Gombak United: The Next Pride of Singapore/ The Next Lion in Groningen

retired_sibel · 07-13-2007, 06:58 PM

Author's Note:

This is my first foray in FM Stories, and after countless considerations I've decided to make a FM Story based on something close to my heart, which is Singapore (yes people, I'm Singaporean born and bred). And after much thinking I decided to have a go at two FM Stories going concurrently with each other.

One story, 'Gombak United: The Next Pride of Singapore', delves into the story of an obscure yet fervently patriotic Singaporean manager, who is of the opinion that Singapore's Foreign Talent Scheme is killing the local talent pool, and is determined to give Singaporean talent a chance to make their mark in Singaporean football. With Salim Moin, the current Gombak head coach, resigning for personal reasons, he saw this vacant position as a chance to make his vision work.

Another story, 'The Next Lion in Groningen', tells how a new manager of FC Groningen shocked its fanbase by signing the first Singaporean since Fandi Ahmad to its ranks, and unfurls from there.

I will be working on these parameters:

Leagues Activated: Holland (First Division onwards), Peru (First Division), Singapore (S-League), South Africa (First Division onwards), USA (MLS)

Game Start Date: Singapore (Feb 2007)

Database Size: Large

Load All Players from: Holland, Singapore

Use Real Players & Enable Player Attribute Masking

Intro will start as soon as FM2007 finishes initialising.

retired_sibel · 07-13-2007, 09:07 PM

Author's Notes: Oh yeah, be warned that in the Gombak story I will be using a moderate amount of Singlish, so bear with me, for I am a full-blooded Singaporean and will show it in the story. Also in the Gombak story I will base the protagonist loosely on my own personal life.

Prologues:

(Gombak United: The Next Pride of Singapore)

The name's Halim Ahmad. Son of a Malaysian-born vector control technician and a Singaporean housewife who sadly departed when I was 14. Through the years I have endured sacrifices en route to becoming a professional footballer, but it was a matter of so close yet so far. So close was I to getting a trial at Accrington Stanley when I torn my ankle ligaments in my formative years as a combative midfielder for Jurong FC, then still in the S-League. I was very young - around 20 - when the ligaments busted. That injury brought my ambitions crumbling down, and gone were the days I was knocking on the doors of a call-up to the Singapore side boasting talents like Nazri Nasir and Ahmad Latiff. Nevertheless, under V. Sundramoorthy, I became a squad player, helping my hometown club to mid-table finishes in the S-League. In my mind however, and perhaps in Sundram's mind, I wasn't the player I was potentially able to be. My ankle still bore a scar of the operation to fix the ligament, and it still hurts me; the scar slithered through my ankle like a worm. If I could turn back the clock I wouldn't have asked me at 20 to go in two-footed at the opposition player. Bas***d stepped on my ankle hard as if he's Roy-f**king-Keane. But what the hell, can't change the past.

Anyway, fast-forward to 2003, and Jurong FC just went pokai (bankrupt); no money to sustain its existence in the S-League being the main reason. The aftermath? Sundram quit, and so did I. It felt like early retirement when I quit Jurong FC - somehow, Seb Deisler's retirement mirrored mine 4 years later - but in my mind I felt I could do more to help local talent flourish. So I searched for clubs relatively near to my Jurong West home, and found Tessensohn Khalsa Rovers had a vacancy in its coaching staff. I applied for it, and got the job as coach straight away. Somehow, with my undying enthusiasm and energy I worked my way up to head coach, and with tactical acumen honed by playing too much CM4 we won a regional cup. 4 years and unbeaten runs later, I knew I was meant for greater things pulling strings on the touchline.

When Singapore's FTS (Foreign Talent Scheme) was proposed by the Football Association of Singapore, foreign players (had I not be PC I'd have called them 'aliens' instead) like Brazilian-born Egmar Goncalves, Croatian-born Mirko Grabovac and Nigerian-born Agu Casmir soon donned the red (or blue) of Singapore. As of now, many more soon followed, with Shi Jiayi (born in China), Mustafic Fahrudin (born in Serbia) and Precious Emujeraye (born in Nigeria) playing their part in winning Singaporeans third and second consecutive ASEAN Cup championship. Not to be xenophobic or whatever lah, but what if we fast forward to the future and some stupid foreign manager have a fetish for foreign talent and then send a squad to some regional competition containing three-quarters foreigners. For some reason, the FTS works like this: 3 years plus good run of form and the red IC is yours. For so long already I shut myself up, afraid that Big Brother will tangkap (capture) me for some weird reason, but I say it's time for me to make action speak louder than words.

