Lions and Tigers

John Duerden

Description

Through attending games and talking to players, coaches, media and fans from the past and the present, seasoned football correspondent John Duerden charts the history of the rivalry in the past, captures a snapshot of the rivalry as it is and casts a look at the future. It won't be just about the big games but about players from one country that played in another and the recent sojourn of Lions XII in Malaysia and Harimau Muda in the S-League. From meetings between the two national teams and clubs to tales from the times when they both sent teams to compete in the other's league, Lions and Tigers describes how Singapore and Malaysia feel about each other and how it all looks to an outsider between the two countries with comments from both nations-from coaches, players and key stakeholders, and also journalists and fans of the beautiful game.

Sujets

• Malasia
• Malaysia
• History of sport
• Singapore
• Malaisie
• Singapour

Informations

• Publié par: Marshall Cavendish International
• Date de parution: 10 septembre 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789814794206
• Langue: English

Extrait

A must-read for all fans in Singapore and Malaysia and of football in general, John Duerden has been writing about Asian football for a long time and really captures the unique story of the game in that part of the world with an engaging, lively and well-written book.
Marcus Christenson, football editor of The Guardian
All fans of Singapore and Malaysia football should read this great book that really tells the story of football and a unique rivalry.
Aleksandar Duri , former Singapore national striker
Great job! The book is a wonderful insight into football in Singapore and Malaysia and brought back so many memories.
Daniel Bennett , Singapore international
A really enjoyable read and a wonderful reminder of just how colourful football is in Singapore and Malaysia.
John Wilkinson , former Singapore international

For football fans on both sides of the Causeway, there s only one match that really stirs local souls. Singapore against Malaysia, the Lions against the Tigers, neighbour against neighbour. It s always the big one, perhaps the only one.
Like England and Germany or Brazil and Argentina, the Causeway rivalry stretches back more than a century. All else can be lost, but Singapore and Malaysia cannot lose to each other.
John Duerden analyses this fascinating relationship, from the embryonic stages of the Malaysia Cup to the present day, a time when both nations find themselves struggling in the region.
Well researched and extremely informative, Duerden s insightful book pulls no punches in detailing the entrenched football failings in both countries, including the polarising foreign talent schemes, the lack of suitable playing facilities and the paucity of quality coaching.
But the book also explains why Causeway clashes are so special, why players, managers and fans look forward to these games more than any other. Indeed as both nations seek to navigate a way forward in the 21st century, it becomes clear that as long as the tribal flame still burns, the local game has a fighting chance of survival.
Ironically, the Lions and Tigers have never needed each other more than they do now. And that s why Duerden s book needs to be read now.
Neil Humphreys , bestselling author of Return to a Sexy Island , Match Fixer , Premier Leech and Rich Kill Poor Kill

2017 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited
Text John Duerden
Editor: She-reen Wong
Designer: Bernard Go Kwang Meng
All photos: Weixiang Lim, courtesy of FourFourTwo
Published by Marshall Cavendish Editions
An imprint of Marshall Cavendish International

