Dundee (Scotland)

 

Dundee FC is a professional football club from the city of the same name on the east coast of Scotland, having been formed in 1893 following the merger of Dundee Our Boys and Dundee East End, adopting Our Boys' dark blue colours. 

‘The Dees’ or ‘Dark Blues’ played their first match at the West Craigie Park home of Our Boys against Rangers. Dundee moved into Carolina Port, the former home of East End and then Strathmore, while struggling in their initial decade in existence. In 1899, Dundee departed Carolina Port by the harbour and moved uphill to Clepington and a new stadium called Dens Park.

The move worked wonders as The Dees finished as league runners-up in 1902-03, 1906-07 and 1908-09. The first trophy arrived at Dens in 1909-10 when Clyde were beaten 2-1 in the Scottish Cup final at Ibrox Park after two replays. John ‘Sailor’ Hunter netted the winning goal.

Following World War One, forward Dave Halliday scored an incredible 103 goals in just 147 appearances for the club. This assisted Dundee to reach the Cup final again in 1924-25 before going down 2-1 to Celtic at Hampden Park. The Dees were relegated just before the outbreak of World War II, but regained their place in the top flight in 1947. In 1948-49, the club once again ended as league runners-up.

However, more silverware was just around the corner. A world record transfer fee of £23,500 was spent on Billy Steel from Derby County in 1950, before the League Cup was won in 1951-52 as Rangers were seen off 3-2. In the Cup final of the same year, Motherwell hammered the Dark Blues 4-0 in front of a staggering attendance of 136,274.

Dundee returned to Hampden the following year to retain the League Cup with a 2-0 win against Kilmarnock. The team included the likes of Bill Brown, Tommy Gallacher, Doug Cowie, Alfie Boyd and Bobby Flavell alongside Steel.

Bob Shankly, the brother of Bill, was appointed as manager in 1959. In 1961-62, Dees were crowned as champions of Scotland following their win at Muirton Park against St Johnstone. The team included skipper Bobby Cox, Ian Ure and Alan Gilzean.

The following season, Dundee defeated 1FC Koln, Sporting Clube de Portugal and RSC Anderlecht in the European Cup before losing to AC Milan in the semi-final. In 1964, Dees reached the Cup final once again. This time they went down 3-1 to Rangers. Shankly departed the club in February 1965.

Former player Bobby Ancell took up the managerial reins and took the side to the League Cup Final of 1967-68, where they lost out 5-3 to Celtic. In the same season’s Inter City Fairs Cup, Dundee reached the semi-final before going out to Leeds United over two legs.

With Tommy Gemmill as skipper and David White as boss, Dees defeated Celtic 1-0 at Hampden to lift the 1972-73 League Cup. Another final was reached in 1979-80. This time, the opponents were near neighbours Dundee United. The game was played at Dens Park with United winning 3-0. In 1989-90, the side won the Challenge Cup with a 3-2 victory over Ayr United at Fir Park.

In 2000, Dundee hit the headlines as they spent big on famous signings. Ivano Bonetti came in as Player-Manager along with the signings of Claudio Caniggia, Temuri Ketsbaia and Julian Speroni. The signings helped Dees reach the Cup final of 2002-03, where Rangers won 1-0. However, the signings also led to financial disaster as the club entered Administration in 2003 with debts of £23M.

Dens Park was sold to secure the club's future as the team were relegated to the second tier before skipper Fabian Caballero moved on. Alex Rae was sacked as manager, with Jocky Scott having a third spell at Dens. Dundee lifted the Challenge Cup with a 1-0 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle in 2010 before Scott departed.

A few months later, the club entered Administration for a second time with a tax bill to HM Revenue & Customs. Many of the clubs' directors moved on before a twenty-five-point deduction was imposed. Despite this, the team went on a twenty-five-match unbeaten run to retain their second-tier status under manager Barry Smith.

In May 2011, Dundee exited Administration with the supporters' trust becoming the majority owners. More reshuffles arose behind the scenes as the club looked for stability, with an ethos of ‘cutting your cloth’ being adopted.

In July 2012, Dundee were invited to take the place of Rangers in the Premier League. Their spell in the top flight lasted just one season as Smith was replaced by John Brown, who couldn’t save the team from relegation despite improving results.

Bill Colvin came in as the new Chairman of a board which invested £650,000 in the close season. Brown lasted until February 2014 before Paul Hartley took over, as results had fluctuated. Hartley’s side went into the last game in front of a sold-out Dens Park crowd against Dumbarton, needing to win to seal promotion.

Dees won 2-1 while Hamilton Academical completed a remarkable 10-2 victory over Greenock Morton to finish just short. Hartley spent the summer of 2014 rebuilding the side in preparation for top-flight football once more.

