Hi Friends,
Close your eyes.
Imagine Dollah Kassim standing before a ball in the National Stadium- about to take a free kick.
If you cannot picture him with his classic “arms akimbo” pose, I can bet that you were not at any Malaysia Cup match of the 1970’s.
Boys of my vintage derived immense pleasure from thronging to the Kallang arena weekend after weekend to watch the likes of Dollah Kassim whip the minnows of Malaysia in the only sports event that mattered- the Malaysia Cup.
Perlis, Johor,Malacca,Negri Sembilan were cannon fodder for Dollah and the gang. Only Selangor and occasionally Penang were any match for us.
If my memory does not fail me, the gang included:
Eric Paine (goalie); Hasli Ibrahim and Syed Mutalib (both capable of breaking legs) ; Seak Poh Leong (Captain); Robert Sim;Samad Allapitchay; “Camel” Rajagopal; Quah Kim Song; Quah Kim Lye;"baby-faced" Mohamed Noh and of course Dollah Kassim. (addendum 6.10.09 5.40am- "Terry" Pathmanathan was inevitably left out. Apologies)
Their Malaysian nemesis were giants like "spiderman" Arumugam; Santokh Singh;"Towkay" Soh Chin Aun;Mokhtar Dahari;Shukoh Salleh and Isa Bakar.
Filling the Kallang cauldron with 50000 or more screaming adulating fans was a “given” every weekend. The coach was of course the wheelchair-bound Choo Seng Quee who would start each training session with the national anthem.Dollah, thanks for the memories.
Our prayers are with you and we hope that you can overcome the biggest “match” yet. You have beaten the odds before and you can do it again.
Your faithful fan,
Dr Huang Shoou Chyuan
Singapore football legend Dollah still in critical condition (Today 5th Oct 2009)
SINGAPORE: Singapore's football legend Dollah Kassim is still unconscious and in a critical condition after suffering a heart attack at Sunday's Sultan of Selangor Cup veterans game. Paramedics had to resuscitate Dollah before he arrived in hospital and the 60-year-old underwent an emergency angioplasty procedure to unclog blocked arteries on Sunday night. Dollah is warded in the Intensive Care Unit at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He is hooked up to machines and his breathing assisted by breathing machines. His family has requested the doctors not to reveal too much at this point in time.
6 comments:
Some others (maybe later):
Au Yong Pak Kwang (former RI capt)
Crazy Horse (was it Nasir Jalil?)
Lee Bee Seng
Lim Teng ...
M Kumar (he lived with Quah bros in Sembawang and they played for Rovers)
Oh dear...
Hi Kelvin,
I think Lee Bee Seng was alternate to Eric Paine.
Rocky Lim Tien Jit was part of the gang ( I think) and so was M Kumar.
Nasir Jalil was super-sub.
I think Terry Pathmanathan came at the tail end of the 70's.
I think I have almost got the full team correct.
Cheers
What about Zainal Abideen, third-choice goalie Lim Chiew Peng, Edmund Wee, sometimes Kuah Chui Heong, Hashim Hosni, Brian Batchelor, Lim Teng Sai, Arshad Khamis, R Krishnan, Gulam Mohamed, V Khanisen. Later still Leong Kok Fann, Wong Kok Choy, Au-yeong (my neighbour & football mate)Lim Tang Boon, Terence Gomez etc
Hi Chia,
Yes I was not exhaustive in my list ( and I apologise). Certainly Teng Sai and Arshad was in the first team too! My memory was fading but that is excusable considering that it had been about 40 years since the 70's.
Thanks
I think Lee Bee Seng was alternate to Eric Paine.
Rocky Lim Tien Jit was part of the gang ( I think) and so was M Kumar.Buy Eden Gold
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