One Sunday in late December, I opened up the Berita Minggu (weekly Malay-language paper, distributed on Sundays) and saw this news headline:

'Salim Moin meletak jawatan sebagai jurulatih Gombak United' (Salim Moin resigns as coach of Gombak United)

Ho seh arh! Now's my chance to make a mark in Singaporean football!

================================================== =

(The Next Lion in Groningen)

Rudi de von Ausfern was just like any other Dutchman - passionate about football and the Oranje. Born in the outskirts of Rotterdam, he had an ambition of being a professional footballer when he was young, just like any other young Dutchmen in his era. He grew up supporting Johan Cruyff and the Oranje, and hoped to emulate his success for his hometown club Feyenoord. From the time he begged his parents to enrol him to the Feyenoord academy, he rose through the ranks as a hard-working winger-cum-full-back. Unfortunately, tragedy struck him when he turned 23, when he disfigured his face in a train crash. Due to the primitive yet costly technology to reconstruct his face, neither he nor Feyenoord could afford it. He ended up with a bulging pair of eyes, elongated lips and shrunken nose. When he emerged into the Feyenoord first-team months after the accident, he was so emotionally distraught at opposition fans chanting 'Monster' everytime he touched the ball that he quit football professionally right after his debut and focused on other options in the job market.

His years after professional football were a hard-knocking one, but he persevered and eventually landed himself a job as a phone operator. From there he used his work ethic to good use, retraining himself without complaining. With the advent of the Internet, he was the first to learn about internetworking. 8 years after his abrupt end to his professional footballing career, he sought for greener pastures, with the knowledge of internetworking in his hands. He eventually found his greener pasture in Singapore, working as a server administrator for two years. By then, he felt that something was truly amiss in his heart. He travelled around Singapore to clear his mind, and he stumbled upon some recreational football at the Padang one Sunday. After a few enquiries, he bought a pair of boots and sports kits and played club football for the first time since walking out of Feyenoord. Though he was quite rusty in his skills, he made that up with his hardwork which impressed his coaches at Singapore Cricket Club and immediately installed him as their player. He re-honed his technical skills gradually and eventually helped them to win the National Football League title unbeaten. However, Rudi knew that he is not at the right age to play football, and his legs are aging every second. When one of the coaches left the SCC for a vacant coaching position somewhere else, he made the initiative to offer himself a position as player-coach. The people at SCC agreed, and he worked his way up. With his knees aching and his feet straining, he retired from playing and concentrated full-on as a coach. With the head-coach leaving for greener pastures, he sought for himself to give the head-coach position a shot. Working the tactics to the players' strengths, he led SCC to another NFL title. Soon after, the company he worked under decided to outsource his job to India, and he was retrenched. Seeing no future in Singapore, he returned to his homeland of the Netherlands and gave a shot at managerial success.

retired_sibel · 07-13-2007, 10:46 PM

(The Gombak Story)

27 December 2006, 9:00AM

I relaxed on my couch at home, watching TV while drinking some tea with milk with my lovely wife and 3-year-old son. It was still holiday break for Tessensohn Khalsa Rovers, and I was enjoying it all the way. In my mind, however, the vacancy in the Gombak United managerial post still lingered on my mind. What if I was snubbed for inexperience? That was the very fear which gripped me since I was young. Primetime Morning on Channel 5 was almost ending, and no other shows are worth watching right now. Gulping the last drops of my milk tea, I then proceeded to call the Gombak United clubhouse. Worth a shot, so why not?

*truut truut* *truut truut*
Female Voice: Gombak United clubhouse, good morning.
Me: Morning. I'm calling to enquire about the vacant managerial position at Gombak United.
Female Voice: Oh yes, there will be a walk-in interview at 12PM tomorrow at Bukit Gombak Sports Complex, second floor.
Me: Is there anything I need to bring along to the interview?
Female Voice: Yes. Do bring along a CV and a passport-size picture to the interview.
Me: A CV? Do I need to post it beforehand?
Female Voice: You don't need to, just bringing it along to the interview would do.
Me: Is there anything else I need to know?
Female Voice: That's definitely all you'd need to know, sir.
Me: Thank you very much. Goodbye.
*click*

Okay, tomorrow at 12 it is. Man, I couldn't wait for the big step up. But for now, I need to let Gurbs (Gurbachan Singh, Tessensohn's general manager) know about the current situation.

