My First Taste of Local Professional Football

Have nothing to do on the weekend, me and my brother decided to fill our Saturday afternoon with some local  professional football. It was also our first taste of the Malaysian football, watching the first leg of the Malaysian FA Cup between Sarawak, my home team, and ATM, a Malaysian Football Club representing the Military Force of Malaysia.

We both off to Stadium Negeri and bought ourself the cheapest ticket which only costs RM7.00. We are lucked with a good weather on the afternoon, didn't expect we have to sit on roofless terrace stand - it's raining season for God's sake!! - I don't wanna get myself soaked!!

We arrived late and the game has gone underway, you can listen a group of fans singing and playing kompang and drum in the seater stand - a sense of unity - I wish I could join them. It's a bit quiet from the terrace, nobody is singing and you can only hear dirty jokes they made to the away team. How I wish it was like in England, where you can see the fascinating response from thousands of fans to every bit of action in the pitch - vocallizing joy, agony and relief, with their endless stream of team songs and chants.

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The grand stand and the empty terrace stand.

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The seater stand where the Sarawak Football Fan Club singing and playing their instruments, and the terrace stand where most of the supporters are sitting.

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A great display of attacking football by The Crocs, home team, has really ensures their victory on the helpless ATM. Taunting every time they scored, with rifle shooting action, has really demotivate the spirit of the away team especially the goalkeeper. You can hear the home supporters from the stands making fun of the goalkeeper and finally got himself sub out before half-time. By half-time The Crocs trashes ATM three goals to nil.

As the second-half started, with their coach's motivation still ringing in their head, both team plays more aggressive football especially from the away side. More hard body contacts and tackles thrown from both sides. The change of goalkeeper doesn't effect the scoreline as the home side bagged two more goals and sent the goalkeeper to the sideline after his almost heroic save ended up disaster - the supporters started singing mocking song which was taken from a childhood song, Enjit-Enjit Semut Siapa Sakit Naik Atas - both me and my brother had a good laugh because of that song.

With both goalkeeper out, ATM has no choice but to put a field player keeping the goal who noticeably display better goalkeeping skill. He only conceded one goal due to a stupid mistake by the defenders, another goal for Sarawak!! ATM in the end still manage to bag a goal into the score sheet while most of the players and the fans are distracted by a fight happening in the pitch.

This victory is a great advantage for Sarawak for their next clash at Stadium MP Selayang. Great performance showed by the home team and I hope that they can keep this momentum for their coming fixtures.

Watching and supporting my home team playing, I don't even know who the players are!! How can you love someone without knowing them first? In my opinion, the Sarawak FC should publicize the team throughout the whole Sarawak especially in Kuching and gain back the trust of the supporters. Perhaps a campaign should be started and bring back all the supporters into Stadium Negeri, I would dream to see Stadium Negeri ROARS!!!

Finally, I have accomplish one of my 2009 goals and realize my childhood dream to watch my local team playing live. Have you accomplish any of your new year resolution's goal or realize your childhood dreams yet?