Prepare and prevent, don’t repair and repent

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October 7, 2011

In years past, they ruled arenas like these, asserting their dominance on the lush green stage, god-like gladiators performing for their adoring horde.

Brute physicality, grace and tactical acumen were always part of the spectacle then, but last Saturday night, their time on stage was sepia-tinted, moving photos reclaimed from a time-capsule.

After losing 3-1 to the Selangor veterans, in the curtain-raiser of the Sultan of Selangor’s Cup (SOS) last Saturday, the ex Singapore internationals walked one by one to the stands at the Shah Alam Stadium to witness the gladiators of today clash – their own descendents in the line of Lions.

It is these modern Lions who will return to famous arenas of the past in just three months, to do battle like it was done before in the Malaysia Cup, at Shah Alam and Alor Star, in Sarawak and Kota Bahru.

On Saturday, when the younger Lions got their first taste of that action in the 1-0 win over Selangor, those sitting in the stands were given a stark reminder of yesteryear, and the dark undertones that came hand in hand with nostalgic sepia.

A large plastic bottle was hurled from the home fans into the section where the travelling Singapore supporters were seated, striking a toddler who was perhaps tasting his first morsel of a Singapore side taking on a Malaysian state.

The incident, occurring some 10 minutes from the end of the second match on the night, was only scratching the surface of crowd violence buried under tons of fond memories of days gone by.

But it was no less abhorrent, especially considering the fixture was just a friendly encounter in honour of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, in celebration of his 10th anniversary of his reign in the Malaysian state.

The 50 or so Singapore fans were promptly escorted into a fenced up area at the grandstand clearly designated for the away crowd, but the five-foot fence hardly provided better defence against missiles.

The rest of the night passed without incident, but if alarm bells were not already clanging in the heads of officials in the Football Associations of Singapore and Malaysia, then gear up for trouble when the Malaysian Super League kicks off in January.

The fanatical fervor of football fans in Malaysia is much more seductive than the placid support seen at S-League stadiums, and the Singapore Lions players will swoon when performing in front of packed stadiums.

But they too will not be left unfettered, and Saturday provided reminder of that too.

Before a bottle was thrown at Singapore fans, one was hurled onto the pitch when Lions’ left back, Shaiful Esah was lining up a corner in the 35th minute, and credit to the player who ignored it and got on with the game.

But the signs are already clear.

Security must surely be high up on the agenda for organisers both sides of the Causeway.

From the constant cacophony of deafening noise inside the stadium, to the nasi lemak and watered down soft-drinks, and the less than sterile toilet facilities (a Shah Alam sink was grave to a wet bat!), this blog post was initially intended as a re-introduction to familiar Malaysia Cup scenes.

But other pictures unfortunately sprung to mind, on a day intended to nurture a friendly rivalry and celebrate a Sultan.

One ex international related a story of a coach who was hit on the head by a flying brick, and of team busses being pelted by stones, bits of wood and all manner of missiles; and of Singapore cars parked at stadium lots being vandalised.

Another old warrior spoke of travelling fans being sent to hospital after suffering similar fates.

These old gladiators survived those times, and now look back, somewhat fondly, to those crazy days.

But today, with the benefit of hindsight, the powers that be must ensure that security issues are addressed from the start, or risk making the same mistakes all over again.

Fans, players and coaches should have worn helmets, a breastplate and brought sturdy umbrellas along when travelling north for away fixtures said an ex Lion, laughing about the old days.

The hope is that his statement doesn’t become relevant again in 2012.