Hartley’s side consolidated well in the top flight before finishing eighth in 2015-16 and relegating neighbours United at Dens Park in the process. However, relegation was narrowly averted by the Dark Blues in 2016-17 with Hartley being replaced by Neil McCann near the end of the campaign.

Dees finished one place higher in 2017-18 before McCann was sacked in October 2018, with the team stranded at the bottom of the table. Jim McIntyre arrived at Dens Park but could not save the team from the drop. James McPake replaced McIntyre in May 2019, with former starlet Gordon Strachan being given a role as technical director. 

The goals of Kane Hemmings helped the team to third place when the 2019-20 campaign was halted by the outbreak of Coronavirus. The Dees won promotion through the playoffs in 2020-21, as Raith Rovers and Kilmarnock were defeated. McPake was replaced by Mark McGhee the following season as the team went straight back down.

Gary Bowyer was appointed as manager in June 2022, taking his side to the title and promotion back to the Premiership in his debut season, as Zach Robinson put away the goals. Tony Docherty was given the team boss's job, taking the team to sixth place with Luke McCowan topping the side's scoring chart.

Despite helping his team maintain their status, Docherty was replaced by Steven Pressley in June 2025.

Dundee FC will play in the Scottish Premiership in the 2025-26 season.

My visits

Dundee 1 Kilmarnock 0 (Wednesday 21st January 2015) SPFL Scottish Premiership (att: 5,141)

I found myself on a mini adventure to Scotland thanks to my accrued Loyalty Points and refund vouchers for poor service from East Coast trains during a week off work. The previous evening, I’d been to the Highlands to take in the clash between Inverness Caledonian Thistle and St Johnstone.

The scenic train journey from Inverness to Aberdeen had taken me past the grounds of Elgin City, Forres Mechanics and Huntly, before the second leg of the trip took me down the coast with a good view of Arbroath’s Gayfield. I got out at the seaside resort of Broughty Ferry, a few miles east of Dundee. This was where I was to stay for the night.

It turned out to be an inspired choice. It was cold, but the sun was shining and offering lovely views up and across the Tay as well as showing the town at its best. I had a lovely walk before turning in for a siesta.

The lady at the Invermark Guest House was hospitality personified after I’d got her attention following a misunderstanding. My room was top-class and warm. I felt brand new after a nap, shower and change of clothes before I headed off to meet up for my ride to the match.

Research had led me to the Ferry Branch of the Dundee Supporters Club, which met at the Fort Bar. After a message on Facebook to them a week before, I was invited to travel to Dens Park and back with them.

While I’m a real ale man by preference, the McEwans 80’ on smoothflow was excellent while I caught up with the day’s action on Sky. I introduced myself and made sure I was in the right place! The fans soon started to arrive.

I had a nice chat with the fans, who were most welcoming on the bus. On the subject of the transport, it was the first time I’d ever been on one with five seats in a row. The small aisle reminded me it was time to hit the gym. The fella in charge even tried to sort me a ticket out.

On arrival at Dens, I went inside the club shop to buy my £20 ticket and £3 programme. I also got hold of a teamsheet in return for a small donation to the club's youth set up. I was soon inside the Bobby Cox Stand behind the goal with pie and Bovril on a cold but dry evening.

I’d imagined I’d like Dens Park and I wasn’t let down. The old Archibald Leitch Main Stand was simply stunning as it angled away from the pitch in the middle, with seating in two sections. The lower was once a terraced paddock. Originally, the stadium also staged greyhound racing and with curves behind the goal with vast swathes of terracing. 

Signs of the track were still in evidence in some areas, particularly down the sides. The ends had been squared off with two identical stands facing each other. The home end sat in the Bobby Cox Stand with the Bob Shankly Stand at the far end, with Tannacide Park just a hundred yards or so behind. 

The final side has the South Stand or Shed towards the east end. It was a former terrace converted to seating. The open terrace alongside it was now out of bounds. Killie’s hundred or so fans were placed in the far end of the Main Stand as the Shankly remained closed.

The game kicked off at a far faster pace than the game I’d seen the night before. The deadlock was broken in the eighteenth minute when Dees Jim McAllister was brought down inside the box. The impressive former Cowdenbeath man Greg Stewart put the spot kick away with aplomb.

The referee was Andrew Dallas, son of the discredited former official Hugh. He kept up the family reputation with some strange decisions. The star of the show for me was Dundee midfielder Gary Harkins, who showed lots of skill and passing ability, but I could also imagine him leaving Dees fans tearing out their hair. 

He was not unlike Tom Huddlestone at Hull City. The home keeper, Scott Bain, pulled off a couple of top-class saves. At the break, I went for some more supplies. I hadn’t been hungry at teatime and didn’t want to spoil the beer! It was nice to see displays under the stand celebrating the league title over fifty years previously.

