By Les Tan/Red Sports
Who can forget the anticipation as you walked up the steps into the stadium? (Photo 1 © Les Tan/Red Sports)
I attended the official ceremony today to mark the demolition of the National Stadium. The pristine turf was no more. The synthetic track was gone. All the wooden seats have been ripped up and stacked in bundles.
At the sound of the horn, four crushers moved in to tear down the spectator stands opposite the grandstand. On the track, C Kunalan, Glory Barnabas and Richard Seow, took photos on a track that bore witness to them in their athletic prime.
So after a delay of two years, the demolition has begun. The grand old dame will finally go down. A new girl will come up in her place, one that will embrace the next generation of Singapore sports heroes.
I remember when I got a chance to play a game of football on that pitch in the late ’90s. I had a ball of a time running around and scored two goals. I wasn’t that good. The only reason I scored was because everyone around me was 15 years older. The diagonal ball came across the box, I slid in, connected with the ball and it went past the keeper. I couldn’t believe it. Then I scored again in the last minute.
So that’s my memory of the National Stadium. Goodbye and goodnight, old girl. I’ll miss you.
Ed’s note: What’s your memory of the National Stadium? Feel free to share it in the comments section below.
The sight that would greet you as you walked up the steps to the stadium. (Photo 2 © Les Tan/Red Sports)
After 37 years, it’s lights out. (Photo 3 © Les Tan/Red Sports)
(Photo 4 © Les Tan/Red Sports)
(Photo 5 © Les Tan/Red Sports)
(Photo 6 © Les Tan/Red Sports)
[…] Torch bearer! Goodnight and goodbye, old girl Demolition of National Stadium officially begins My favourite memory of the National Stadium is … Share this […]
unfortunately,i was unable to experience the real kallang roar during the 80’s and the 90’s but i remebered going to the stadium in recent years!especially when singapore took on liverpool!although we lost,but i saw the stadium pack with people!it was a really great stadium i hope the new sports hub will bring back the kallang roar and the National Stadium will always be in singaporeans heart!
Very well described, Roland. I watched this match at home with family, and as you said, when Steven scored that extra-time equaliser, the silence of the neighbourhood was punctured with collective shouts, cries and shrieks of delight.
And then penalties came, and when Razali Saad missed his crucial sudden death kick, we all sort of knew that the final Myanmar spot kick, taken by Saw Ba Myint, would be scored. And it did.
I remember sitting in stunned silence at the outcome. My eyes even burnt with tears welling, I think.
Here’s the video clip, with memories of this match immortalised forever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z06h0sPdXNE
My favourite and most memorable single moment at the National Stadium came in the 1993 SEA Games Semi-Final between Singapore and Myanmar. The capacity was reduced to 45000 due to scaffoldings built for the opening and closing ceremonies but there were at least 10000 Thais plus hundreds of Myanmar and Indonesian supporters as there was a second Semi Final between Thailand and Indonesia. Singapore raced into an early two-goal lead through a Steven Tan penalty and a Fandi Ahmad header. Somehow Myanmar restored parity before half-time through two own goals. The Singapore supporters were all stunned and silenced and things got worse when extra-time. Moments after Syed Farouk’s scissors-kick hit the bar, Wing Aung put Myanmar in front with a left-foot volley past Abdul Malek. The 10000 foreign supporters were actually dancing in unison. Then the moment, 9 minutes from the end, Steven Tan colleted the ball from the left and bent a shot past the keeper and saw the ball crept in off the post. There may only be
35000 Singaporeans but to date, that is the loudest and wildest celebrations I have ever witnessed in this stadium. One fan actually ran along the terraces with a lit flare (captured on ‘live’ TV) and was cheered loudly as he was hotly pursued by policemen who were then blocked by fellow supporters (not captured on TV). Myanmar won the ensuing shoot-out but the Steven Tan equaliser was a most memorable moment because of the scenes and emotions generated. Many schoolmates who watched at home were telling me how a loud roar was heard at their HDB flats when the goal was scored.
the national stadium is a nice stadium holding 55,000
and i have went 4 times to the stadium, 2times lions have won.The new stadium should be better and nice…
It’s such a pity I missed the Malaysia Cup days as I was too young to apprehend the sport.
I’ve been at most national team football matches at the Kallang arena since 2004, it has never failed to amaze me when the crowd comes in full force. Sadly that doesn’t happen much, normally it attracts paltry crowds of less than even 10,000.
I hope the new Sports Hub can somehow revive those passion back in the 90s, it’ll be amazing to see that as a local football fan!
Passion, drama and friends watching the Malaysia Cup in the 90’s! We’d come hours early to secure the best seats in the centre of stadium. This was opposite the grandstand. this is where some kid would come and initiate the “Kallang Wave”. We’d come early when the stadium was serene and chat while the lights, atmosphere and crowd grew before kick-off.
One game stood out, when the team was in need of support and motivation, the much beloved President Wee Kim Wee came and cheers resounded the stadium when his presence was announced. We scored so many goals in the ensuing game, the leaving crowd was in a euphoria, even roaring as the trains drew in to Kallang MRT station after the game.
Like Dawn, my memories of physically being in the National Stadium is a National Day parade back in the heyday of “Count on Me Singapore”. For the first time, being Singaporean felt real, and part of a larger community, rather than something you were supposed to say. Looking around at all the adults saying the pledge, you couldn’t help but feel a tangible electricity in the air.
The other memory would of course be the Malaysia Cup, which I only watched on TV. The Singapore-Pahang-Kedah-Perak rivalries were legendary.
Mine is a National Day Parade way back in the 1990s. It was slightly wet yet we all sang national songs with great gusto. I loved the feeling of anticipation when you could hear the planes coming, but never see them until they were right on top of the stadium.