Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Persitara North Jakarta v Persita Tangerang
I was looking forward to actually reporting on a game for a change but things ain't that simple, not in the wild and wacky world that is Indonesian football.
Apparently there was a meeting last night. At this meeting it was decided that this fixture would be played behind closed doors! Don't ask me why...perhaps there were incidents at the first leg. Anyway, the powers that be decreed and that was it. Or so they thought.
Today come kick off and a reasonable midweek crowd filled the Kamal Muara Stadium blissfully unaware they shouldn't actually be there. Perhaps the ban was imposed because this week is exam time at schools across the country. It's academic why the ban was imposed, they told no one about it! What's the bloody point of issuing such an order the night before the game? How the hell did they expect the message to get out? Semaphore??? Personally ring every fan? Post it on non existant club websites?
So on TV we had the unedifying picture of fans, who should have at least basic telepathy 101 so they can know about these things, sporting their club colours, singing their songs in a place they shouldn't be. We had players sitting on their bums on the grass - what would Arsene say about that eh? Get stretching lads! We had officials looking official and scratching their heads. It all looked pathetic to the nth degree and not a good advertisment for the game here.
Of course the paying fan will readily accept the explanation as to why the game was called off. The disappointed paying fan would wait politely for their angkot home. 6,000 disgruntled football fans milling the streets in Cengkareng. I'm sure glad I don't have to go to the airport today. I'm going in two weeks time. We're off to Germany, perhaps look at a few cuckoo clocks. Perhaps I should buy a few and bring them back here. To Cloud Cuckoo Land...
Apparently there was a meeting last night. At this meeting it was decided that this fixture would be played behind closed doors! Don't ask me why...perhaps there were incidents at the first leg. Anyway, the powers that be decreed and that was it. Or so they thought.
Today come kick off and a reasonable midweek crowd filled the Kamal Muara Stadium blissfully unaware they shouldn't actually be there. Perhaps the ban was imposed because this week is exam time at schools across the country. It's academic why the ban was imposed, they told no one about it! What's the bloody point of issuing such an order the night before the game? How the hell did they expect the message to get out? Semaphore??? Personally ring every fan? Post it on non existant club websites?
So on TV we had the unedifying picture of fans, who should have at least basic telepathy 101 so they can know about these things, sporting their club colours, singing their songs in a place they shouldn't be. We had players sitting on their bums on the grass - what would Arsene say about that eh? Get stretching lads! We had officials looking official and scratching their heads. It all looked pathetic to the nth degree and not a good advertisment for the game here.
Of course the paying fan will readily accept the explanation as to why the game was called off. The disappointed paying fan would wait politely for their angkot home. 6,000 disgruntled football fans milling the streets in Cengkareng. I'm sure glad I don't have to go to the airport today. I'm going in two weeks time. We're off to Germany, perhaps look at a few cuckoo clocks. Perhaps I should buy a few and bring them back here. To Cloud Cuckoo Land...
# posted by Me @ 4:31 PM 