The second half wasn’t as exciting, but it was a decent enough game. Dundee should have really added to the scoreline. Some of Kilmarnock’s players showed a high level of petulance but not a lot else. The right team certainly won. We got back on board and were away in no time. 

I was told that the bus was quiet with it being a midweek game, but I pointed out that it was great that they ran a bus, and the gate of over 5,000 was impressive. We were back in The Fort before too long, despite some comments of the driver taking us on a magical mystery tour. I joined three of the fine Dees and enjoyed a few pints before saying farewell as they headed off.

I fancied one for the road, so I popped into the Weatherspoon establishment, Jolly’s Hotel. Within a couple of minutes, I was back out. The fella behind the bar ignored me while he cleaned up, the ale choice was totally unimaginative, and it smelled like a restaurant rather than a pub. 

Instead, I had a decent pint in The Royal Arch by the station, which had some smashing old pictures of both big Dundee clubs on the wall. I didn’t take any rocking once I got back to my room. It had been a long but fantastic day.

Dundee 0 Motherwell 3 (Saturday 18th January 2020) Scottish Cup Round Four (Att: 2,407)

My long weekend off work coincided with the Scottish Cup weekend. The TV schedule had afforded me the opportunity of another trip to Ibrox for the Rangers v Stranraer game on Friday evening before heading northeast the following morning.

After a short stop and change of trains in Dundee, I continued up the coast to Arbroath for the 3pm cup tie between the Red Lichties and Falkirk before returning to the City of Discovery for the evening match on BBC Scotland at Dens Park for the visit of Motherwell.

A taxi eased the strain of a walk or ride up the hill to the Strathmore Avenue Travelodge, where I was to stay for the evening. I’d just about thawed out from the afternoon as I had a brief nap and readjusted my clothing, looking to fit on as many layers as possible. It was bitterly cold as I walked towards the stadium with the majestic four-corner floodlights illuminating the clear night sky. 

A coachload of loud young Well fans had been dropped off on Moncur Crescent, availing themselves of the adjacent playground for relief. They continued belting out their songs on the walk up Provost Road. It took me back to the bus days of my own past. Full of beer, ready to let the locals know we’d arrived. A bit of menace in the attitude, but most on board as soft as pups.

A few older local bears growled at the posse as they sang on the walk past the shop and ticket office. Some of the youths nearly messed themselves. It was all good fun. I went inside to collect my pre-paid £15 match ticket and purchase a team sheet.

I’d decided to grab the opportunity to sit inside the magnificent old Main Stand at Kilmac Stadium at Dens Park to give the old place its official sponsorship title. After grabbing a reasonable pie and Bovril, I headed up to the seated tier. An officious old steward asked if I knew where my seat was. He was surely taking the Mick? 

Although it was twenty minutes before kick-off, there were maybe only another dozen fans inside. We would definitely have the choice of sitting wherever we fancied. Dees were just inside the Championship play-off positions with Motherwell in mid-table in the Premiership. The tie was attractive on paper, but it hadn’t caught the imagination of the locals, with nearly half the attendance being made up of away fans.

The Steelmen fielded a couple of former Dees in their lineup as their side started the brighter. Host keeper Jack Hamilton snuffed out an effort from Liam Polworth before James Scott saw his effort flash wide after a tricky run in front of the vocal visiting support.

Declan McDaid fired in a shot from wide in the box for Dundee, which was easily dealt with by Motherwell keeper Mark Gillespie. Referee Steven McLean upset the home bench after twenty-one minutes when he gave Well a free kick on the edge of the box.

Scouse forward Chris Long saw his kick take a big deflection off Graham Dorrans on the end of the wall to go into the net, leaving Hamilton stranded. Kane Hemmings came close to equalising with a header, which defender Richard Tait cleared off the line.

Motherwell doubled the lead before the half-hour mark when a fine passing movement ended in Polworth setting up Long, who expertly lifted his curling shot over Hamilton into the corner of the net.

At the interval, I got chatting with an older Welsh fellow about the first half. He turned out to be a fellow groundhopper who was sleeping in his vehicle. He was irked at going to Dundee Violet that afternoon before the ref called it off just twenty minutes before kick-off because of a small frozen patch.

I sympathised. There’s nothing worse, though I did ask him why he didn’t pop along to Arbroath? It was as though he hadn’t thought of that option, and the penny had just dropped. Apparently, Violet had thirty visitors there on a hospitality package, so it wasn’t ideal.

Hemmings came close to halving the arrears shortly after the restart when his flicked header from a Dorrans set piece came back off the bar. McDaid saw a low effort from outside the box fizz just wide of the post. Danny Johnson had an effort for Dees as the hosts put together a good spell.

Cammy Kerr then had a header saved by Gillespie. However, the contest was over with just over fifteen minutes remaining. Long fired in a long-range shot, which squirmed through Hamilton’s outstretched hands and into the net.

