September 13, 2004

League Tampines Rovers are 1 victory away from winning their first-ever S-League championship but, whatever the final outcome is, the 2004 season will forever be etched in the hearts of Tampines fans.

44-year-old Stags fan, Tan Yew Hock said even if Tampines Rovers do not win the title this season, the fans will be happy, as the commitment & entertainment the team have provided has been fantastic. The players gave them good entertaining football every week playing their best in every game & they have done the Stags proud so what more can a fan ask for especially as the team have already performed beyond expectations this season

However in the end he did admitted if they fail to win, fans will be a little disappointed as they have come so far but in their hearts, they will still be champions as this team did not flattered to deceive on the field like the others which were only strong on paper.

Indeed talk to any Tampines fan & they will tell you what a remarkable season it has been for them.

Stags supporter Desmond Tay, 39 said if somebody had told him in March that Tampines Rovers would be the S-League champions; he would have said you are crazy

Perhaps as when one look at the Tampines Rovers team list one will find several players close to their sell-by dates like veterans like Mirko Grabovac, Nazri Nasir, Steven Tan, Rafi Ali, Zulkarnaen Zainal, Rezal Hassan, Azhar Salleh & Choketawee Promrut are all in the twilight of their careers.

Surely a bunch of "oldies" could not form a championship-winning side but how the veterans have proved all the doubters wrong.

Tay was 1 of those who were skeptical but now, everybody know that it was quite a good move to sign players who have done it all before as players like Mirko, Nazri & Rezal have won the league many times with SAFFC & they have brought with them the experience needed to win championships.

Another fan, Abdul Halim, attribute Stags success new coach Vorawan Chitavanich, who has transformed "Dad's Army" into a solid unit which has become so hard to beat.  

He said they have observed from the training sessions that coach Vorawan is a disciplinarian so no matter how big a football star you are, you cannot fool around with Vorawan & there were many times when the team played badly, but still managed to win because the players never gave up.

No doubt no matter what happens against Albirex this Thursday, or Woodlands next week, Tampines Rovers have already won the hearts of their fans & ihat in itself is a huge victory, already.