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National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Name(s): Duerden, John, 1972-
Title: Lions and tigers : the story of football in Singapore and Malaysia / John Duerden.
Other title(s): Story of football in Singapore and Malaysia
Description: Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Editions, an imprint of Marshall Cavendish International, 2017
Identifier(s): OCN 996882814 | ISBN 978-981-47-7171-9 (paperback) | eISBN: 978 981 4794 20 6
Subject(s): LCSH: Soccer--Singapore. | Soccer--Malaysia. | Soccer players--Singapore. | Soccer players--Malaysia. | Soccer matches.
Classification: DDC 796.3340959--dc23
Printed in Singapore by JCS Digital Solutions Pte Ltd
For my girls - Myung-joo, Danbi and Yubi
CONTENTS
Prologue
Introduction: The AFF Cup and the Puskas Award-Summing Up Football in Singapore and Malaysia
Chapter 1: The Early Days: Singapore, Selangor, Penang and the Malaysia Cup
Chapter 2: The Sixties, Seventies and the Singapore and Selangor series
Chapter 3: Singapore versus the States: LionsXII in Malaysia
Chapter 4: The Lions and Tigers in the 20th Century
Chapter 5: 21st Century International Meetings
Chapter 6: The Stars: Fandi, SuperMokh and the Rest
Chapter 7: Foreign Influence: Singaporean Style
Chapter 8: Foreign Influence: The Malaysia Method
Chapter 9: Federation Revolution?
Epilogue
PROLOGUE
In football Malaysia and Singapore shouldn t be different when you think about it-but they are.
-Radojko Raddy Avramovi , former Singapore national coach
The first time I crossed the Causeway was by bus. It was a trip from Melaka, after a lazy couple of days exploring one of the most historic cities in Asia. Jumping off at the Malaysian side of the border, I was assured that the driver would wait ( however long you take, or half an hour at least came the answer with a smirk and glint in the eye-it was obviously not the first time he had been asked that question). But it is hard to resist the temptation to rush through, just to be sure. Being stranded on the Singaporean side of the border would be one of the less stressful places in the world to be stranded, and you are hardly 24 hours from civilisation. Still, it is a scenario best avoided.
Once the scramble was over, there was time to relax for the short drive to Bugis, not quite the gleaming vision of Singapore you expect from the brochures and later the iconic F1 race, but an interesting one nonetheless. Here was a teeming district full of bustling shops, supermarkets and subterranean shopping malls that felt very Asian and not much like the skyscrapers around the bay or the more sedate and genteel surroundings of Orchard Road.
Coming from the United Kingdom, the idea that you could just drive across the border to a different country was a novel and exciting concept. I had also spent lots of time living in South Korea, hanging off the far eastern side of the Eurasian landmass, like an upside-down rabbit, at least so the locals said.
But while the Land of the Morning Calm -a massive misnomer, at least in the manic capital of Seoul-is geographically part of the continent, practically, it is an island too. You can t drive anywhere else from South Korea. At least you can put your car on a ferry in England and emerge the other side in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden or Ireland and then drive merrily on your way, but it is not so easy in Korea.
For personal reasons, then, crossing a land border is an exciting thing to do; and crossing from Malaysia to Singapore doubly so, even though thousands who cross the Causeway every day to go to work see it as part of a dull commute.
As Avramovi says, it should not be different, but it is. Sure, the laska varies, but then it is never the same in different parts of Malaysia. The satay is obviously more delicious in Malaysia, but then the curry laksa in Singapore can be divine; and one of the best things about the country was enjoying that dish (well, two as one was never quite enough) upstairs in Changi Terminal One, a canteen-style part of the airport that seems to have disappeared in the name of progress.
It is like the hawker centres. They should be the same but are different. In my experience, the ones in Singapore feel a little more solid and permanent than their Malaysian counterparts. But then, I much prefer to have my food brought to the table, as has always been the case for me in Malaysia and not Singapore. That enables one to try lots of different dishes and it is a real pleasure to walk past a stall, shout out a dish and a table number, and move on to the next one to try something else. It s much harder to do so if you have to physically wait while they cook and go get it yourself. Having food brought to your table also gives you time to relax, drink a cold beer and talk about what is really important-and in many cases, that is football.
The beautiful game is still important in this part of the world. There seem to be more Manchester United fans in Malaysia, with Liverpool the number one foreign team over the border. Domestically, Malaysians still seem to be in love with the game a little more than their Singaporean cousins, who need a little more encouragement to get their football juices flowing. Perhaps it is due to the fact that in a country like Malaysia with its regions, states and far-flung destinations, local pride comes into effect in a way that it is simply not feasible in a small city state such as Singapore.
There seems to be something in the statement made by the man known as Raddy , who had spent a decade in charge of the Singapore national team and had plenty of chances to test his team against Malaysia and plenty of opportunities to watch the Malaysian league.
While it is impressive to see the loyalty given to English football teams, it is better still to talk of the local game and its rich history.
In modern times, there is plenty of talk about history. If you are in either country and the talk turns to the local football scene, then