October 4, 2004

They braved the afternoon rain and even the police at the National Stadium but Tampines Rovers' die-hard fans were duly rewarded when their team completed the club's first League and Cup double after a 4-1 win over Home United.

As promised by Tampines' chairman Teo Hock Seng, the stadium was a sea of yellow and black, with Tampines fans outnumbering their Home counterparts 3 to 1.

The Home fans may have had the assistance of the police band, but it was the yellow-fever which took over Kallang.

Stags fans were even responsible for a brief sideshow midway in the first half when when a small group of cheerleaders stripped to reveal yellow and black bikinis but policemen on duty ended their peek-a-boo sideshow by ordering the girls to put on their shirts.

Nevertheless that failed to dampen their spirits as the cheers continued long into the night.

As Aidi Abas, a Tampines die-hard fan who has attended every Tampines home game since 1996, said he is ecstatic as this is their first double & they have worked very hard for it.

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan, who was among those decked in yellow, also found it hard to hide his emotions.

Mr Mah said no more jinx for him. Mr Mah, who used to stay away from Tampines games as they never won whenever he attended a match.

Mr Mah's Tampines GRC colleague Yatiman Yusoff, Senior Parliamentary Secretary of Information, Communications and the Arts who led the Tampines fans yesterday, paid tribute to the supporters.

He said credit must go to them (Stags fans) as they have been fantastic all year round & the win is as much theirs as the team.

The mood was understandably more subdued for the Home United fans.

Ahmad Mohamed Noor, a member of the Home United Fan Club, put on a brave face, saying he is still happy as it was hard as they  were down to 10 men and lost 2 key players.