Gomo Kelate Gomo (IV)

July 2, 2009 at 8:31 pm (sport)

Petikan artikel yang menarik diambil dari laman web soccernet. Artikel bertajuk “No ifs or butts for pete about Asia”.

untuk bacaan penuh. soccernet

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From there, he headed Down Under to become player/manager at Western Australian state league side, Sorrento FC, in 2000. But frustrated at soccer’s slow development in Australia in the days before the FFA revolution, Butler soon headed to Southeast Asia. He managed clubs in Singapore, east Malaysia and Indonesia and now finds himself in west Malaysia as coach of Kelantan FC.

Translated into English Kelantan means ‘Land of Lightning’, and Butler’s first season in the socially conservative Muslim state just south of the Thailand border has been a fiery one, full of ups-and-downs.

He’s experienced the highs of a successful Cup run to the Malaysian FA final and the joy of leading the league table, to the lows of losing the Cup final penalty-shoot, enduring a five-match losing streak, and witnessing rioting home fans in the state capital, Kota Bharu.

After losing a Cup match in April, Kelantan supporters went on a rampage at the Sultan Muhammed IV Stadium, setting fire to a police car and damaging nine other vehicles including one belonging to the Kelantan FA President. As a result, Kelantan were ordered to play their home games at a neutral venue in Kuala Lumpur. Butler’s side went into free-fall, slumping from top of the 14-team standings to sixth.

The suspension of their home stadium was only lifted at the end of May. ”I hope the fans have learnt a lesson from this,” he said when the ban was eased. Since then, they’ve returned to winning ways, moving back to third on the table. (penyokong yang bodoh sombong dan gedebe tak kena tempat memusnahkan bola sepak Kelantan dan merosakkan nama baik negeri kelantan. Shame on You)

Butler also appeared on Asian satellite television as a studio pundit during June’s FIFA Confederations Cup, broadcast on Kuala Lumpur-based sports channel, Astro SuperSport. After more than six years in the region, the 42-year-old speaks fluent Bahasa Indonesia, which is similar to the national language of Malaysia. But when he sat down with Soccernet in Kuala Lumpur, he stuck with English, albeit spoken in an unmistakable west Yorkshire accent.

untuk saudara Hilmi,

Q: What were your impressions of Frank Lampard as a young Hammers’ apprentice?

A: Frank was always at Chadwell Heath: I used to think he lived there. He was a cheeky but likeable character. I think we played together in a pre-season game just before I left the club in 1994. I liked Frank. He always wanted to learn and he has turned into one of the best midfield players in the modern game. He is box-to-box with a great engine and keeps it simple. He has the uncanny knack of scoring great and priceless goals. He is a model professional and it’s sad to see the abuse he gets on his returns to Upton Park these days.

Gomo Kelate Gomo dan Majulah Sukan untuk Negara.

Hafzan Lazim.