SINGAPORE: My first encounter with football was in the early 1990s when my grandfather took me to the old National Stadium to catch a Malaysia Cup match between Singapore and a team from across the Causeway.Was it Kedah?
Or Selangor? Or perhaps Pahang? I can't remember the exact details - this was about 30 years ago - but I do remember it was supposedly an important match against a tough opponent.The experience was a memorable albeit unnerving one.
The cavernous stadium was packed to capacity, making it difficult to move through certain parts, especially the stairs to the spectator stands.I had one hand on the curry puff my grandfather bought, and the other desperately grasping his hand as we squeezed our way through the boisterous crowd.The noise also became overbearing at times when the spectators suddenly burst out yelling.
I later learned this was called the Kallang Roar.I suppose my love for football began on that day because I started to join my neighbours for their kickabouts at the void deck after that outing with my grandfather.