A couple of fellas behind me laughed along with almost gallows humour on a Saturday night out until then, changed their moods. It’s fair to say that they were not happy as they passed on their feedback in the direction of the pitch before storming down the steps on their way out.

Long came close to making it four just before the end when he cut inside Jordan McGhee before firing just past the far post from a narrow angle with his left boot. A fourth goal would have been most harsh on Dundee, in my opinion. As I left the iconic stand, I was in a quandary. Yes, I was tired, but should I head into the city centre for drinks? 

I knew that the city of The Beano, The Dandy, RRS Discovery, Ricky Ross, The Associates and George Galloway would have something to offer in the way of nightlife. However, it was cold, and I wasn’t really dressed for a Saturday night out. I knew that there were local choices. Andy McGregor, a Scottish gent from the excellent Non-League Matters forum, had offered pre-trip tips. 

It would have been daft to ignore them as he was usually spot on. I decided to initially try out the Athletic Bar. Crikey. The locals had been on it, as Andy had suggested that they might. The most drunk one tried to be my best mate as I tried to get served. I couldn’t understand a word of what he was trying to say, and it was karaoke night.

It was real Rab C Nesbitt stuff with unbelievable airings of Sunshine on Leith and Puff the Magic Dragon. That said, it wasn’t threatening in any way, and the Tenants was in good condition. People were enjoying themselves. I’m all in favour of that.

However, one pint was enough! Frews Bar up the hill on Strathmartine Road proved a much better option with a fine pint of Ossian Golden Ale from Inveralmond Brewery in Perth on hand pull. It was a vibrant bar which my cab driver had recommended to me as we passed on the way to my hotel.

All was fine, but I had noticed that Marini's fish and chip shop was still open when I went past. I handed over my cash for a magnificent battered haggis supper which would have fed a couple down south. I returned to my room with my food and made a mug of tea to enjoy while watching Sportscene with a full round-up of the day's Scottish Cup ties, including highlights of the two games I’d attended.

After a proper night's sleep, I was ready for more adventures the following morning, visiting non-league clubs and taking a look outside of Dens Park in daylight before heading to the Dundee United v Hibernian cup tie.

East Craigie (Scotland)

East Craigie FC is a non-league football club from the east of the city of Dundee. The club compete in the Scottish Junior FA system, priding themselves as one of the oldest ‘junior’ clubs in existence; having being formed in 1880.

‘The Shipbuilders’ competed in the Dundee Junior League and Tayside Premier League for most of their history, with future Aston Villa star Jimmy McEwan starting his career at Craigie Park.

Following SJFA restructuring in 2006-07 East Craigie were placed in the North Division of the East Region. However, in 2011 the club faced closure in 2011 as the management team departed to Tayport, while the long serving committee looked for new volunteers.

The crisis was averted as East Craigie continued. In August 2014 Keith Prophett raised nearly £700 for the club with a sponsored parachute jump.

East Craigie FC will play in the SJFA East Region North Division in the 2014-15 season.

My visit

Thursday 22^nd January 2015

Following my overnight stay in Broughty Ferry after the Dundee v Kilmarnock game I decided a good walk was in order on a bracing morning. After a climb uphill from the seaside and a look at Broughty Athletic’s Whitton Park home, I headed along Arbroath Road towards the city.

Not for the first time I misjudged the scale of the map on my phone app. The walk seemed to go on forever, and I had one eye on the clock as my train from Dundee down to York left at 11.09. After nearly a couple of miles I walked past the Eastern Necropolis and up the hill of Old Craigie Road to eventually arrive at Craigie Park.

 

The ground was locked but I got a view through the metal gates and over the wall further up. It was a basic venue but with character with grass banks along the road side and behind the cemetery end goal. At the allotment end by the entrance were the only buildings, containing changing rooms and a tea bar.

I was delighted to walk back down to the main road and jump aboard the number 73 bus down the hills and into the city centre before a walk along the waterfront with its imposing granite buildings.

Dundee was a city in transition and certainly has a fascinating history to tell. I made a promise to return and visit the other junior clubs as well as a match at Tannadice Park a couple of years henceforth.

Broughty Athletic (Scotland)

Broughty Athletic FC is a Scottish football club from the seaside resort of Broughty Ferry, located a few miles east of Dundee. Athletic were formed in 1920 as Broughty Ex Servicemen before changing to their present title in 1951 when they also moved to a new home at Claypotts Park. 

In 1989, the ground was renamed Whitton Park in recognition of former player and club official Eddie Whitton, who passed away that year. 2000-01 saw the side lift the Tayside Region Division One title, remaining in the Premier Division until the end of the 2004-05 campaign. 

