It’s only a natural feeling that as human, we tend to have some kind of attachment towards some other things. This can come in the form of the living such as a spouse or a man’s best friends, with dogs, cats and horse being the most common. How about attachment towards a way of life whether it is related to a job or spiritual habits.
Not forgetting on those that come in the form of material objects, such as a house, cars or collectible items; think about stamps, music records or in the case of football fans, you have kaki jerseys, kaki bola, match day tickets plus so much more.
Now that I have mentioned football fans, it is worth noting that for us, there is also a sense of attachment towards a specific football stadium/ground. A stadium isn’t just a piece of property that exists for football matches or any other event to take place.
Fans don’t just flock to the most hallowed ground for the sake of supporting their beloved team. After a hard week of work, it is also a space that helps them build connections with other fans. Think about a father spending time with his child or those who are still living the singlehood life finding love.
Stadium Shah Alam (SSA) was one such place for football fans.
Throughout its existence it has served as a fortress for the Selangor football team and its passionate followers. At its peak in the mid 1990s, a weekday match tends to draw an average crowd of 40-50 thousand people. On weekend? Go figure!
Even the National Team, Harimau Malaya at times have found this venue to be its sanctuary when needed. Several Cup Finals, whether it’s the FA Cup or Malaysia Cup, have been held here, with some going down as classics; Perak vs Terengganu from 2018, sits right at the top.
European giants such as Manchester United, Barcelona and Chelsea have also laid their footprint on the pitch at SSA. SSA has also become the witness of a FIFA sanctioned tournament, when the ground was used for the 1997 World Youth Championship including the final match (more about this later).
Like every stadium that has exist, it wasn’t only there to serve the needs at elite level but also those at social and recreational level. SSA has opened its doors to host the Selangor Champions League; a grassroots football tournament that was organized from 2017 to 2019.
This week we have been dealt with the sad news, as reported the demolishing work at SSA has already begun in order to make way for a brand-new sporting complex. Though it was only a matter of time but perhaps some of us, deep down, were still hoping for any kind of miracle.
SSA has been plagued with many issues mainly from maintenance to safety matters over the last few years and has not been used since the pandemic. Effort has been made to revive the stadium, but it appears that in the long run, the cost of maintaining and repairing seems to outweigh the cost of rebuilding a new stadium. Logically, it makes perfect sense for the authorities to come to this decision.
However, to football fans who have built a sense of attachment to this stadium over the years, logic can seem to be a bit hard to digest. For the same reason which I have mentioned earlier, Selangor fans especially those from the Gen X and Millennial era can attest to this.
It’s not just Selangor but fans from Singapore (referring to the older ones for obvious reasons), Perak, Terengganu and others fans will have plenty of memories of their time in SSA to share with their kids or grandchildren.
This sadness isn’t just limited to local football fans, but it is a mutual feeling that is even shared by those from abroad. Coming back to the 1997 World Youth Championship, which saw Argentina (featuring Pablo Aimar, Lionel Scaloni, Walter Samuel, Esteban Cambiasso and Juan Roman Riquelme) defeating Uruguay to lift the title.
This news has hit hard even for my friends from the land of asado and tango who have expressed well in their post on X.
Throughout its 30 years existence, SSA has seen many highs and lows but one thing is very clear; it has served as one of the most important football venues in the modern era of Malaysian football. The illustrious curvy roof which looks like an eye opening from any drone footage will always remain an iconic sight.
For every football fan who has passed through its turnstile and sat on those backrest-less chairs; the memories that were created here will have a lasting effect for the rest of their lives.
With that said, thank you very much Stadium Shah Alam for everything that it has done for football throughout its 30 years existence.
As the saying goes “the end of one chapter is the beginning of the next“. It is our hope, the new stadium will see a better days ahead once it has open its doors.
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