Gratitude | #KaranganBolaSepak
Gratitude | #KaranganBolaSepak by Marc Harrison
In a distant world, still not a month ago, I paid my last visit to KLFA Stadium for the Liga Super match between PDRM and JDT. The visitors unsurprisingly dominated, but only scraped a late 1-0 win. Much has changed since.
For the time being, there’s no going to the stadium, no football even. Malaysia is no longer my home. Like others who are locked-down, or self-isolating, or socially-distancing, I’m trying to practise gratitude for what I have and what has been (temporarily, at least) been taken away. From afar, I’ve been reflecting on my time watching football in Malaysia and how grateful I am for those experiences.
I’m grateful for watching Johor Darul Ta’zim. The Southern Tigers bookended my time in Malaysia with two visits to the Klang Valley, the visit to KL above and a match versus Selangor under the lights at MPS Selayang in August 2017. Natxo Insa scored the first- and maybe best- goal of my stay, but local legend Mohd Amri Yahyah came on as a substitute to inspire a home comeback. It didn’t matter. HRH the Crown Prince of Johor drove away from ground waving cheerily from his Bentley, the third (of what is now five) straight titles safely secured on the night. They’re not my team and I’m aware of how much they split opinion, but JDT and TMJ seem like forces for good in the Malaysian game to me.
I’m grateful for the players I got to watch. While KL and Selangor were sharing KLFA Stadium, it was great getting to watch either Guilherme de Paula or Rufino Segovia each week. It was a local player who stood out most, though. Southeast Asia has produced a number of decent attacking players in recent years, and Safawi Rasid is among the most exciting.
I’m grateful for the variety of experiences I had. As the home of the AFC and geographically (somewhat) central, Malaysia occasionally serves as a temporary host or home. I got to meet Stan Collymore in Melaka, there covering Syria’s 2018 World Cup near-qualification. I got to see Sven Goran Eriksson manage the Philippines in the AFF Sukuzi against the ‘home’ team from Timor Leste. I unexpectedly got to witness an AFC Cup final between teams from Lebanon and North Korea.
I’m grateful I got to visit Bukit Jalil National Stadium. Sure, it has a track and the pitch comes in for criticism (rightly having sat closely on occasion), but it’s modern, accessible, and is generally a great arena. From being there with just a few thousand spectators against Bhutan or the Maldives, to near 90,000 for a cup final or an international against a local rival, some of my fondest football memories were made there (Brendan Gan’s assist, anyone?).
Speaking of those local rivalries, I’m grateful for being wrong. While in Vietnam, I was frustrated by (what I believed was) the inward looking nature of southeast Asian football. Arriving in Malaysia just in time for the 2017 SEA Gamesreinforced this view. But Thailand had started to look beyond, and Vietnam were starting to do the same. I think Malaysia has now joined them. Hopefully these rivalries will drive football in all three (and other neighbouring nations) on to wider success. It’s still a shame these three nations (and Indonesia) ended up in the same World Cup qualifying group.
Lastly, I’m grateful for experiencing local football. I wish I could have seen more. Unfortunately, weather abandonments, stadium accessibility, late kick-off times, tickethotline, or, chiefly, working Saturdays and Sundays all prevented me from adding to my experiences at different times. But I think I saw enough to get an informed impression of Malaysian football culture, an impression that was overwhelmingly favourable. From the small villages of stalls outside the grounds selling their various foods (the coconut shakes!) and colourful retro shirts (with the ubiquitous Dunhill sponsors), to the British Rail banners, and unique drumming and singing inside them. It was great.
It’ll be a while before I get to a match again. It won’t be in Malaysia, but I’ll always be grateful I my time experiencing its football.
Note from padangbolasepak.com: During the Restriction Movement Order 2020 Malaysia to combat Covid19 - Padangbolasepak.com encourages you from home to write essays about our beloved game of football. Can be anything. Why you fell in love with it? Your first game watching or playing? Friendships forged? Etc. Stars the limit.
500-1,000 / more words.
The objective is simple. Sharing the joy of football. Challenge you to write about the joy you may want to share. As well as keep you occupied and encourage to write. Provided that you have nothing else to do. Email us your essay with a photo attached at contact@padangbolasepak.com & we’ll post on the website as well on social media.
Thank you and take care brothers and sisters.