Former National Stadium, Singapore

The former Singapore National Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Kallang, which opened in July 1973 and closed on 30 June 2007. The stadium was demolished from 2010 to 2011 for the development of the Singapore Sports Hub, which houses its successor. During its closure from 2007 to 2014, the National Day Parade (NDP) and sports events were held at the Marina Bay Floating Platform and Jalan Besar Stadium.

For the new stadium currently occupying the same site, see National Stadium, Singapore.

Singapore National Stadium
Kallang Stadium
Former National Stadium, Singapore
Former National Stadium, Singapore
Singapore National Stadium is located in Singapore
Singapore National Stadium
Singapore National Stadium
Location within Singapore
Full nameSingapore National Stadium
Address15 Stadium Road, Singapore 397718
LocationKallang, Singapore
Coordinates1°18′15.4″N 103°52′28.6″E
OwnerSingapore Sports Council
OperatorSingapore Sports Council
Capacity55,000
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke ground1966 (1966)
Opened21 July 1973 (1973-07-21)
Closed30 June 2007 (2007-06-30)
DemolishedFebruary 2011 (2011-02)
Tenants
Singapore national football team (1973–2007)
Singapore FA (1973–1994)

The stadium was prominently the home of Singapore FA, a club side, and the Singapore national team. It also hosted the Singapore Cup finals annually, the first in 1996, and the second leg of the 2004 AFF Championship finals.

In addition to association football matches, the stadium hosted the 1973, 1983 and 1993 Southeast Asian Games, the Singapore Armed Forces day parades and the opening ceremony of the biennial Singapore Youth Festival, as well as numerous music and cultural events. It was the primary venue for the NDP.

History

Conceptualisation
One of the final football games played at Kallang, June 2007

Soon after the end of the Second World War, as Singapore moved towards self-government and independence, the clamour began for a national stadium.

Planning

In June 1963, the Singapore government announced plans to build a national stadium in Kallang Park, and a 19-member committee was formed to oversee planning and fund-raising for the project.[1] Comprising two outdoor stadiums, a covered stadium, and a swimming complex, and intended to be large enough to host the South East Asia Peninsular Games, the stadium was expected to cost S$16 million.[2]

As part of the planning process, the Public Works Department's chief architect, Tan Beng Kiat, studied several stadiums overseas. In March 1966, then-Minister for Law and National Development E.W Barker announced that the stadium's development was of top priority in the government's infrastructure development plan, and that the main stadium would be developed first. Expected to cost between S$20 million and S$25 million, the main stadium was to have a capacity of 50,000.[3]

A state-owned lottery company, Singapore Pools, was set up in 1968 to raise funds for the stadium. Proceeds from the Singapore Sweep and TOTO were used to pay a substantial part of the construction bill. Between 1968 and 1976, the company contributed S$14.5 million towards the project. Singapore Pools also helped the stadium repay a government loan of $7.8 million meant as start-up money for a stadium management corporation.[4] Following the completion of the National Stadium, Singapore Pools remained a major sponsor of stadium, as well as the National Day Parade.

Construction

Construction of the stadium began in December 1966, and the groundbreaking ceremony was officiated by then-Minister of Social Affairs Othman Wok.[5] The foundations were completed by February 1970, and the stadium's foundation stone was laid on 23 February.[6] By the end of 1970, the stadium was three-quarters completed and was starting to take its definitive shape. Thirty-six steps, each 76 metres (249 ft) wide, formed an impressive entrance; and a cauldron was built within the stadium to carry a flame that would burn on special events and on the opening of the stadium. By the end of June 1973 when the stadium was completed, 300,000 bags of cement, 3,000,000 bricks and 4,500 tons of steel and timber had been used. The new stadium was opened to the public for the first time on 19 July 1973.

Redevelopment

Plans were made to demolish the stadium and build a multipurpose, 35.6 hectares (88 acres) Singapore Sports Hub in its place.[7] Demolition works began in the second half of 2007, and the new Sports Hub was eventually completed in 2014.[8] Three finalist consortia submitted redevelopment plans.[9]

The 2007 ASEAN Football Championship was the last major event held at the National Stadium before its redevelopment.

Closure

On 30 June 2007, a closing ceremony titled Field of Dreams – A Tribute to the National Stadium was held at the stadium.[10] 45,000 people attended the event, together with President S R Nathan, members of the Cabinet and Singapore athletes, past and present.[11] Before the ceremony, a football match featuring ex-internationals from Singapore and Malaysia like Quah Kim Song, Terry Pathmanathan, Samat Allapitchay, V. Sundramoorthy, David Lee, Dollah Kassim, Soh Chin Aun, Santokh Singh, Chow Siew Wai and K. Gunalan was played.[12]

The match was followed by the highlight of the evening, an international friendly between ASEAN champions Singapore and the Asian Cup bound Australian team, the Socceroos. The Australians won 3–0 with goals scored by English Premier League players Mark Viduka (50, 86 mins) and Harry Kewell (75 min).[13]

This was not the last football match to be played in the stadium as it was subsequently used for 11 football matches. The very last goal scored at the stadium was scored by Gholamreza Rezaei of Iran in a 1–3 loss for the hosts against the Iranian national team in an Asian Cup qualifying match on 6 January 2010.

The closing ceremony held at the National Stadium on 30 June 2007
A montage of National Stadium, towards the eastern entrance (top) and the western entrance (bottom).

Demolition

On 29 September 2010: The former National Stadium started its demolition to make way for the construction of the Sports Hub. It was completely torn down in February 2011.

