As I was travelling in the bus to work, I passed by the National Stadium. I began to flashed my mind back to my younger days...i mean teenage days to be exact.
I grew up loving playing and watching soccer. My Dad used to bring me to East Coast Park to run around kicking the ball. Then when I reached Primary school, I was playing soccer before and during recess on the school field. I have a dream..To become a soccer player representing Singapore.
By the time I reached Secondary 1, I went for trial for the school Team. Sadly I was not good enough to be selected. There was one day when my Dad brought me to Joo Chiat Complex to get some sports item. We came to a sports shop.
The name:
David Lee Sports World It was opened by then the National goalkeeper. To my surprise, they are recruiting players to form a team. My Dad signed me up. Our training ground was in a school next to the old Jalan Besar Stadium called Christ Church Secondary. I thoroughly enjoyed the training and matches. I remembered me scoring some great goals for the club. After 1.5 years with the team, the team was dissolved due to some internal problems.
The training at the club greatly benefited me. I was selected for the school team during my Sec 2 time. I recalled losing our first match 0-4 to St Andrew's Secondary. In our second match, I fractured my wrist and had to miss out other matches.
I opted out from the School Team in Sec 3 fearing getting injured again. The itch of getting back to playing soccer was getting harder to bear. So in 1990 to 1991, I rejoined the school team. Those were when my own glory days started.
In 1990, our school team was dued to play strong teams like Ping Yi , East View , Woodsville and Machperson Sec which was coached by Ex-National Player. We won 1 and lost 3 and was eliminated. However, the match against East View was the one where I scored my 1st goal for my school. The memory was still fresh inside me...
The ball was bouncing with no one challenging for it....there were players from both side going for the ball...Seeing the goalkeeper out of his position, I rushed to lobbed the ball from outside the six yards box ....the ball flew over the goalkeeper and "GOAL!!!"..I was in seven heaven....nothing can describe the feelings that moments. Despite scoring, we lost 3-4.
In 1991 which was on last year with the school, we were grouped with strong teams. We played Bedok ITE in our last match having already eliminated again. Everyone was expecting Bedok ITE to thrash us. Prior to this match, the ITE team won all the matches. There were supporters from the ITE having home ground advantage.
20 mins into the game, the unthinkable happened...
We were going forward...my team-mate passed the ball from the left....everyone missed it...the ball rolled in to my path...." BANG!" ...I decided to take it first time. The ball went straight into the left of the goalkeeper leaving the goalkeeper stranded. The home crowd was stunned into silence. Same story, we lost 1-2.
Despite playing for my school for 3 years, I have no trophy or medal to show for. My trophies came mainly from playing the 7-A tourament held in a small field in my old home at Lengkong Tiga. It was an annual event held by the RC there.
In the first tourament in 1991, my team were the champion, then in 1992 my team came in second. . Then in 1993, my team became champion again but no trophy this time...only a jersey and a pounch which I threw away long time ago . In these 3 occasions, I was the captain of the team.
As you can see from the pictures below ( from left to right)
1) Champion 1990 - Inter-House Soocer Tourament .
2) Champion 1991 - Kg Kembangan Zone 3 1st Mini 7-A Side Soccer Fiesta
3) 1st Runner Up 1992 - Kg Kembangan Zone 3 3rd Mini 7-A Side
4) Runner Up 1992 - Bedok Lutheran Church Soccer Tourament
5) Champion 1994 - Le Meriden Changi 7-A Side Mixed Soccer
Sadly I could not fulfill my dream of becoming a soccer player due to lack of seriousness and discipline.
Anyway, I'm proud of myself when I looked back at my playing days and of course..these trophies...
It was a tragic news across the the football world. The 22 year oldpromising players died on Tuesday in the hospital. He collapsed during a Sunday La Liga match.
