EPL Dec 2017 - 18

Arsenal  1  Man Utd  3

It was a thoroughly satisfying win for Mourinho at the Emirates ending Wenger 12 match unbeaten streak. The statistics showed 33 Arsenal shots vs 8 for Utd and yet the Red Devils won with their brilliant counter attack game. Lingard scored a brace with Valencia starting the goal rush. World class De Gea stopped a record 14 shots!! Only black mark was the red card for Progba, who will be ruled out of the derby next week, for a stud up challenge on Bellerin.

Meanwhile, Man City edged on with another late win, 2-1 over West Ham to lead by 8 points.

The Red Devils qualified for the Knockout stage of the UCL at a canter when they came from behind to beat CSKA Moscow 2-1 to top the group.

Man Utd  2  CSKA Moscow 1

Manchester Derby at Old Trafford

The power shift is now towards the Blue half of Manchester as Citizens beat the Red Devils 2-1 with little effort. It brought to a halt of Utd's 40 unbeaten home games and set a league record of 14 consecutive wins for City. More worrying is the 11 points separating the runaway leader City and second place United. It is a very bitter blow to and humiliation for Jose Mourinho and the Red Devils.

Man Utd  1 Man City  2

The Red Devils recovered from their weekend disappointment with a narrow 1-0 win over Bournemouth. Lukaku scored.

Man Utd  1   Bournemouth 0

The Red Devils remained 11 points behind the high flying Citizens in second place even though they beat a poor WBA at the Hawthorns 2-1. Lukaku scored his 10th PL goal. This is the 3rd and last match without the suspended Progba.

WBA 1  Man Utd  2

The Red Devils were stunned by an injury time goal to lose 1-2 away to Championship side Bristol City in the Q-finals of the Carabao Cup. Jose Mourinho said that his players 'did not turn up in the office' in this humiliating defeat. Zlatan scored his first goal since his comeback from injury. Bristol City will now meet Man City in one semifinal while Arsenal and Chelsea meet in the other.

Bristol City  2   Man Utd  1

The Red Devils received a second consecutive sucker punch at King Power Stadium when 10-man Leicester held them to a 2-2 draw. The Foxes scored in the last minute of injury time to draw, leaving the Red Devils a further 13 points away from runaway leader City. Jose Mourinho chided his team to be 'childish' in attack and defence, in a match which they should have won comfortably.

Leicester 2   Man Utd  2

Another late goal drama. This time, United was chasing the game after 2-0 down against Burnley at Old Trafford. Jesse Lingard scored both goals, the equalising goal at the 91st minute. Utd could be 15 points behind City if the Citizens win their later match against Newcastle, as expected.

Man Utd  2  Burnley  2

2017 ended sourly for the Red Devils in the 3rd successive draws which left them further behind Man City and dropped to 3rd behind a resurgent Chelsea. Lulaku was carried off with a head injury. A very very disappointing and frustrating time for Red Devils fans.

Man Utd  0   Southampton  0

EPL Nov 2017 - 18

UCL : The Red Devils duly qualified to the KO stage of the Champions League by beating Benfica again. Benfica's teenage goalkeeper Silve  again gifted the Red Devils with an own goal

Man Utd 2  Benfica  0

Jose Mourinho still cannot get one over his former club and employer and his bitter rival Conte when they lost 1-0 at Stamford Road even though the Blues had a disaster midweek against Roma. The  Red Devils are now 8 points behind the rampant Man City side. The goal was scored by Man Utd reject, Alvero Morata!!

Chelsea 1  Man Utd  0

Man Utd 4  Newcastle 1
Rafa Benitez's Toons have no replies to a rampaging Red Devils though they scored first. Zlatan Ibrahimovic made his first appearance this season and nearly scored with a volley!!

UCL Group Match 5

Basel  1 Man Utd  0
Rio Ferdinand blasted the Red Devils for being 'unprofessional' in this 1-0 defeat. The Red Devils needed a result in their last group match against CSKA in order to qualify to the KO stage. Marcos Rojo came back from long term injury just like Zlatan.

