Jalan Besar Stadium
It is the home ground of the Singapore Premier League club Young Lions. The stadium is also used as an alternative home ground to the National Stadium by the Singapore national football team. The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is also headquartered within the stadium.
Location
Jalan Besar Stadium is located along Tyrwhitt Road, within the close proximity of the major road Jalan Besar, hence its name.
History
Opening
The original stadium was opened on Boxing Day 1929 by president of the Municipal Commission of Singapore, R. J. Farrer, with the nearby Farrer Park named after him. It is considered to be the birthplace of Singapore football. Malaya Cup matches were played at the stadium from 1932 to 1966, and Malaysia Cup matches from 1967 to 1973.
Japanese occupation
During the Japanese Occupation, the stadium was one of the Sook Ching mass screening sites orchestrated by Japanese officials. During the war, the stadium remained opened and was also used as a language centre to teach the Japanese language to locals.
Post-war
On 12 November 1956, the United States men's national soccer team (USMNT) for the 1956 Summer Olympics played an exhibition game against the Singapore team at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
On 30 May 1964, a mass rally led by Singaporean statesman Lee Kuan Yew was held at the stadium to mourn and honour the death of Indian statesman Jawaharlal Nehru, whom Lee considered "a staunch friend" during the decolonisation era after World War II. Nehru had previously spoke at the stadium when he visited the country in June 1950, calling for "peace and conciliation" in the region while decolonisation was underway.
The stadium was also host to many major events in Singapore's history, such as being the venue for the first Singapore Youth Festival in 1955, the first Singapore Armed Forces Day in 1969, and the 1984 National Day Parade.
Redevelopment
In December 1999, the original field was closed for rebuilding. The new stadium was opened later in June 2003 with a seating capacity of 6,000. The position of the pitch was retained in the exact position as the previous stadium.
SAFFC (Now Warriors FC) played their 2009 and 2010 AFC Champions League group stage matches at the stadium which see them faced Suwon Samsung Bluewings from Korea, Kashima Antlers from Japan and Shanghai Shenhua from China for the 2009 tournament.
The following year in the 2010 tournament, SAFFC is drawn in a group with Suwon Samsung Bluewings, Gamba Osaka from Japan and Henan Jianye from China. On 13 April 2010, they become the first Singapore club to achieve a win against Henan Jianye in a 2–1 win which surprisingly SAFFC finished in third place above Henan Jianye with 4 points.
On 24 July 2010, Burnley played against a Singapore Selection side in the FIS Asian Challenge Cup held at the stadium. The Singapore side narrowly lost the game 0–1. That same year during the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics held in Singapore, the stadium was the designated venue for both the boys' and girls' football tournament.
As part of the LionsXII's sponsorship by Kingsmen, a local fan club, the King George's Stand was built in 2012 using a removable stand, increasing the stadium's capacity to 8,000.
On 30 October 2012, an LED scoreboard was implemented at the Gallery stand to provide better quality video to the spectators, allowing replay video highlights of the action on the field during matchdays. Two new screens were also placed at the two ends of the Grandstand, North and South, to enable better match experience for the Gallery fans.
On 22 May 2013, Atlético Madrid played against a Singapore Selection side in the Peter Lim Charity Cup held at the stadium. The game ended 0–2 to the away team.
On 4 October 2013, Fulham U-21 travelled to Singapore to play a friendly against Singaporean club, Woodlands Wellington in a thrashing 7–0 defeat for the rams.
On 24 November 2022, As part of BVB Asia Tour, Borussia Dortmund played a friendly against the Singapore Premier League champions, Lion City Sailors which see the match resulted in a 7–2 win for the German club.
In 2023, Both Lion City Sailors and Hougang United will host most of its 2023–24 AFC Champions League group stage matches and 2023–24 AFC Cup group stage matches at the Jalan Besar Stadium respectively as its match the requirements standard of the tournament and also being rated as a FIFA 2 Star Recommended Turf. It will also see the first time that the AFC Champions League group stage matches will be hosted in Singapore since 2010.
Turf
Since 2006, the Jalan Besar Stadium has used artificial turf for its pitch. That year, the stadium's pitch was laid with a "FIFA 1 Star Recommended Turf", an artificial turf. The cost of relaying the pitch had cost approximately $1 million. In 2008, the stadium's pitch was relaid again at the cost of an additional $500,000, with a "FIFA 2 Star Recommended Turf", an improved quality artificial turf. The cost of re-turfing was sponsored by FIFA in collaboration with the Football Association of Singapore (FAS).
In 2014, the pitch was relaid to ensure maintenance of the turf. In 2021, the pitch was relaid with a GreenFields Evolution Pro 40 pitch, which is softer than the previous turfs. It consists of a durable shock pad underneath the playing surface, enhancing the compactness and reduce the hardness of the pitch.