In 2006-07, the SJFA restructured their leagues and placed ‘The Fed’ in the East Region North Division. Athletic narrowly missed out on promotion in 2007-08 and 2008-09. However, promotion was achieved to the Premier Division at the culmination of the 2009-10 campaign. 

Despite finishing bottom of the table in 2012-13, the Fed stayed up thanks to league reconstruction. Hopes were high that a further promotion could be achieved as the club became part of the Dundee East Community Sports Club Project.

The Hub was formed of five football clubs, a rugby club, a cricket club, a tennis and table tennis club, a bowling club, a handball club and a karate club. The clubs were given use of the facilities at Whitton Park and the nearby Forthill Sports Club, Douglas Sports Centre and the grass pitches at Dawson and Claypotts Park.

The Dundee East Community Sports Club Project benefited from having over 150 qualified coaches and a strong committee. Plans were afoot to improve facilities at Whitton Park. A new all-weather seven-a-side pitch was opened in July 2012, with a new stand for the main pitch being planned for 2016.

In January 2015, Keith Gibson was appointed as the new manager of Athletic, leading the side to the playoffs, where victory against Armadale Thistle led to promotion to the Super League from the Premier Division. Jamie McCunnie came in as manager in late 2017, taking his team to a runners-up spot a few months later.

League reorganisation saw Athletic placed in Super League North for the 2019-20 season, but failed to complete the following two seasons owing to the pandemic. They moved to the SFA East Region Midlands League for 2021-22 with Darren Scott arriving as manager. 

His side was in fifth in his debut campaign, followed by finishing as runners-up for the following three seasons.

Broughty Ferry FC will play in the Midlands Football League in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

Thursday 22nd January 2015

Having stayed in the very pleasant Broughty Ferry for the evening after watching the Dundee v Kilmarnock match the previous evening, I decided that I needed to walk off my very generous breakfast at the B&B before my train back down south.

Using a bit of research and the excellent http://nonleaguescotland.org.uk/ website, I headed uphill towards Claypotts Park. I got slightly wrong on my way and ended up in Dawson Park, and had to take a detour before eventually finding Whitton Park.

The ground was locked, but the fencing was low enough to afford me a decent view inside to take my photos. Whitton Park was pretty basic with a post and rail fence around the playing area. 

The only buildings came by way of a brick building in a corner behind the goal at the south end, with container units further along by the entrance offering more facilities. The installation of the planned stand would make a huge difference and allow the club to progress to the Super League.

I headed towards the city of Dundee along Arbroath Road in search of a look at the home of East Craigie FC.

Hougang United (Singapore)

Hougang United FC is a professional football club in Singapore who were formed in 1981 as Marine Castle United by a group of Newcastle United fans. After playing in the National League for many seasons the club was accepted into the S League for the 1998 season.

For the first four seasons United finished in the bottom two of the table. A young Grant Holt played for the club in 2001 at the start of a professional career which would see him grace the Premier League back in England.

 

A change of name to Sengkang Marine FC in 2002 brought about slightly better finishes for a couple of seasons. Financial problems forced the club out of the competition in 2004 to be replaced by Paya Lebar-Punggol FC.

The club merged for the 2006 season to form Sengkang Punggol FC to play in the S League, finishing bottom of the table on their re-appearance. Tenth place in 2009 when Murphy Wiredu top scored for the side offers an indication of their performances.

 

Things improved in 2011 as the club took adopted the new title of Hougang United, which attracted a local fan base and marquee players and going on to finish in seventh place thanks in part to the goals of Jordan Webb.

The supporters group became known as the HOOLS, standing for Hougang Only One Love, as Nenad Baćina became head coach in 2012. After ending the 2014 season in seventh position under the stewardship of Amin Nasir, the club announced it would be merging with Woodlands Wellington FC to form a new S League club for the 2015 campaign.

 

The club retained the name of Hougang United, finishing bottom of the table in a season which saw both Salim Moin and then K Balagumaran in the position of head coach. Jozef Kapláň skippered the side in 2016 which finished sixth as Stipe Plazibat put away the goals.

Philippe Aw took command of the team from January 2017, lasting until halfway through the 2018 campaign, which saw the Cheetahs finish bottom. Clement Teo was put in charge after an interim period and led Hougang to the third position in 2019 with Faris Ramli putting away the goals.

 

AFC Cup football followed but was abandoned soon after it began owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. Another third place was achieved in 2021 as Japanese forward Tomoyuki Doi topped the league scoring charts.

The 2022 season finally saw Hougang collect silverware. A hattrick from Kristijan Krajcek saw his side defeat Tampines Rovers 3-2. The following day coach Teo handed in his resignation to take on a similar role at Boeung Ket Angkor in Cambodia.

 

Former S League player Marko Kraljević was appointed in his place, leading the side to sixth position in 2023, which was one in which the team moved to play home games at Jalan Besar Stadium while Hougang stadium undertook renovation works.