Newly promoted Brighton & HA provided Mourinho's side the 'toughtest test' though the Red Devils prevailed with a lucky deflected Young's goal.

Man Utd  1 Brighton HA  0

Midweek 13a

Watford 2  Man Utd  4
A potential 'banana skin' match was avoided when Ashley Young scored a brace in the 4-2 victory. However, Man City maintained their 8 point lead at the top with a 96th minute winner against Southampton, 2-1. Next week, Arsenal at Emirates!!

EPL Oct 2017-18

The big match : Liverpool vs Man Utd after the international break ended in a similar 0-0 draw like last season's. It was a stifling display at Anfield which left Klopp who had only statistics to show dominance, frustrated.

Liverpool 0 Man Utd  0

UCL Group match 3
The Red Devils are on the verge of qualifying for the knockout phase with this 3rd win in a row.

Benfica  0  Man Utd  1

The Red Devils suffered an embarassing first defeat of the season in lowly Huddersfield. This is the first victory that the Terriers has tasted since 1952!!! After the game, Mourinho blasted his players for their very poor display and that the 'defeat is the punishment', that the 'attitude of the players was poor throughout'.

Huddersfield  2   Man Utd   1

Carabao Cup 4th Round

Swansea 0  Man Utd  2

A victory into the quarter final of the EFL Cup somewhat soothed the pain of earlier shock loss against Huddersfield

Man Utd 1  Tottenham Hotspurs 0

A satisfying win for Mourinho to shut his critics up as the Red Devils edged their nearest rival by a Martial's late goal

EPL Sept 2017 18

Week 4

The 'test' which Mourinho wanted after three relatively easy wins, was given by Stoke who lead and then equalised late in the second half to take the deserved draw. The highlight of the game was Mourinho's handshake snub of Mark Hughes' as he felt that the latter wanted the referee to send him off to the stand during the match.

Stoke  2   Man Utd  2

Week 4 Goals

UCL
Man Utd are back!!!! Easily disposed off Basel 3-0  in the first game. Lukaku continued scoring.

Man Utd   3   Basel  0

The Red Devils kept up with the winning run by spoiling Rooney's homecoming. Lukaku continued his consecutive scoring spree. Valencia's early wonder goal did not start the 4-0 rout as the Red Devils left it very late to score the other three goals.

Man Utd  4   Everton  0

Week 5 Goals

League Cup 3rd Round

Man Utd  4  Burton  1

Romelu Lukaku continued his scoring spree with his eight goal of the season in this narrow win at St Mary's

Southampton  0  Man Utd  1

UCL Game 2
The Red Devils trashed CSKA Moscow 4-1 in Russia. Lukaku scored a first half brace.

Week 7

Another 4-0 win and a Lukaku goal against the hapless & bottom Eagles under new manager, Roy Hodgson. 

Man Utd 4    Crystal Palace 0

Two weeks international break after this.

EPL August 2017-18

UEFA Supercup 2017 : Real Madrid vs Man Utd 9 Aug 

The Red Devils started the season in the UEFA Supercup which pitches Champion League winner against the Europa Cup winner

Real Madrid 2   vs    Man Utd  1

Romelu Lukaku opened his account

Man Utd 4  West Ham 0

Lukaku continued his great form with a brace at Old Trafford, Utd finally winning 4-0. Meanwhile champions Chelsea crashed 2-3 to Burnley at home. A disastrous first match for Conte.

Match 2
Once again, the strike force delivered another 4-0 victory against a weakened Swansea team. Lukaku and Progba continued their scoring spree.

Swansea 0  Man Utd  4

Match 3
The Red Devils, like last season, won its 3rd consecutive game. This time, they did not concede any. Rashford and Fellaini opened their account in this match against Leicester. Lukaku missed a penalty thus stopping his scoring spree.

Man Utd 2  Leicester  0

EPL Week 3 Highlights

Stories from the Relics of the 50s & 60s

These are the records which I managed to retrieve from my mother's cupboard, documenting some part of my parent's life in the 50s and 60s.

