Stargaze at Arsenal and Everton football stars in person
Can the atmosphere at the upcoming Barclays Asia Trophy Tour match the fervour of the 28th SEA games football final?
The Barclays Asia Trophy Tour comes to Singapore on Jul 15 and 18, with fans of English Premier League clubs Arsenal, Stoke and Everton and fans of Singapore set to see their favourite players in action.
I’m very interested to see what type of atmosphere will be generated at the superb National Stadium, which recently won me over as one of the top sporting destinations in the world after a superb SEA Games.
The Barclay Asia Trophy Tour will see teams like Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton play in Singapore (Photo: EPA/Gerry Penny)
SEA Games Level of Hype?
The 28th SEA Games Football Final between Myanmar and Thailand was nothing short of extraordinary for many reasons, not least the support from both sets of fans. The noise generated was equal to anything I have heard at a Premier League game, if not greater.
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Euphoria gripped the 55,000-seater stadium from hours to kick-off and beyond. The Barclays Asia Trophy may have quite a task to top that level of excitement.
Authentic Premier League Experience
The FA Premier League’s lead commentator, John Dykes, has promised Singapore fans a genuine Barclays Premier League experience, right from the referees to the level of commitment offered by the players. It will only be about a month until the new Premier League season kicks off, so they will want to impress.
Ticket sales are said to be going well so far. Let’s hope that football fans in Singapore, and overseas visitors, can help to create the same sort of atmosphere that we saw in the National Stadium recently.
Given that fans get to see two matches on each day and the pricing looks relatively affordable, the turnout should be good. Those who go will be able to stargaze at the Arsenal stars, as well as that of Everton and Stoke. Nonetheless the Singapore Select XI, while not the national team, will feature many national or local star players.
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Can Singapore soccer fans generate the same kind of passion and support shown by Myanmar fans at the recent SEA games? (Photo: EPA/Lynn Bo Bo)
Learning from Myanmar & Thailand Fans
One Tweet has stuck with me after the SEA Games. The person said that Burmese and Thai supporters all wore their national team’s jerseys while cheering on their players. While Singapore supporters often wore red, it tended to be the home kits of Manchester United, Liverpool or Arsenal.
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In this tournament, V Sundramoorthy has a fantastic opportunity to give the local stars some great experience against the likes of Mesut Oezil, Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku. He also deserves the support of the home crowd, who should let their opponents know which team it is that they’re supporting.
We all love to stargaze, and that’s fine, but let’s also give our best support to our local lads.
By Andy Penders
Andy Penders is Head of Sports at Red Card ConnectRed Card Sports Radio – 24/7 sports news and live football commentaries. Tune in to StarHub Ch 225 for more.