Hougang United will play in the Singapore Premier League in the 2024 season.

My visit

Hougang United 4 Tanjong Pagar United 2 (Wednesday 29^th October 2014) S. League Relegation Round (att: approx. 500) 

Having awoken after a brief siesta, I dragged my aching body off my hotel bed treading gingerly on my blistered feet. I’d had a fantastic day visiting six other S. League venues using the trains and buses of Singapore.

My evening appointment wasn’t too far away at Hougang. Following the game I was to be picked up by my local based cricket pal from the sixes circuit; Sanjaya De Silva, so I dressed as smartly as I could while remaining comfortable.

Thinking I’d save some energy I saw a bus heading to Aljunied station. That seemed most attractive. It would save my feet and energy. I sat back and relaxed as we headed off in the wrong direction! 

Yes, we did get to my intended target, but only after a long circular bus ride around the stunning housing and buildings of Marina East. All part of the perils of groundhopping in my book, but also an inadvertent opportunity to see new places.

This meant I was likely to miss at least the first ten minutes of the match, which was due to kick off at 7.30pm. I wandered across the open space outside the station and walked towards the bright floodlights. 

I was just passing the swimming complex as I heard the anthem being played to welcome the sides out. It was time to get my skates on, with no real damage done as I only missed about thirty seconds!

I paid my $5 admission, which equated to £3 and walked inside the stand. The old lady at the front of the stand gave me a couple of fans to keep myself cool, which doubled up as a basic programme while I found my bearings.

Hougang Stadium had a smart Main Stand with the only proper seating in the centre VIP section. The rest was deep stepped shiny concrete. Open seating was on offer on the far side, but there was no proper spectator accommodation. A running track encircled the playing surface. The teams entered from either end of the stand.

The HOOLS were down the far end of the stand, so I went to investigate. They had a full range of songs, although I found their ditty about building a bonfire for the officials most out of keeping for the very polite locals I’d come across. 

Some wore a familiar shirt to me. It was the same as the orange Scarborough Athletic top from the previous season. It wasn’t long before Nelson Moura put the lads in an even more enthusiastic mode as he put Hougang ahead. The PA blasted out White Stripe’s Seven Nation Army to celebrate.

The red and white striped visitors were not the best team I’d ever seen, but they weren’t there to defend. I decided to view the action from the far side for a while. The stewards allowed fans to walk round the track to reach the seats, trusting anyone to be sensible and not encroach onto the pitch.

I’d returned just before the interval as Firman Hanif made it 2-0. The Tanjong players trooped by me disconsolately shortly after for a drink and to receive instructions after the break. At half time the club held a free raffle with the numbers on match tickets being entered. It seemed a pleasant community-based club. I was ten numbers out for a minor prize.

After the restart, the visitors made life interesting as Kamel Ramdani slotted home a penalty to the immense joy of one real character. A local man well past retirement age dressed in party attire with a hat that had flashing lights on it. 

When the goal went in, he released a large popper that let out hundreds of bits of confetti. It seemed to cheer up the few visiting fans at that end of the stand. The game could have gone either way for a while. 

Tanjong tried their best to draw level, but ‘The Cheetahs’ put it to bed with goals from Brazilian Igor Ferreira on seventy-three minutes and a second from Moura four minutes later to make it 4-1.

I moved towards the front after letting Sanjaya know that the game was close to finishing. There was one last goal as the diminutive Tanjong winger Abdul Rashid, who was missing half of one arm netted deservedly with three minutes to go.

That should have been of no significance, but it certainly was to the old boy who cleaned the terraces. He’d got a head start and cleaned a few minutes earlier. He seemed proud of his work. 

He sadly hadn’t allowed for our ‘character’ who then let off another giant popper to spew paper all over a wide space. The look of the cleaner was a real picture. The poor lad was speechless apart from telling the old girl who handed out the fans. 

He just stood there and stared at his nemesis. I stood nearby as I didn’t want a geriatric brawl. Fortunately common sense prevailed as the cleaner just hissed as Mr Party Hat went down the tunnel. It made me laugh anyway!

Sanjaya was waiting for me in the car park and kindly took me to the private Singapore Indian Association club for beers and nibbles out on the lawn, before main course was enjoyed at the excellent Newton Circus. 

I’d definitely never dined out on oyster omelette and chilli coated stingray after a match before, but it was something I was more than willing to try in the future. It was a perfect end to a wonderful day. Yet, there was still fun ahead as I missed the last train back towards my hotel.

Fortunately, I soon hailed a taxi who knew where my hotel was. I didn’t half sleep well despite the noise from other guests and the desperately thin walls. It certainly didn’t occur to me that I’d seen the last game Hougang United would play before Woodlands Wellington would merge with them.

