Speaking from a 60 year old's perspective
There are some moments in life that we wouldn't want to miss. Like our kids' convocation ceremony. Like our wives' wedding. Like Hwa Chong Student Council 35th Reunion. Like Beckham's 100th cap...
Beckham's 100th cap
Inside the Stade de France on 26 Mar 08.
Gigantic French jersey whose sole purpose was to block some spectators' view for the greater benefit of good photos by other spectators.
Check out how cool Beckham looked even when the ball is not at his feet.
The biggest shot of Beckham I took thanks to an invention called 'zoom'. I might as well stay at home and watch TV.
Moment before Scarface Ribery converted the penalty that spoiled Beckham's 100th cap party.
This was the second time I watched a football match at a stadium in Europe and though the atmosphere wasn't half as electric as in Anfield (what more can we ask from a friendly match), it was interesting to experience the Kallang (I insist it's the Kallang) Wave at the Stade de France and to pick up some colourful vulgarities in French not suitable for publication on this blog. I was seated close to the traveling English fans (lucky not beside the cameraman this time) and it was interesting how the two neighbours, normally kept apart by the English Channel, tried to outshout each other for 90mins.
The English fans, obviously vastly outnumbered, occupied only a small section of the stadium. However, they made pretty loud noises throughout the match, hence adding credibility to my theory that 'the loudness of one's voice is directly proportional to the amount of alcohol in one's body'.
Unfortunately, most of the English fans had to catch the last Eurostar back to London immediately after the match (I can't bear to lie without confessing that I'm lying. The last Eurostar departs from Gare du Nord at 8) that only a handful of them stayed behind to clap/scream for Beckham. Beckham, ever the gentleman with a gentle voice, was the last to leave the pitch after the match as he did a 360 degrees turn-and-clap to express his gratitude to the fans who had been booing him throughout the match but who still gave him a standing ovation (I stood too in the name of Quek, Shaopeng, Yaohui and Jeffry) when he was substituted in the second half by a certain Bentley.
I swear I saw a disappointed look on his face as he looked at the rather empty English section of the stadium and hesitated if he should go over, sign some signatures and let the remaining fans give pats to his back on this momentous day. But only a handful of them were still there and so he knew he wouldn't be getting a fantastic after-match reception as he was probably expecting before the match, by going over. So instead, he sportingly clapped in the direction of the English fans who were still hanging around before expectations-not-met-tedly made his way back to the dressing room.
And I, who had also stayed behind in the hope that he would come over so that I can get a bigger picture of him than the one I had above, was left disappointed too.
The match thus ended with two disappointed men. I'm glad we felt the same way on this special night.
Beckham's 100th cap
Inside the Stade de France on 26 Mar 08.
Gigantic French jersey whose sole purpose was to block some spectators' view for the greater benefit of good photos by other spectators.
Check out how cool Beckham looked even when the ball is not at his feet.
The biggest shot of Beckham I took thanks to an invention called 'zoom'. I might as well stay at home and watch TV.
Moment before Scarface Ribery converted the penalty that spoiled Beckham's 100th cap party.
This was the second time I watched a football match at a stadium in Europe and though the atmosphere wasn't half as electric as in Anfield (what more can we ask from a friendly match), it was interesting to experience the Kallang (I insist it's the Kallang) Wave at the Stade de France and to pick up some colourful vulgarities in French not suitable for publication on this blog. I was seated close to the traveling English fans (lucky not beside the cameraman this time) and it was interesting how the two neighbours, normally kept apart by the English Channel, tried to outshout each other for 90mins.
The English fans, obviously vastly outnumbered, occupied only a small section of the stadium. However, they made pretty loud noises throughout the match, hence adding credibility to my theory that 'the loudness of one's voice is directly proportional to the amount of alcohol in one's body'.
Unfortunately, most of the English fans had to catch the last Eurostar back to London immediately after the match (I can't bear to lie without confessing that I'm lying. The last Eurostar departs from Gare du Nord at 8) that only a handful of them stayed behind to clap/scream for Beckham. Beckham, ever the gentleman with a gentle voice, was the last to leave the pitch after the match as he did a 360 degrees turn-and-clap to express his gratitude to the fans who had been booing him throughout the match but who still gave him a standing ovation (I stood too in the name of Quek, Shaopeng, Yaohui and Jeffry) when he was substituted in the second half by a certain Bentley.
I swear I saw a disappointed look on his face as he looked at the rather empty English section of the stadium and hesitated if he should go over, sign some signatures and let the remaining fans give pats to his back on this momentous day. But only a handful of them were still there and so he knew he wouldn't be getting a fantastic after-match reception as he was probably expecting before the match, by going over. So instead, he sportingly clapped in the direction of the English fans who were still hanging around before expectations-not-met-tedly made his way back to the dressing room.
And I, who had also stayed behind in the hope that he would come over so that I can get a bigger picture of him than the one I had above, was left disappointed too.
The match thus ended with two disappointed men. I'm glad we felt the same way on this special night.
posted by le chye at
1:18 PM
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