Thursday, June 19, 2014

Singapore, UK Football Memories. Are Soccer Stars Overpaid Actors? Part Two

The Singapore, UK 1960s Football Memory Trail. 
Inspired by FIFA World Cup Brazil, 2014. 

I would like to thank Allan Thompson (UK) and Happy Tay (Canada) for this week's posting. 

1. A note from Allan about football fakes:

Dear Andy, 

Soccer? Football? The Beautiful game? Bah!Humbug!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  A bunch of overpaid prima donnas with the pain threshold of an exposed nerve. They trip on a blade of grass and lie there, writhing and groaning like spoilt brats. 

Compare them with most other sportsmen who dust themselves down and play on. Especially jump jockeys who sometimes have horrific falls and suffer very painful injuries but are back in the saddle for the next race.  

2. Happy Tay rebuts:

I'm an ardent soccer player and fan (or rather football, as we all knew during our childhood days in the 60's), and have to concur with some of the comments made against these so called "overpaid" stars. They're better "actors" then those from Hollywood. They could all learn how to play real soccer from the Women Soccer Players, who are true professionals, although they are not as well paid as those actors. 

They never curse, rant, scream at the referees, or act like overpaid stars and fake injury, by rolling and grimacing as though one of their limbs had been torn apart, but are immediately able to run after the ball, as soon as their "victim" (opponent) had been penalized by the Referee. When I was refereeing as a Class 1 Referee, I would either ignore such acts or caution these "actors" with a yellow card! 
         
Frank Coulston
Being a soccer player myself has helped, as I had the experience to judge between an actual foul, or just an act. Hopefully, FIFA (the World Soccer Body) will think again about this problem. 

Anyway Andy, keep up the great work for bringing forward the "Beautiful Game" during this World Cup, fittingly held in Brazil, where soccer is like a religion to them. 

Cheers!! 

3. Allan's reply and soccer trail:

Dear Andy,

I thoroughly agree with Guru's views and comments.  Incidentally, I was quite a good 'playground footballer' when I was at primary school and I played, briefly, in a five-a-side competition.  Sadly, my Dad thought that sport was a waste of time and that I should work hard at the academic subjects instead.  
He refused to buy me a decent pair of boots and I had to make do with an old pair which he bought cheaply from one of his employees.  They were too big for me and I had to stuff rolled-up newspaper in the toes!  Later, as my feet grew, the boots became too tight and he would not buy me another pair.  End of promising career.  

One of my best friends, Frank Coulston, became a semi-professional player and was in the Partick Thistle team which thrashed the mighty Celtic 4-1 in the Scottish League Cup Final in October 1971. Another friend, Ernest Yard, played for Reading and Crystal Palace.

Best wishes,   

Allan.
        Nancy Sinatra - These Boots Are Made for Walkin' Video by: weissebrauen

4. Happy's Soccer Memory Trail:

Thanks Andy and also to Allan. 

Perhaps Allan and I have something similar to touch on, especially those days when we had the RAF personnel and their families stationed in Singapore.  
There are stories about Roti John (now they call it Subway) and my episodes at RAF Changi during the Indonesian Confrontation and when I was with the RAF Police since we did not have our own armed forces then.


Jalan Besar Stadium - 1960s
During my short career with the RAF, I was also picked to play for the RAF Changi Team during the 60's.  I was the only Singaporean selected to play for them. During my interaction with these footballers I remember a great soccer star called Hussein Hashim who went on to play for the Singapore Malays F.C. and the national team!

Those days, Singapore had a very strong Joint Services Team with players from RAF Changi, Tengah and Seletar.  Some of them played for the English or Scottish 1st and 2nd Division Clubs before being called for duty.  Those were the good old days of legendary Sir Stanley Matthews, Tom Finney, Johnny Haines and others.  
Football at Jalan Besar Stadium
Singapore footballers from the Joint Services, Singapore Chinese, Singapore Malays, and Singapore Indians, played together for the Annual Challenge Trophy; there was always a full house at Jalan Besar Stadium.  I was also selected for the local Combined School Teams.  We had a really strong team those days, with some moving on to represent the Singapore Team.

As you can see I also have some stories from the good old days of Singapore soccer!

Cheers, and keep up with the great work Andy!

Guru Happy.

One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you... Anyone has something to say?
 
Images from: Singapore Heritage Board Archives and Google.
Singer/ Songwriter: Lee Hazelwood.
Copyright: Lyrics from Michael H. Goldsen Inc.
Letters are original and copyrighted. 
 