My father went to Raffles Institution in the late 40s from Outram but it seemed that he did not complete the full years there. He took a Diploma in Bible Studies and later took the external (British) Accountancy course and examinations.

  The Diploma my father obtained through correspondence school 1950

A letter of Recommendation in 1950

 Leaving certificate 1950s

Application for exemption in his Accountancy Course 1956

 My father's Birth Certificate 1930s

Job application for post of Inspector in the Police force 1950

Meanwhile my mother enrolled into evening class in the early 50s

List of LPs in my father's collection

He finally found a job as a Clerk in Singapore Harbour Board (SHB) at Keppel area. His annual salary was $3240 in 1956 till $3986 in 1962, a raise of $750 in 7 years!!

My father's detailed records of the Salary Scale and the salaries of some of the SHB Workers then in the early 1960s.

The Pass to the SHB Dockyard area was renewed every 6 months

        He kept the receipts of the SHB Staff Association membership

Vaccination cards in the 50s and 60s

Record of collections from colleagues at SHB 1963

We lived in Margaret Drive after moving out from grandfather's place at Silat Road. It was a large 3-room 3-storey SIT flat where the present Dawson flats are being built.

 1958 Rental agreement with SIT for 242A Margaret Drive

Receipt for payment of rental 1958

Envelop to a past competition in the 60s where hair grooming was important

 Poll Card for General Election in the 60s

A receipt for gold purchase in the 60s

Insurance Certificate 1960s

Primary school's School fees receipts in the 60s

In August 1963 when my father passed away, we (my mother and a brood of 4 sons) have to move out of Margaret Drive to a much smaller unit at Blk 5 Bukit Ho Swee. It was a SINGLE room unit with communal toilets. A couple years later, these few blocks were demolished and we moved to a unit at nearby Block 13 which came with our own toilet!! Presently Boon Tiong HDB blocks occupied the area where Block 13 was.

Appeal for remission of my school fee in secondary school

Even in the dark times, my mother's application for an Istana job was rejected after the interview. She finally found a job at The Botanic Gardens.

PUB receipt during our stay in Bukit Ho Swee

Fortunately the Social Welfare Department gave us a monthly allowance to see us through the dark days.

Man Utd in May 2017

Fatigue is setting in...another two injuries during this game, Bailly and Luke Shaw. The Utd's back line is now down to bare bones. They laboured over relegation threatened Swansea at Old Trafford. This is their 10th home draw of the season...a record of sort. The chase for top 4 is getting tougher though Man City also drew and Arsenal lost later. 

On Thursday it is Europa League semi final against Celta in Spain

Man Utd 1  Swansea 1

Europa League Semi-final first leg

Marcus Rashford scored a stunning freekick goal to enable the Red Devils to leave Spain with an important away goal. It is now back to England for Sunday's clash with Arsenal in the PL.

Celta Vigo 0 Man Utd  1

The Red Devils unbeaten run since October last year ended at Emirates when Arsenal won 2-0. Mourinho's priority is on the Europa League semi-final on Thursday against Celta Vigo and his side showed their non-commitment to this game.

Arsenal 2  Man Utd 0

Europa League Semi final 2nd leg 11 May 2017

The Red Devils just edged out Celta Vigo by an aggregate of 2-1 to enter the final against a youthful Ajax Amsterdam. Fellaini gave them an early lead. However as usual, they could not kill off the opposition, allowing Celta to equalise on 85th. The last 5 minutes was highlighted with a double red card, one from each side. Eric Bailly will miss the final.

Man Utd 1  Celta Vigo 1

As Tottenham Hotspurs leaves their White Hart Lane for the last time to move to a new Stadium, the Red Devils' focus was definitely on the Europa League final in 2 weeks time. Jose Mourinho allowed his side to lose two matches in a row to give up the fight for a UCL place through the PL. Spurs meanwhile confirmed their 2nd place as Chelsea has already secured the title with two games to go, with a win over WBA on Friday.

Tottenham Hotspurs  2   Man Utd  1

This meaningless match ended goalless at St Mary. The only thing of note was Romero saving a Gabbiadini penalty. The Red Devils are saving themselves for the Europa League final. Fancy Mourinho playing the 'boys' in the last match against Crystal Palace before the final.

