Jalan Besar Stadium is a well-known Singapore landmark located at Tyrwhitt Road in the Kallang area. Officially opened on 26 December 1929, the stadium is considered the birthplace of football in Singapore. The stadium hosted the popular Malayan Cup football tournament from the 1930s to the 1960s, followed by its successor the Malaysian Cup from the 1960s to the 1970s. The original facility was redeveloped as part of the Jalan Besar Sports and Recreation Centre that opened in 2003.
History
Jalan Besar Stadium was opened on 26 December 1929 by the president of the Municipal Commission, R. J. Farrer, who kicked off the inaugural match played between the Malayan Chinese and Malayan Asiatics teams. The Malayan Chinese team won the match with a score of 3-2.
Over its lifetime, the stadium was used for many sports events such as soccer, hockey and rugby. The Malaya Cup soccer tournament was played at this venue from 1932 to 1966, followed by the Malaysia Cup soccer tournament from 1967 to 1973.
During World War II, Japanese troops used the stadium as one of five mass screening sites for the Sook Ching massacre, where hundreds of Chinese men were assembled before being interrogated and executed to eliminate anti-Japanese elements in the population. The stadium remained open throughout the Japanese Occupation and was used as a centre to teach the Japanese language. After the war, the stadium reverted to its original function but was occasionally used as a site for political rallies and to host key events such as the inaugural Singapore Youth Festival in 1955 and the 1984 National Day Parade.
In 1973, the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) was formed and Jalan Besar Stadium came under its management. One of only four stadia in Singapore after independence, Jalan Besar Stadium was strongly linked to the development of Singapore football. The SSC established centres of excellence and special training centres for high performance sports, and Jalan Besar Stadium was designated the special centre for football. The stadium was reputed to have the best drainage and turf among the stadia in Singapore at the time.
In the 1980s, the stadium was the venue for important fixtures in the domestic National Football League (NFL). The NFL was poorly attended and crowds at Jalan Besar only averaged about 200. However, well known Singapore footballers such as Majid Ariff, Quah Kim Song, Dollah Kassim, R Suriamurthi, Wilfred Skinner and Fandi Ahmad all played at the stadium. International matches were also hosted at Jalan Besar before the National Stadium was built. The United States football team played at Jalan Besar Stadium in 1956.
Renovation and reopening
In 1999, the original stadium was demolished to make way for the current sports complex but the original pitch was retained and incorporated into the new Jalan Besar Sports and Recreation Centre at a cost of $30 million. The old hawker centre and carpark were replaced by two swimming pools, and the seating capacity of the stadium was reduced from 15,000 to 6,000. Covered stands were also replaced with an uncovered gallery and a grandstand. Facilities now include a gym, four changing rooms and lecture rooms, and a 24-hour food court. The centre was opened in June 2003. Currently, all S-League matches that are telecast on television are also played at the stadium.
Developments in Singapore football
The stadium has become central to youth development in football. After renovation in 2003, the headquarters of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) moved to the stadium. A National Football Academy was set up in a separate building near the stadium. The football academy aimed to train the next generation of Singapore international football players with a strong educational background. Important school sports fixtures such as the A-division schools' football semi-finals and finals were played at the stadium. The stadium was also one of the venues for the Asian Under-16 championship, which Singapore hosted in 2006. It is also the home ground of the Young Lions, Singapore’s under-23 football team. After reopening, the first game played at the stadium was between the Young Lions and Maldives, a match that the former won 4-1.
Under the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) Goal Project, the turf pitch was upgraded to the latest FIFA 2-star approved football turf pitch, the highest grade of artificial pitch available on the market. Powerful floodlights were also installed. The $1 million renovation was completed in 2008 with part of the money provided by the FIFA Goal Bureau to help countries develop infrastructure and training programmes. With the official closure of the National Stadium in 2007, some international matches are presently played at the stadium. The stadium was one of the venues for the inaugural Youth Olympics Games in Singapore in August 2010.
Timeline
1929 : Opening of Jalan Besar Stadium.
1933 : Malaya Cup soccer tournament at the stadium.
1942-1945: The stadium was used as an assembly point and language centre during the Japanese Occupation.
