival, Groningen had qualified for European football for the first time, and Fandi helped them in a dramatic European debut season by scoring in a shock 2-0 second round, first-leg win over Italian giants Inter Milan. During the 1983-84 season, Fandi scored 10 times in 29 games. While in his second season at the club, Fandi made 15 appearances, scoring 2 goals. Fandi made a big impact on the Groningen fans, in 1999 he was voted one of the best 25 players ever to play for FC Groningen, earning him a place in the club's Hall of Fame. In 2003, he was named in the club's best eleven of the twentieth century.
Although Fandi was offered a place again at Ajax Amsterdam, he chose to return to Asia in 1986. (He has since said that he regretted not further plying his trade in Europe. Nottingham Forest made an informal enquiry about his availability in the late-1990s, but decided he was too old.)
Fandi's played for Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia from 1986 to 1990, helping them win the Malaysia Cup three times in 1987, 1988 and 1989. He also won the Malaysian Golden Boot Award in 1988. He then joined OFI Crete in Greece in 1990. But this stint in Europe lasted only a few months, and he returned to Malaysia to join Pahang in 1991, and helped them win the Malaysian League and Malaysia Cup double in 1992.
In 1993, Fandi returned to Singapore to play for the Singapore side in the Malaysian League. That year he tasted Malaysia Cup final defeat for the first time when Singapore were beaten 2-0 by Kedah. But the following year, with Fandi as captain, Singapore won the Malaysian League and Malaysia Cup double, and Fandi scored in the Malaysia Cup final as Singapore routed his former side Pahang 4-0.
Terry Pathmanathan (born 9 February 1956) is a former football player for the Singapore national football team.
He played generally in the role of sweeper, as the last man in defence. He was renowned for his poise on the ball and impecabble reading of the game. He was nicknamed "Captain Marvel", for his leadership qualities, and one of his trademark moves was the long throw-in.He is currently the coach for the young lions team in Singapore.He is one of the most popular players in Singapore yet he is very humble and down to earth.
"We would play for 100 dollars, money was not the issue, we were proud to represent Singapore", Terry Pathmanathan, in TNP Interview.
The late Choo Seng Quee is widely regarded as one of the Republic's most outstanding soccer coach. His dedication in football was legendary and this had contributed significantly to the Lions' win in the Malaysia Cup tournaments during his time as the national coach.
Fondly remembered as Uncle Choo, he intimidated and inspired players across Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia in the inimitable style he had cultivated since the 1950s. Some of the more illustrious soccer luminaries that came under Choo's wing include soccer stars Fandi Ahmad, Terry Pathmanathan, R Suriamoorthi, Quah Kim Song, Mohammed Noh, Dollah Kassim, Ho Kwang Hock, Edmund Wee, Rahim Omar, Arthur Koh, Abdul Ghani, Robert Choo, Edwin Dutton, S Gabrielle, Yee Seng Choy and Samad Allapitchay.
n later years, despite having lost his lower limbs to diabetes and being confined to a wheelchair, he did not let up; instead, his passion kept him going in bringing out the best in his charges.
A disciplinarian through-and-through, Choo was a task master who believed that a player must be prepared to make sacrifices, without which no success can be achieved. A believer in the scientific coaching method, Choo would often bellow instructions to his charges, expecting them to always follow his given instructions to a tee.
To Choo a good football team was one that was disciplined and with players that put their hearts and souls into the game in pursuit of glory for either club or country.
Choo Seng Quee, iconic coach, was responsible for Singapore's triumphs in the Malaysia Cup in 1964 and 1977. Both had classic teams skippered by Lee Kok Seng (1964) and Samad Allapitchay (1977).
The return of the Malaysia Cup to Singaporean's hands in 1977 after 12 years brought huge crowds to celebrate the achievement of coach Choo and his players, who defeated Penang 3-2.
Uncle Choo Seng Quee, arguably the greatest post-war coach in Malaysia and Singapore, died in 1983.