Southampton  0  Man Utd  0

Last week of season

As promised, Mourinho fielded his 'kids' in this inconsequential match against Palace at Old Trafford. and they did not disappoint though Allardyce fielded his full strength squad. He gave debuts to players like Joel Castro, Demetri Mitchell, Axel Tuanzebe, Josh Harrop, Angel Gomes. Scott McTominay also started. It was Harrop who shone with a classy goal from a Progba pass. Progba scored the second before substituted at half time to save him for Europa League final.

Final league standing

1. Chelsea

2. Tottenham Hotspurs

3. Man City

4. Liverpool

5. Arsenal

6. Man Utd

Arsene Wenger's Arsenal missed out an UCL spot for the first time in 20 years.

Man Utd  2  Crystal Palace  0

Europa League Final at Stockholm, Sweden 24 May 2017

So, Jose Mourinho's first season with the Red Devils is considered a success!!! Two Cups and the Community Shield would have shut up most critics.

The Devils did just enough to win 2-0 against a very young Ajax Amsterdam side and thus qualified for a spot in the UCL nest season. Paul Progba paid back a huge sum of his $89M fee with the opening goal. Man Utd thus became the fourth European team to have won all the major UEFA competitions, others being Ajax, Juventus and Bayern Munich.

Ajax  0    Man Utd  2

The 2016-17 season thus ended with only Chelsea vs Arsenal in the FA Cup final on Sunday

Diaries from the Past - RI Soccer 1982 - 1984 The Lean Years

After the Pre U students left to form RJC, lean years followed the RI soccer in the U14 and U17 tournaments until I left the school at the end of 1985. However I still have some records of the results for that few years.Not much was heard about soccer in RI since then......

1982 - Year of the Dog
 U14
5 Feb      vs Monk's Hill       0-1
10 Feb    vs Whitley            0-1
11 Feb    vs Swiss Cottage  0-0

Out of tournament

U17        
5 Feb        vs SJI                1-2
11 Feb      vs PPVI              1-2

Ortega Cup vs SJI               0-1

1983 - Year of the Pig

U14
31 Jan    Friendly   vs Assumption English   2-1
11 Feb   vs Gan Eng Seng         0-2
18 Feb   vs Henderson Sec        1-0
22 Feb   vs Anderson Sec          1-5
25 Feb   vs SJI                         0-2
Did not qualify for 2nd Rd

U17
28 Jan    Friendly vs ACS                  2-1
31 Jan Friendly vs Assumption          2-0
4 Feb   Return Friendly vs ACS          0-2
8 Feb    vs Anderson                        1-2
11 Feb  vs Kim Seng Tech                0-2
22 Feb  vs Christchurch Sec             0-0
Did not qualify for 2nd Rd

1984 - Year of the Rat

U14
20 Feb     vs Henderson          0-2
5 Mar       vs Kim Seng Tech    9-0
7 Mar       vs Anderson Sec      0-0
19 Mar     vs Rangoon Sec       0-0
Did not qualify for 2nd Rd

U17
2 Mar       vs St Thomas          1-1
5 Mar       vs Henderson Sec    1-2
Did not qualify for 2nd Rd

Really dreadful records for these three years!!!!!!

Diaries from the Past - RI Soccer 1981

1981 Year of the Cockerel
The Post Sec tournament was renamed U18 to reflect the age groups as there were quite a number of 'over-aged' boys in the VIs. Similarly, the B and C tournament were renamed U16 and U14.
Usual centralised training was held from 16th to 19th March. Azlan trained the U14 while Kalidass and Emran the U16

U16 Soccer
23 Jan Friendly vs   SAF Boys            0-1
9 Feb Friendly vs Gan Eng Seng        1-1

18 Feb    vs Tiong Bahru Sec            4-1
27 Feb    vs Catholic High                 3-1 (see report below)

2 March    vs Rangoon Road Sec      9-4 (See report)

4 March    vs Swiss Cottage Sec       0-0
6 March    vs Monk's Hill Sec            0-1
Qualifuied for Q-finals
13 Apr      vs Yusoff Ishak Sec          0-3