*truut truut*
Gurbs: Gurbachan speaking.
Me: Hey Gurbs. I need to talk to you about something.
Gurbs: Fill me in.
Me: Yeah, I've enquired about the vacant job at Gombak United. I'm looking to the walk-in interview tomorrow, so I just wanna inform you of that.
Gurbs: You think you can cut it at the job?
Me: I'm taking my chances here, Gurbs. I feel that I need to look forward to a new chapter in my managerial career, and I hope you understand that I never give up on any opportunities posed in front of me.
Gurbs: (short silence) Tell you what... I'll be right behind your decision all the way. I'm gonna wish you best of luck in the interview, and should your application fail you're always welcome back at Tessensohn.
Me: (sighs in relief) Thanks, Gurbs, for giving me your blessing. Wish me luck.
Gurbs: (chuckles) I already did, man.
Me: (smiles) Okay, man. Take care.
Gurbs: Alright, man.
*click*

I heaved a sigh of relief. I feared for the worst the moment I tapped his number on my dial, but I was glad it was over and done with. I went to my laptop and prepared my CV for tomorrow's interview. There's no turning back now.

28th December 2007, 11:00AM

I had my breakfast with my dear wife and wonderful son at the nearby Alif restaurant. My order was slightly over-the-top - roti prata, 2 eggs and 1 plain. But what the hell, a man's gotta eat what a man's gotta eat. My wife merely ordered mee goreng, which she shared with our son. Unlike me, she's a very cautious eater. I poured all the curry on my prata; that's the way I love to eat them. My wife noticed how fast I ate, and took note of it.

Wife: Wow, you're really nervous about this interview.
Me: Well, obviously I am lah... S-League club somemore.
Wife: Are you looking forward to it?
Me: What 'it'?
Wife: Managing the club lah... what else?
Me: I'm lucky that I'm not managing Liverpool or some big club, but when you see me managing Gombak on TV, of course I'm looking forward to the challenge.
Wife: (holds my hand) Whatever happens, I will always stand by you.
Me: Thank you.

By the time we finished breakfast - more like brunch - it was 11:45AM. I gulped the 'teh susu' (tea with milk) and after a kiss from my wife and a hug from my son, I went towards Bukit Gombak Sports Complex for the interview, CV and affixed passport-sized photo on my right hand. The sports complex was not that big; it's shaped like a dome, just adjacent to Bukit Gombak MRT station and right beside the overhead MRT tracks. I went to the second floor of the sports complex. Around 5 people are sitting on the bench outside the Gombak United clubhouse. Perhaps fellow applicants, I'd guess. I saw a queue number generator thingy, so I pressed on the button and a queue number comes out. Number 6.

After an hour or so waiting, I heard my queue number being called out. My turn. I straightened my tie, knocked on the door and opened it. A team of three interviewers greeted me from the other side - on the left was General Manager Jeffrey Lee, Managing Director Swee Him Teck on my right, and Director of Football Kames Bidin in the middle. I almost quivered on my knees.

Me: G-Good afternoon, sirs.
Swee HT: Good afternoon to you too. And you are?
Me: Halim. Halim Ahmad, sirs. (hands over CV) And here's my curriculim vitae, sirs.
Kames Bidin: (browses briefly the CV) Impressive CV you have there, Halim. Do sit down.
Me: Thank you, sirs. (Sits down nervously)
Jeffrey Lee: So what brings you to managing Gombak United?
Me: Passion, sirs. My love for football brings me to give myself a shot at Gombak United.
Kames Bidin: What do you think you can offer to this club?
Me: My passion, my desire to win and a fresh approach to the team.
Kames Bidin: Please explain your 'fresh approach'.
Me: I believe in tactical and attacking football, and I would like to utilise both in unison. To me, holding on to the lead is not enough, and I would try to hammer the opposition off. I intend to bring about the best of all the players under my disposal, as I believe everyone has a potential to flourish.
Jeffrey Lee: According to this CV of yours, your most recent job is as a head coach of Tessensohn Khalsa Rovers. What have you contributed to the club?
Me: The National Football League Division One title unbeaten, and at the same time help the players get a shot at football regardless of race, language or religion. I personally believe that a team united can work much better than a team divided, and I had done so with Tessensohn.
Swee HT: Well, I guess that's all we need to know from you.
Me: (shakes hands of all interviewers) Thank you, sirs.

As I left the interview room, Kames Bidin called out to me. "We will let you know whether you get the job by 31st December." I nodded and smiled as I left the room.

=============================

(The Next Lion in Groningen will be done later. I'm sleepy)

retired_sachin_g006 · 07-15-2007, 12:12 PM

looks good, and we get to learn a new language keep it SonicSnake

retired_rkp278 · 07-16-2007, 03:56 AM

Wow, this is interesting. As a fellow Singaporean I can't wait to see how this gets on. Looks very good so far.