Woodlands Wellington (Singapore)

Woodlands Wellington FC was a professional club that participated in the S League in Singapore. The club was initially formed as Wellington FC in 1988 as a splinter group of Delhi Juniors, with their name deriving from playing at the Deptford Ground on Wellington Road in the district of Sembawang.

After competing in the Sembawang Group League and then the National Island-Wide League, Wellington progressed to the National League as members of Division Two. In 1994 ‘The Rams’ won promotion as champions.

They lifted the Division One crown at the first attempt in 1995, as well as being runners up in the Singapore Cup. The club was invited to become one of eight founder members of the S League in 1996.

 

A move to Woodlands Stadium was undertaken and at the same time their title changed to Woodlands Wellington FC. The move paid dividends as the team often played in front of capacity crowds in the north of the island with Woodlands finishing runners-up in that first season.

This was backed up by a third-place finish before the side slipped down the table for several seasons, including bottom place in 2001 before a huge improvement to fifth a year later. This was equalled in 2003 as Itimi Dickson netted the goals for Wellington 

Park Kung Guy became the fans goalscoring hero in 2004, prior to the club making an appearance in the 2005 Singapore Cup final where they were defeated 3-2 by Home United. Jonathon Angelucci put away the chances which ended in the Rams finishing third in the league.

 

Woodlands made the headlines in 2007 when the team walked off the pitch during a game against Tampines Rovers to protest refereeing decisions. The club was fined heavily and deducted six points.

Three midtable finishes ensued, while the team reached the cup final again in 2008, this time going down 2-1 after extra time to Singapore Armed Forces. By 2010 the side were bottom of the table once more, a performance that was repeated in 2011 and 2012.

Following the 2012 campaign rumours circulated that the club would drop out of the S League for 2013 because of financial problems blighting them. Manager Matthew Tay quashed the reports as fans set up a ‘Save Woodlands’ awareness campaign. 

A decent fifth place finish was a good return in 2013, but the Rams ended the 2014 campaign second from bottom under Head Coach Salim Moin, the former Singapore international midfielder.

However, in November 2014 it was announced that the club would merge with Hougang United for the 2015 S. League season keeping the name of United without any recognition of the Woodlands Wellington name.

My visit

Woodlands Wellington 3 Harimau Muda II 2 (Thursday 30th October 2014) S. League Relegation Round (att: approx. 300)

After the previous days huge groundhop, I’d gone for a more laid back and relaxing day using the free bus tour on my three days tourist pass. I’d enjoyed seeing what Singapore had to offer, and I was really impressed by the mixture of heritage and modern architecture.

Following a lie down back at my hotel I decided to have a pre match beer. Initially I’d considered Raffles for a Singapore Sling, but the website was rather sketchy about their prices, and as my dad always advocated; don’t enter shops if they don’t advertise prices.

Instead, I opted to get off the train at Somerset, at one end of Orchard Road. Over the busy thoroughfare I found what would be as cheap as I’d find in the tourist quarter. My dark Warsteiner was $15 (£7.50). Thank God it was happy hour prices!

To be honest the view and ambience were such that I nearly got stuck in for the night, but common sense prevailed. Even though I was tired, the SMRT red line ran from Orchard directly to Woodlands making it easy, albeit it taking the best part of forty five minutes.

On arrival I saw a set of bright floodlights, not where I imagined. Any confusion was soon quashed when I spotted the brighter glow coming from Woodlands Stadium just along the railway.

I missed the opening goal along with an elder holiday maker in front of me, as Nurshamil Ghani put the visitors from Malaysia ahead in the first minute. Muda were the team of the Malaysian under 20 national team and along with DPMM of Brunei and Albirex Niigata, offered overseas competition in the S. League.

I surveyed the scene of Woodlands Stadium. Once more there was an athletics track surrounding the pitch to offer the whole community facilities to be proud of. A long Main Stand with plastic seating in the centre was the only covered accommodation. The far side had semi-permanent open seating with the railway line running above it, with more temporary seating on the curves behind the goal.

The Rams fans cheered on their favourites with the usual drum banging out a beat. I decided to have a spell on the far side to try and avoid the heat, but even there I used the free fan come programme to try and create a breeze.

Around the half hour mark the hosts drew level thanks to an effort from the Korean Soon-Ho Moon. During the interval I wandered out the back by the clubhouse and ventured over to the excellent swimming complex in the hope of using a cash machine. I had no luck. Opposite was a huge sports hall, all run by the Singapore Sports Council.

After the break I was joined by the fan I’d gone in with. Richard was on holiday with his wife visiting their daughter. He was originally a Portsmouth fan when living on the south coast, before moving to Cullercoats and adopting Whitley Bay as his team and following non-league football.