29 May  Ortega Cup vs SJI               2-3


U14 Soccer
18 Feb      vs  Gan Eng Seng         10-0 (see Straits Times report)
20 Feb      vs Anderson Sec           1-1
25 Feb      vs Bukit Ho Swee Sec   2-1 (all goals scored by BHS players!!)
4 March    vs Swiss Cottage          3-2 (Lee Siang, Ganesan, Pek Kong Wah)

Qualified for 2nd Round
26 Mar     vs Dunearn Sec             1-1 (Uda Thith)
30 Mar     vs Sec                            2-2 (Mustaffa, Lee Siang)
2 Apr        vs Westlake Sec           2-0 (Izan, Lee Siang)
Qualified for Q-finals
10 Apr     vs Mt Vernon Sec          2-1 (Izan, Mustaffa)
14 Apr     vs Upper Serangoon Sec  0-2
16 Apr     vs Mei Chin Sec             0-4
KO in Q-finals

Standing:  Abdul Malik, Mustaffa Kamal, Fuad, S Ganesan, Andrew, Robert Ong, Pek Kong Wah, Nor Hisham, Sofjan Sukman
Squating : Fazlur, Maritz, Razif, Uda Thith, Nabil, Ibrahim, Izan Sidek, Rafik, Chan Tat Hon
Absent: Lee Siang

Back row:  Fazlur, Rafik, Sofjan, Ganesan, Izan Sidek, Razif, Pek Kong Wah, Nor Hisham, Mustaffa
Front Row: Andrew, Fuad, Abdul Malik, Nabil, Chan Tat Hon, Ibrahim, Maritz, Uda Thith, Robert Ong

U14 Team photo taken at SJI field, Bras Brasah 29 June 1981
Back row: Maritz, Fuad, Sofjan, Andrew, Lee Siang, Fazlur, Peck Kong Wah, Mustaffa, Hisham
Front: Razif, Ibrahim, Izan, Ganesan, Robert Ong, Uda Thith, Chan Tat Hon

j

U18 Tournament Full Results

26 March   vs Umar Palavar Tamil   8-0 {Teo L H (6), Ravi (2)}

2 Apr         vs SAJC                       5-0 {Teo L H (3), Ravi (2)}

6 Apr         vs Rangoon Road Sec   6-0 {Teo L H (4), Pereira, Swarnapala}

9 Apr         vs Balestier Hill            5-0 {Wong C K, Teo L H (2), Ravi (2)}

23 Apr       vs Monk's Hill               3-0 {Teo L H, Ravi, Khanisan}

2nd Round

27 Apr       vs Siglap Sec                2-1 {Teo L H (2)}

29 Apr       vs Boys Town VI           5-1 {Teo L H (3), Wong C K (1), Chan K F (1)}

5 May         vs Serangoon Sec        1-1 {Teo L H}

Q-finals

11 May       vs CJC                        1-1 {Teo L H }

2 July         vs Sang Nila Utama     2-2 {Teo L H, Wong C K }

4 July         vs Tun Seri Lanang      3-0 {Teo L H (2) Wong C K}

Semi-final

8 July         vs Serangoon Sec        2-1 (Chan Kok Fatt, Teo Liang Huat)

(See New Nation report)

17 July 1981 U18 Soccer Final at Jln Besar Stadium

This was the final year which RI fielded a Post Sec team. 1982 would see the separation and then the beginning of RJC.