16 comments:

FABIAN FOO said...

Dear Andy,

I understand that The Silver Strings
will celebrate their 50th anniversary on 16th Aug 2014.

Please give us details of the venue and where do we get out tickets.

Thank you and hope to hear and see you at the forthcoming show.

Cheers.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Hi Fabian,
It will be announced on this blog. Please wait for it. Will probably be out in July, ie two week's time.

Thanks for your constant support.

Allan Thompson said...

Dear Andy,
I was interested to read Guru Happy's contribution to the debate and I wonder if he ever played football with Sergeant Jeffrey in the RAF Changi team? I worked with Jeff at HQFEAF during 1963-64.
Best wishes,
Allan.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

That's a long time ago. So Happy if you remember the Sarge give a response.

Just A Thought From Me said...

Sometimes discussion goes beyond 60s music but it's fine. If we are all able to connect in such a positive way I think this world will be a much better place to live in.

I always hope other readers will join in the soccer side-chats as there are definitely more soccer enthusiasts than there are 60s music followers. Or are there?

Anon said...

Simon junior is in KL (Cheras). He is no longer singing and not employed.

FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE said...

The 1950s were the time of Awang Bakar, a prolific goalscorer who struck up an uncanny partnership with 'Twinkletoes' Chia Boon Leong, rated as one of the best wingers in Asia in those tumultuous times after World War II.

Center-half Lee Kok Seng was for many, Singapore's greatest ever captain. The sturdy defender strapped the armband with pride for 11 years from the mid-1950s to the 1960s.

SAFA had become the Football Association of Singapore in 1952, and nine years later, the league was halted. It would not begin again until 1975, when Geylang International ushered in a new era with their first ever title win.

The Football Association of Singapore kept up the forward-thinking roots of SAFA when they banded together with 11 other nations - Afghanistan, Burma, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea Republic, Pakistan, the Philippines and Vietnam to form the Asian Football Confederation in Manila on May 8, 1954.

The FAS' longest-serving administrator ran the show in this period. Soh Ghee Soon, president of SAFA from the early 1950s to the FAS in 1963, also served as an AFC Vice-President.

(To read more check the connection above).

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Thanks Anon for your information regarding Simon Junior. We wish him all the best for his future.

chakap chakap said...

Elvis Presley has a song about boots too. He sang it in his movie, 'GI Blues' and the title is, 'Big Boots'

"They call your daddy Big Boots,
Big Boots is his name.
It takes a big man to wear big boots,
That's your daddy's claim to fame..."

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Thanks so much to Allan Thompson's hot note that led to Happy Tay's reply. Without these two wonderful friends (we three have never met), I would not have a clue about Singapore football in the 60s. Again thank you both for your responses.

talk talk only said...

Nancy Sinatra was asked by Lee Hazlewood to sing TBAMFW as if she were "a sixteen-year-old girl who f--ks truck drivers." Her recording of the song was made with a Los Angeles session musicians called the Wrecking Crew.

It was No 1, released on February 22, 1966 in the United States Billboard Hot 100 and in the UK Singles Chart.

Many cover versions of the song have been released in a range of styles.

GURU HAPPY said...

Thanks for conveying Allan's message Andy.

It's been more than 40 years since my time with the RAF (Police), and my memories have since faded considerably (LOL) !

I still have a group photo of our Unit in the RAF Police, and some other photos, taken sometime in 1965 though.

We might have played together during that time?

Cheers.

Unknown said...

Those were the days! I played in goal for RAF Seletar and Joint Services with the likes of Jack Shannon against Majid Arrif and Wilf Skinne.
Cheers, Brain Fairclough

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

HI BRIAN,
PLEASE WRITE IN AGAIN AND LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.
I SHALL NOT PUBLISH IT BUT WILL WRITE TO YOU IF IT'S OK WITH YOU.
THANKS FOR THE VISIT.

Anonymous said...

Brian Fairclough the best keeper I ever played with.
Jack Shannon the best player I ever played with.
RAF Seletar 1962-65 the best team I ever played for.
Happy memories on and off the pitch.
Regards to all fellow Old Codgers
Geordie Wall

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Hello Mr Geordie Wall,
Thanks very much for your comment.
Do visit this blog again.

If you could write an article for the blog I could post it independently.
Perhaps we could draw old friends to it and keep in touch again.
Cheers.