Video assistant referee technology
In 2022, FAS announced that there were plans to implement video assistant referee (VAR) technology for the SPL. The VAR system will be operated centrally by a three-man team at the FAS headquarters in Jalan Besar Stadium.
Jalan Besar Stadium have been retrofitted with remote cameras that relay the feeds back Production Control Room 2 which is operated centrally by a three-man team. The VAR will have access to all the camera angles in the stadium and the Control Room can get these angles to check for any kind of situation from live speed to slow motion. New pitch-side camera systems that allow up to 40-time zoom have been installed, while network connectivity has been improved to deliver enhanced reliability and a smoother viewing experience. With VAR serving as extra pairs of eyes on the pitch, local football authorities hope to reduce bad refereeing calls, such as when a goal is wrongly disallowed for offside.
Notable football events
- Lion City Cup
- 2009, 2010, 2023–24 AFC Champions League group stage match.
- Singapore Selection XI 0–1 Burnley (24 July 2010)
- 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Malaysia Super League home ground of LionsXII.
- Singapore Selection XI 0–2 Atletico Madrid (22 May 2013)
- Woodlands Wellington 0–7 Fulham U-21 (4 October 2013)
- Lion City Sailors 2–7 Borussia Dortmund (24 November 2022)
- 2012, 2022 AFF Championship
Transport
Mass Rapid Transit
Jalan Besar Stadium is located near to Lavender MRT station on the East–West Line (EWL) and Bendemeer MRT station on the Downtown Line (DTL). Despite its name, the stadium's location is closer to the latter station on the DTL rather than Jalan Besar MRT station.
International fixtures
 |
AFF Championship
| Date | Competition | Team | Score | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 December 2012 | 2012 AFF Championship |  Singapore
|
1–0 |  Philippines
|
| 19 December 2012 | 2012 AFF Championship Final (first leg) | Singapore
|
3–1 |  Thailand
|
| 24 December 2022 | 2022 AFF Championship | Singapore
|
3–2 |  Myanmar
|
| 30 December 2022 | 2022 AFF Championship | Singapore
|
0–0 |  Vietnam
|
See also
References
- ^ "Jalan Besar Stadium". Archived from the original on 11 September 2012.
- ^ "Opening of the Jalan Besar Stadium". Malayan Saturday Post, 4 January 1930, Page 6.
- ^ "Jalan Besar Stadium". National Heritage Board. Archived from the original on 27 August 2010.
- ^ "U.S. Soccer XI To Play Here On Nov. 12". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. The Straits Times. 23 October 1956. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ^ "US Olympic team play tonight". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. The Straits Times. 12 November 1956. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ^ Bayly, C. A. (2010). Forgotten Wars: Freedom and Revolution in Southeast Asia (1st Harvard Univ. Press pbk. ed.). Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press. ISBN 9780674057074.
- ^ "Factsheet on the Jawaharlal Nehru Bust and Commemorative Marker" (PDF). nas.gov.sg. National Archives of Singapore. 20 November 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ^ Nair, Suresh (11 November 2011). "Big Road has a big history". www.asiaone.com. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ^ "Asian Games preparations right on track for Singapore U-23 football team". redsports. 26 July 2010. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
- ^ "Singapore Selection side edged out 1-0 by Burnley". redsports. 25 July 2010. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
- ^ "FAS' reply to media query on King George's Stand". Football Association of Singapore. 24 October 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
- ^ "Year's extension likely for Jalan Besar's King George's Stand". The New Paper. 22 January 2015. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
- ^ "High-definition LED video wall launched at Jalan Besar Stadium | Goal.com". www.goal.com.
- ^ "Football: Atletico Madrid beat Singapore Selection 2-0 in charity friendly at Jalan Besar". The Straits Times. 22 May 2013. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Speech at Inauguration of FIFA Goal Project for Singapore by FAS President". Football Association of Singapore. Archived from the original on 7 April 2008.
- ^ "MILLION-DOLLAR MAKEOVER". Asiaone.
- ^ "New artificial turf system installed at Jalan Besar Stadium". Football Association of Singapore. 15 March 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ^ Lee, David (16 March 2022). "Football: S'pore Premier League to implement video assistant referee in 'near future'". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ "Will VAR technology raise Singapore's football game?". CNA. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ Hariharan. "Singapore Selection side edged out 1-0 by Burnley". RED SPORTS. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
External links
- Singapore Sports Council website page on the Jalan Besar Stadium (archived 13 March 2005)
- Sharon Seow, "Exploring Jalan Besar", Voices@Central Singapore Issue No. 35, Jul/Aug 2007.
| Standing |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Demolished | ||
