Courtesy: Electric Paper


MEET THE FUTSAL 'UNCLES'

By Ashikin Hashim

THEY'RE called the Serangoon Uncles.

But before you start imagining the stereotype, get this.

They're all below the age of 40 and are in fact, brimming with youthful ardour.

At least, that was what they exuded when The New Paper met them.

'Calling ourselves 'Serangoon Uncles' was something of a joke,' explained Vincent Khoo, 34, a trust bank officer, who doubles as the team's coordinator.

'We didn't want things to get too serious. After all, it's about playing football. Let's face it - we're not professional players.'

Nevertheless, the Uncles' love for the game started in 1999, while they were studying at the University of Sydney, Australia.

'Those were definitely good times,' recalled Joseph Festin, 30, a banker by profession and long-time 'uncle'.

'There used to be a tournament in Sydney called the Easter Cup and it was held at Victoria Park. Local students from the universities would play against foreigners like us.'

It was the adrenalin rush that came from playing competitively that eventually cemented their love for the game.

'We had so much fun playing in Sydney. It was very a different experience, everything from the weather to the people we met there,' added Khoo.


And that spurred them to continue playing football upon their return to Singapore in 2001.

When the Uncles set foot here, they found the conditions very much different from what they were used to in Sydney - luscious greenery and cool weather.

Instead, they had to make do with a grass patch located at Serangoon Avenue.

'We took on a very 'kampung' way of playing football. We had makeshift goalposts made of pipes and even brought in orange cones. Everything was done with fun in mind,' said Eng Hwee, 33, a sales manager.

And despite some drastic changes, the ever-obliging players were still determined to have their weekly kickabouts.

'We didn't join a league and with our busy schedules, we thought it'd be better to play among ourselves,' said Khoo.

Not that they were being anti-social, of course.

Indeed, the Uncles recently opened their doors to newly recruited 'uncles', in the form of colleagues and friends.

One of their latest additions is Scott Brennan, 29, a bank trust officer and a colleague of Khoo's.

He hails from Jersey, one of the islands in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy.

Brennan arrived in Singapore eight months ago and he recalled how he was wheedled to join the Uncles.

'The deal was basically sealed over a plate of chicken rice and lime juice,' he recalled.

LAID-BACK

And just like that, he became part of the team.

Yes, their fairly laidback approach to football has the other players hooked.

Brennan said: 'I'm enjoying it here so far. The guys have welcomed me and it feels fantastic to kick about leisurely after a long work week.'

Today, the Uncles have 15 players, of whom 12 regularly turn up.

In December last year, bad weather forced them to leave their dismal Serangoon grass patch for the new futsal courts along the East Coast Park stretch.

'The rain got in the way of us playing field football on Sundays. So we moved to sheltered futsal courts,' said Khoo.

For the Uncles, it's not about creative footwork or techniques when it comes to their football.

Eng said with a laugh: 'Like true uncles, we complain about everything.

'Instead of running for the ball, some of the players stand still and ask for the ball to be passed to them.'

Then again, who says you need to be technically adept to be a weekend warrior?





Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com