One thing to note: Gombak don't play at Bukit Gombak Stadium anymore (Yeah, irony). They play at the new Jurong West Stadium now. So maybe that is something to note when you write your story.

retired_sibel · 07-16-2007, 08:56 AM

Yeah, that one I know. I'm REALLY noting that one now... because I lived near Gombak's new home. But in actual fact, their clubhouse is still at Bukit Gombak.

(The Next Lion in Groningen)

28th December 2006, 8:00PM

Rudi looked out the window. It felt like eons since he left his homeland of the Netherlands, and he sure missed the windmills and the meadows of his homeland. But it was not homesickness which was plaguing him now; after his retrenchment from his job as a server administrator he felt that there'd be no way that he could land a job of the same capacity as the one he got in Singapore. In other words, a server administrator from India would be much cheaper for any company than employing one of their own. Such was the harsh reality of the job market now, but Rudi could not dwell on his past, for he was almost nearing a return to his own motherland. Hopefully by retraining himself with new skills, he could be more useful in the job market.

The plane touched down on Rotterdam airport. After going through immigration clearance, Rudi flagged a taxi. As he entered a taxi, the driver recognised him at an instant. "Wait, you're Rudi de von Ausfern!" the taxi driver exclaimed.

"Y-yes, I am," Rudi replied sheepishly. "Strange that you remembered."

"I pity you, young man. If it wasn't for their insensitive chants and your overly sensitive attitude, you would've knocked on the doors of the Oranje."

Rudi was impressed. The man still remembered his immense work ethic amidst the chants.

"So what brought you back to Holland, Rudi?" the driver asked.

"I was retrenched from my job in Singapore. Doubt that I could get the same job I had there in Holland."

"Have you ever tried coaching?"

"I managed to coach an amateur club in Singapore, if that's what you're asking."

"I've been hearing stuff about Ron Jans's private life. Says he's a queer or something, and that's affecting his job credibility. I don't know about you, but if I were you I'd push for his resignation and take his place."

"That's far too ambitious. Even I doubt my ability to coach an Eredivisie club."

"Think about it. I like your work ethic when you made your debut in Feyenoord colours."

After paying the taxi fare, he entered his old untouched house. He laid on his bed, thinking of what the taxi driver said to him.

---------------------------------

29th December 2006, 8:00AM

After taking a shower, Rudi went out for a breakfast. On the way to a cafe bistro, he bought a copy of De Telegraaf. The main story was emblazoned on the front page:

"Ron Jans treedt van zijn positie af als trainer van FC Groningen." (Ron Jans resigns from his position as trainer of FC Groningen)

Scandals regarding his private life, from testimonials reporting accounts of sodomy to kiss-and-tell accounts of male prostitutes, got the better of him and, to salvage his pride and FC Groningen's, eventually abdicated his position. Rudi gave a deeper thought of a big leap to big-time management as he sipped his mocha latte. Suddenly, he received a call on his cellphone from an unknown caller.

Rudi: Hello?
Male Voice: Hello. Is this Rudi de von Ausfern?
Rudi: This is him speaking. Who am I speaking to?
Male Voice: I'm speaking on behalf of FC Groningen Board of Directors. It seems we have received news of someone recommending you for the job as our trainer.
Rudi: Okay...
Male Voice: Why don't we meet at Euroborg tomorrow at 1PM? Then we can discuss about our vision for the club.
Rudi: I'll be there.

Rudi was dead chuffed. Whoever recommended him to the job must be someone significant. Following the call, he went home and did his research on FC Groningen. Later that night, he stumbled upon a player named Fandi Ahmad, who became the first Singaporean to make a mark in Dutch football, particularly Groningen. Impressed by his exploits, from his goal against Inter-Milan in Europe to winning the hearts of fans of Groningen, Rudi was determined to bring in a Singaporean to FC Groningen should he be trainer.

------------------------

30th December 2006, 1PM

"Rudi de von Ausfern, good afternoon," the same voice who called him yesterday greeted Rudi on the seats of Euroborg.

"Pleased to meet you..." Rudi greeted him back, trying to get the name of his interviewer.

"You can call me Hans."

After a brief cross-talk about Groningen's history, the grilling began. "So Rudi, what is your vision for Groningen?" Hans asked.

Rudi gave a brief thought before replying. "My vision for Groningen is for the club to compete in Europe every season, and I think with the current players and some new ones, I believe that we can achieve my vision."

Hans nodded. "What ideas can you bring to the style of football in Euroborg?"

"Hard-working and united. In my tactical concept, I want all of my players to play as a unit - everyone defends as a unit, everyone attacks as a unit. The forwards to track back and defend, while my defenders help out in the attack. To me, that is how I want my team to play."

After another few rounds of questioning, Hans thanked Rudi for coming over for the interview. "We will keep in touch with you soon," Hans said.