1955 : The stadium hosted the opening ceremony of the inaugural Singapore Youth Festival.
1964 : Mass rally held at the stadium to mourn the death of Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
1967 : The Malaysia Cup replaced the Malaya Cup following Singapore's separation from Malaysia. Jalan Besar Stadium remained one of the venues for the tournament.
1973 : The National Stadium was built and replaced Jalan Besar Stadium as the venue for Malaysia Cup matches. The Singapore Sports Council was formed to manage sports facilities including the stadium.
1984 : Jalan Besar Stadium hosted the National Day Parade.
1995 : The Football Association of Singapore withdrew from the Malaysia Cup.
1996 : Launch of the S-League. Jalan Besar Stadium became the home ground for Home United FC.
1999 : An exhibition match featuring ex-internationals commemorated the closing of the old stadium. The stadium was partially demolished but the pitch was retained and incorporated into the new Jalan Besar Sports and Recreation Centre.
2003 : Opening of Jalan Besar Sports and Recreation Centre.
2008 : The artificial pitch was replaced by a better-quality one. More powerful floodlights were installed.
2010 : Jalan Besar Stadium was one of the venues for the inaugural Youth Olympics Games held in Singapore in August.
Author
Faizah bte Zakaria
References
Asian Football Confederation. (2007). AFC U-16 Championship Venue. Retrieved May 15, 2010, from http://www.the-afc.com/en/afc-u16-championship-2008-previous-competitions/afc-u17-championship-2006/afc-u17-championship-2006-venue
Beijing Olympics 2008 soccer: Artificial pitch to hold Pakistan-Singapore clash on Wednesday. (2007, February 5). Pakistan Press International Information Services. Retrieved May 15, 2010 from Factiva database.
Dorai, J. (1986, June 16). Where have all the fans gone? [Microfilm: NL15451]. The Straits Times, Sports, p. 21.
Football - Opening of Jalan Besar Stadium. (1929, December 27). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), p. 20.
Retrieved April 12, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
Godfrey, R. (1999, December 12). Thanks for the happy memories, Jalan Besar. The Straits Times, Retrieved January 21, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
Godfrey, R. (1999, December 13). Platform of a thousand memories. The Straits Times. Retrieved January 21, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
Heritage Trails.(nd). Heritage trails: Jalan Besar. Retrieved May 14, 2010, from http://heritagetrails.sg/content/268/Jalan_Besar_Stadium.html
Low, J. (2002, December 2002). Face lift for the Old Lady of Jalan Besar. The Straits Times, Retrieved January 21, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
Low, J. (2003, February 26). No thanks for ending the memories [Microfilm: NL24979]. The Straits Times, Sports, p. 10.
Luis, E. (2009, March 24) The way ahead. The New Paper. Retrieved May 14, 2010, from Factiva database.
Mass rally at stadium today to mourn Mr. Nehru [Microfilm: NL12157]. (1964, May 30) The Straits Times, p. 18.
Santokh, S. (1999, January 12). $30m facelift for Jalan Besar [Microfilm:NL20293]. The Straits Times, Sports, p. 36.
School Sports Calendar (2010). Soccer Calendar of Events For Year 2010. Retrieved May 16, 2010, from http://www.schoolsports.sg/spssc/soccer/calendar
Signboards will be put up to mark World War Two sites [Microfilm: NL17597]. (1992, January 1). The Straits Times, p. 16.
Singapore Sports Council. (2007). A census of sports facilities in Singapore, 2006. Singapore: Singapore Sports Council Communication & Knowledge Group, Market Research Analysis Department.
(Call No. English 796.0685057)
Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games.(2010). Jalan Besar Stadium. Retrieved May 13, 2010, from http://www.singapore2010.sg/public/sg2010/en/en_venues/en_compvenues/en_jalan_besar_stadium.html
US soccer XI to play here on Nov. 12 [Microfilm: NL1822]. (1956, October 23), The Straits Times, p. 16.
Further readings
Chua, C. J. (c1998). A nation at play: 25 years of the Singapore Sports Council. Singapore: Times Editions.(Call no.: RSING 796.095957 NAT)
The information in this article is valid as at 2010 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
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