Saying goodbye to the Old Lady

I went for the closing ceremony of the National Stadium on Saturday. THere was an exhibition match between Singapore and Australia and we lost 3-0. There's too much a gap between us and a World Cup team and it showed on the pitch. No doubt we had our chances, but the Australians were so much better in their movement, passing and finishing. The closing ceremony was quite stupid and the events they organise do not evoke any emotions at all. The fireworks seemed like they were the discarded ones from NDP. The after-the-ceremony party was poorly attended and I did not take part in it.

However bad the ceremony was, it served the function of reminding me of the memories I had in that concrete bowl. It looks dull and ugly but it holds such colourful memories for me. I never attended a single match in that stadium during the Malaysian Cup days. The first time I watched a match in the stadium was when Singapore played Myanmar. Till now, I think that was the finest matc I ever watched. Singapore came from behind to win the match and it was full of drama. There was fighting both on and off the pitch and I feared for my life on that night. It was so much fun hearing all the insults thrown at the Myanmar fans as well as seeing all the various objects being thrown. Umbrellas, confetti and bottles containing suspicious liquids were seen flying through the air. Since that match, I was hooked on watching matches in the stadium. Although it's more clear to watch on TV, the atmosphere at the stadium makes going there all worth it. There's always some funny commentator around, be it the Ah Beng shouting vulgarities or the Malay Uncle describing the warm-up of the Malaysian players. Then there is the Kallang Wave, the Butoh cheer, the die-hard fans with their S-I-N-G-A-P-O-R-E cheer, the passionate fan running around the stadium with the flag and the shouts of Referee Kayu. The stadium holds so much good memories for me as my group of friends have managed to make it into a fortress. Before the Australian match, Singapore had never lost a match in the stadium when we were watching. We had our own special spot in the stadium, the area behind the goalpost in the North stand, I think. It was there where we celebrated winning the Asean Cup for the second time in a row. It is our very own special corner in the National Stadium.

The Old Lady will be pulled down to make way for a young hot babe and I'm certainly looking forward to it. It's time our country has a state of the art stadium. Retractable roof, all seater and a great looking exterior, it's a tantalising prospect. I just hope the atmosphere will match up to it.