RI 3 (Wong Chin Koon, Richard Pereira, Teo Liang Huat)   

Catholic Junior College 0

1981 Finals Lineup

Ang Pooh Eng (GK), Saharuruddin (LB), Boey Yin Cheong (RB), Richard Pereira (Sweeper), Woon Hin Keng (Stopper), Kanesan (MF), Ravi Chandran (MF), Swarnapala (MF), Chan Kok Fatt (RWing), Wong Chin Koon (LWing), Teo Liang Huat (Striker)

Sub: Khaider (16) for Kanesan

After the final at Jln Besar Stadium

Before the final at Jln Besar Stadium

 White away strip

Green Home strip

Our dear coach, the late Suhaimi

Diaries from the Past - RI Soccer 1980

1980
A new decade. However it was a wretched year for RI soccer especially the C boys.

U18 Soccer
30 Jan Friendly  vs NJC            3-1
27 Mar     vs SAJC                   3-3
2 April      vs STI                     2-1
8 April      vs Victoria School     0-4
11 April    vs Ponggol VI           1-0
Qualified for next round

15 April   vs Pasir Panjang VI    0-1
18 April   vs CJC                      0-1
21 April   vs Madrasah             0-2


'B' Soccer
4 Feb     vs Catholic High       5-0  (Liang Huat (3), Ravi, Yoke Keong)
7 Feb     vs Christchurch Sec  2-1
10 Feb   vs Swiss Cottage      0-1
14 Feb   vs Bukit Ho Swee     1-1
21 Feb   vs Whitley Sec         8-0 
27 Feb   vs Balestier Hill        1-1
1 Mar     vs Tiong Bahru Sec  2-1
Qualified for 2nd round 
25 Mar   vs Kaki Bukit           0-1
27 Mar                                 3-3 
31 Mar   vs Serangoon Sec    0-0
2 April    vs Dunearn Tech     2-2          
7 April    vs Newtown Sec      2-2
Did not qualify for 3rd round

Ortega Cup vs SJI     1-3

'C' Soccer
7 Feb     vs  Henderson Sec   1-4
11 Feb   vs  SJI                    2-4 
14 Feb   vs  Bukit Merah Sec 1-7             

Diaries from the Past - RI Soccer 1979

All eyes were on RI, the defending champion, this year. Only Emran Yusoff and Tan Eng Teng were left from the 1978 squad, from which the 1979 squad were built upon. As usual, a 3-day centralised training was conducted in mid-March.


Stdg R - L
Azhar Omar, Emran Yusoff, Lim Chin, M Azni, Pang Kim Soon, ____, William See, Billy Ng, Tan Eng Teng, Pavan Kumar
Sitting
Mustafa Sidek, Shah Alam, Lim Eng Lee, Wee Way Kiat, Chiew Shung Hon, Zahari Mohamed, Chew Wai Cheong, Thong Kok Hung, Chew Sin Cheong, Koh Wei Howe

1979

The tournament began in late March after the school holidays.

26 Mar     vs SVI                     1-0

28 Mar     vs Swiss Cottage    1-2

(This match was headlined on the sending off of Swiss striker Schelkis, see Straits Times Report below)
2 April      vs Nanyang J C      4-1

4 April    vs   Outram Sec    2-1      ( Qualified for the Q-finals, See New Nation Report below)

Q-finals

20 April  vs Ponggol V I   2-0 (See New Nation Report below about Billy Ng)

23 April  Q-finals 2nd match    vs Victoria  1-0 (New Nation Report below)

25 April  Q-finals 3rd match vs Ponggol VI   0-0

27 April  Semifinal vs Swiss Cottage (New Nation report below)

2 May 1979  3rd /4th placing  vs Boys' Town VI

1-1 after full time then extra time (Emran scored with a freekick)

Won 3rd place by penalty kicks 3-1

U16 Results

5 Feb   vs Umar Palavar       5-0

9 Feb   vs Gan Eng Seng       0-1

14 Feb  vs Catholic High       4-0

16 Feb  vs Henderson Sec    2-1

20 Feb  vs Anderson Sec      0-0

22 Feb  vs  Monk's Hill         1-7

28 Feb  vs Whitley Sec         0-0

Did not qualify for the next round

1979 RI B Soccer team

U14 Results

5 Feb     vs Whitley Sec        3-2

12 Feb   vs Anderson Sec     1-1

19 Feb   vs Balestier Hill      5-0

26 Feb   vs Gan Eng Seng    0-3

2nd Round

26 Mar   vs Tun Seri Lanang   2-2

30 Mar   vs Montfort               1-4

2 April   vs Tg Katong Tech    0-3

Did not qualify for 3rd Round