Monday, July 08, 2013
Middlesex, Medan and Marah Halim Cup
Twitter is a buzz. Indonesia only really fell for English
football in the last eight years or so. Before that the Italian game was very
much in vogue and replica shirts from Milan and Juventus were more widespread
than Manchester United and Liverpool.
Just as Indonesia came to the EPL party late so the EPL is
discovering Indonesia late with three clubs, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool
touching down over the next fortnight or so.
Arsenal are first and fans across the country are twittering
reminders and arrangements as they prepare to take to the country’s creaking
roads and rails to get to Jakarta in time for the game Sunday plus various
other activities they have lined up.
The players of today are well known. The likes of Walcott,
Terry and Gerrard stare moodlily and meanly down from billboards across
Jakarta; back in 1983, the last time Arsenal visited, no one would have recognized
the likes of Raphael Meade, Rhys Wilmott or Terry Lee.
There is one English team though who were quite regular
visitors to Indonesia during the 1980s. Only, this team have no website, no
supporters and incredibly, in this cyber day and age, no Wikipedia entry!
The team is Middlesex Wanderers, a hotchpotch of non league
players brought together during the summer months for a tour overseas, a
tradition that had begun in 1905 and it so happened 1988 was there centenary
tour. And to celebrate they were invited to the North Sumatran city of Medan,
famous for not much really beyond being
close to some very nice places.
The occasion was the Marah Halim Cup, an annual event that
had first been held in 1972 and usually featured a handful of Indonesian clubs
alongside some Asian teams and selections.
Middlesex Wanderers had been twice before, losing in the
1984 final against Iraq’a Al Jaish on penalties and to a South Korea XI 12
month later 2-1.
1988 they were going for third time lucky.
Not much is known about the competition that year and I am
having to make do with the brilliant www.rsssf.com
as well as the Official FA Non League Club Directory 1989.
Apparently there were eight teams taking part with Middlesex
Wanderers drawn with Hungary Under 21, Indonesia Under 23 and Hallelujah from
South Korea. The other would have featured PSMS, they were the hosts after all,
along with a Japan XI.
The Middlesex team were drawn from across the non league
with clubs like Billingham Synthonia, Kidderminster Harriers and even Scottish
club Queen’s Park represented.
There were some familiar names who made the long trip east. In
goal was Andy Pape, with Enfield at the time but seemed to line up for pretty
much every club with a goal kick of the M25 during almost two decades in the
game including a solitary appearance for Queen’s Park Rangers.
Defender Paul Rogers was just making his name with Sutton
United and would return from Indonesia to star in their giant killing over
Coventry City in the FA Cup, catapulting him into the nation’s consciousness at
a time when the Cup received more publicity and hype than today. He was later
signed by Sheffield United, Notts County, Wigan Athletic and Brighton and Hove
Albion.
Another familiar name was Steve Butler who had enjoyed a
prolific season with Maidstone United hitting 31 goals in all competitions before
joining the backpacker trail to Indonesia.
The Wanderers were unable to repeat the success of their
earlier visits though.
They lost their first game on 27 May against the Hungarians
2-1 with Butler scoring their only goal before drawing with Indonesia Under 23
1-1 in their second game, Stafford Rangers’ Gary Simpson getting on the
scoresheet. Simpson currently manages Lincoln City in the Conference, English
football’s fifth tier.
Their last game came against the Koreans, Hallelujah and it
was definitely hallelujah for the Wanderers as they finally managed their first
win with Kidderminster Harrier’s prolific Paul Davies getting the only goal.
Davies had been released early in his career by Cardiff City
but went on to enjoy a 16 year spell with Harriers, scoring 307 goals in 656
games. Plus one for the Wanderers in Medan!
The poor results meant Wanderers failed to get through to
the semi finals. A Japan XI eventually defeated PSMS 3-1 in the final but in a
sign of the times the Wanderers decided against returning home early and went
on a road trip, taking in two more friendlies!
Just imagine Arsene Wenger doing that this summer!
They headed north in the province of Aceh and played a game
against some outfit called PT Arun, a state owned enterprise based n
Lhokseumawe. And won 13-2 with hat tricks for Butler and Davies.
Their final game came against PSI Bireuen. At least that is
what the Non League Directory says. I’m gonna go out on a limb and suggest this
is in actual fact PSSB who now play in Divisi Utama. Wanderers ended on a high
overcoming PSSB 2-1 with goals from Crooks and Boyland.
And there you have it. A little known tour by a little known
team. Thrilling, romantic stuff and a far cry from the highly choreographed appearances
by today’s superstars.
# posted by Me @ 1:29 PM 