We were having a really nice chat while watching what turned into a really decent second period. The game turned on the sending off of the visitors Afiq Faizal for a straight red on fifty five minutes, which we couldn’t quite work out. Presumably it was an off the ball incident?

Within three minutes Wellington had taken the lead with a goal from Fadhil Noh. They stretched it to 3-1 as Serbian defender Miloš Jevtić netted to the joy of the vocal home youngsters.

We were getting ready to leave when Muda grabbed a late consolation after building up some pressure with the goal of the game as substitute Muhamad Bahari scored with a bullet diving header. I said my farewell on full time but said we’d probably see each other at the following evening’s game. 

To be honest I was absolutely starving. I went as fast as my tired and blistered feet would carry me over the unlit open ground the huge malls surrounding Woodlands station to withdraw some money and buy delicious pizza and cheese straws. Eating was discouraged on all public transport, but I broke pieces off on the quiet train.

After one change I alighted past my hotel at a stop called Dakota as I had a particular nightcap venue in mind. I took the short walk up the path alongside the Geylang River to a bar called The Tuck Shop on Gullemard Road, which overlooked the water.

It was just what the doctor ordered. It had outside seating as well as plenty around the bar itself. Bottles from all over the world were available as chilled out music at just the right volume piped out. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable. 

I went for the Summer Ale from the local Archipelago Brewery and it was simply superb coming in a proper glass, with its hoppy flavour. Yes it was the equivalent of £8, but that’s the local going rate. It was worth every cent for the ambience and moment.

Alas, I was too tired to contemplate another pint. The price wouldn’t have deterred me. I’d been ultra-careful on the trip to allow for a few pleasures. I walked up to Geylang Road and caught the bus home, settling for a Magnum ice cream before bed.

It had been a wonderful day. Only a week or so later did I discover for the second successive evening, I’d seen the last game for a club in its current guise.

National Stadium Singapore

The National Stadium in Singapore forms part of the Sports Hub and was opened in June 2014 to replace the old National or Kallang Stadium.

The old place had been opened in July 1973 with a capacity of 55,000. It held many major events over the years including the Southeast Asian Games, National Day Parades and many major concerts featuring the likes of Davis Bowie, Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson and Elton John as well as a visit from Pope John Paul II.

However, it was football that the stadium was most famous for. The Singapore national team played their matches there, as well as it staging the Singapore Cup Final from 1996 until its closure. Singapore Lions who played in the Malaysian Premier League from 1921 to 1994, winning the Malaysian Cup on many occasions with the legendary ‘Kallang Roar’ greeting the home side.

The ASEAN Football Championship in 2007 was the last major event held at the stadium before its official closure in June 2007. However yet another eleven matches were held at Kallng; the last on the 6th January 2010 as Iran defeated Singapore 3-1 in an Asian Cup qualifier.

Demolition took place in 2010 and 2011, while major events were moved to a temporary stadium at the Marine Bay Floating Platform.

Work on the new stadium was delayed from its original 2008 starting date because of the financial crisis of the time. The stadium forms just part of the Hub which includes the Aquatic Centre, the multi-purpose OCBC Arena, the Singapore Sports Museum, the Sports Hub library, the Kallang Wave shopping mall and the current Singapore Indoor Stadium, as well as a Water Sports Centre at the adjacent Kallang Basin.

The old National Stadium - image taken from the internet

The stadium has been constructed in such a way that it can stage rectangular sports such as football or rugby as well as cricket and accommodating an athletics track thanks to the retractable seating in the lower tier.

From a distance the stadium looks like a huge dome, with its fully retractable roof which takes twenty five minutes to open. At the time of completion it was the largest dome structure in the world.

All appeared perfect apart from one vital ingredient. The playing surface was awful and led to events being moved to other venues. The pitch simply fell apart during a rugby event and during the Brazil v Italy friendly football international.

My visit

Thursday 29th October 2014

My free bus tour as part of my three day tourist pass was done. Originally I’d intended to stay out and enjoy a Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel. The lack of pricing on their website was one deterrent, added to the fact I was not at my most hygienic because of the heat and humidity.

Instead I decided to eat in Chinatown before taking a SMRT train to Stadium station which was more or less under the main arena. Signs pointed to all the different facilities around the Hub. I followed the steps to the reception office in the hope of entering the stadium.

My first view had been a couple of days earlier when alighting from the train at Kallang. It looked like something that had landed from outer space. Despite my research I hadn’t realised that it was so close to my hotel. I simply had to take a closer look.

Unfortunately there were no stadium tours until the weekend. Instead I wandered right round the perimeter grabbing a look through the gates and taking photos wherever I could. The entrances were all well above pitch level.

After a complete lap I took the covered walkway to the junction with Mountbatten Road where I crossed the busy road by footbridge and headed home for a nap and a shower before that evening’s match activities.