Post-closure

In February 2013, uniquely designed benches made from the wooden planks from the former National Stadium were presented to the public, as a meaningful way to commemorate this historic landmark. These designs were part of the bench project Archived 16 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine organized by local creative practice FARM, and jointly presented by Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the Singapore Furniture Industries Council. Five of the designs were winning entries of the design competition which invited the public to submit designs for benches using the seating planks from the former National Stadium. The rest of the designs were specially created by commissioned local designers from various design fields.

The benches can now be found in various public spaces such as Singapore River, Marina Bay, Gillman Barracks, Esplanade, Gardens by the Bay and the URA Centre.

Facilities

The National Stadium had an eight-lane running track and football field in addition to other miscellaneous facilities such as table tennis tables, a weights room and an auditorium, housed underneath the spectator stands.

While the facilities were often used for high-profile sporting events, they could also be used by members of the public and other local organizations for a nominal fee. For example, when not otherwise used, the running track could be used by joggers for S$0.50 per entry.[14]

The headquarters of the Singapore Sports Council used to be located at 15 Stadium Road.

The preview show of the National Day Parade held at the National Stadium in 2003

New National Stadium
Main article: National Stadium, Singapore

The new National Stadium was officially opened on 30 June 2014 on the site of the Former National Stadium.

Timeline

The stadium's 44-year history is as follows:[15]

  • 1966
    • December: Work begins on the S$50 million complex.
  • 1971
  • 1973
    • 17 June: First event at the stadium – an international hockey friendly between Singapore and Australia. Australia wins 3–0.
    • 24 June: First football match – Sultan's Gold Cup final between Singapore Malays and Kelantan Malays. Singapore wins 4–1 in front of a 32,000-strong crowd.
    • 21 July: Official opening by then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
    • 1–8 September: Hosts the 7th Southeast Asian Peninsular Games. Singapore wins 45 golds, 50 silvers and 45 bronzes. Singapore football team reach semi-finals before losing 3–5 on penalties to South Vietnam, after a 1–1 draw in extra-time.
    • 17 September: Practice track and tennis courts are open to public.
    • 24 October: Boxing great Muhammad Ali fights in a five-round exhibition bout.
  • 1976
  • 1977
  • 1983
  • 1986
  • 1988
  • 1990
  • 1993
  • 1995
  • 1996
  • 1997
  • 1998
  • 1999
    • 1 May: Taiwanese diva A*Mei, the first Asian artist to perform at Singapore National Stadium .
  • 2000
    • 13 March: International phenomenon Mariah Carey performs for the first time in Singapore.
  • 2001
  • 2002
    • 24 July: Fire at National Stadium, the National Day Parade'svmain stage catches fire because of an electrical fault.
    • 18 December: Singapore are beaten 0-4 by Malaysia in the Tiger Cup. Singapore, who were joint hosts with Indonesia for the group stages, were eventually knocked out of the competition after only managing a 1–1 draw with Thailand on 22 December.
  • 2005
    • 16 January: Singapore clinch Tiger Cup at National Stadium, beating Indonesia 2-1 (5-2 on aggregate), in the second leg of the final.
  • 2006
    • 9 August: Stadium hosts last National Day Parade.
  • 2007
    • 31 January: Singapore beat Thailand 2–1 in the first leg of the Asean Football Championship final. They clinch their third Asean title on 4 February, drawing 1–1 in Bangkok to win 3–2 on aggregate.
    • 30 June: Official closing ceremony, as the stadium was scheduled to be torn down by the end of 2007 to make way for the new Singapore Sports Hub.
    • 9 August: The stadium's temporary facilities at Marina Bay Float stadium opens and the first major event to be held there, was the National Day Parade 2007. It's now to its last NDP held at Marina Bay on 9 August 2014 before moving back to the National Stadium at Kallang in 2016.
  • 2008
    • 26 March: The National Stadium sees the hosting of a World Cup third round qualifying match for the first time, and Singapore beat Lebanon 2–0.
    • 3 April: The Sports Council announces that the stadium would host at least two more football games, due to ongoing delays in securing the paperwork for the Sports Hub construction.
    • 2 June: The stadium hosted the second home game for the World Cup third round qualifying match, but saw the hosts thrashed 3-7 by Uzbekistan.
    • 14 June: The stadium hosted the third home game for the qualifying, but the hosts lost 0–2 to Saudi Arabia.
    • 28 July: With the project for the new Sports Hub delayed, the stadium hosted a friendly against the Brazil Olympic team which saw the samba kings winning 3–0.
    • 21 December: In the Suzuki Cup semi-finals, the renamed Asean Football Championship, one leg of the game against Vietnam was played at the National Stadium, but Singapore lose to ten-man Vietnam to a goal by Nguyễn Quang Hải, and lost 0–1 on aggregate and were eliminated.
  • 2009
    • 27 January: The stadium hosts the first Group E Asian Cup qualifiers match and the Lions beat Jordan 2–1.
    • 26 July: English football club Liverpool makes their second visit to Singapore and the Reds beat the Singapore national team 5–0.
    • 12 August: Singapore held the Chinese national team to a 1–1 draw in a special National Day Challenge but lost 4–3 in the penalty shootout.
    • 4 November: The Singapore national team beat the Indonesian national team 3–1 in a friendly.
    • 14 November: The second Group E qualifier on home soil for the Asian Cup results in a 1-3 reverse to Thailand.
  • 2010
    • 6 January: The third Group E qualifier for the Asian Cup was a 1–3 defeat to Iran.
    • 17 April: Taiwanese pop group May Day's series of 2010 concerts' Singapore leg, initially scheduled to be held at the Padang was rearranged to the National Stadium, due to overwhelming response. This is the first non-football event to be held at the stadium since the official closure.
    • June: The grass pitch was stripped bare and the grass has been transplanted to other fields under the Sports Council such as the Kallang Practice Track. This was the first sign of the demolition of the stadium after a three-year delay.
    • 29 September: The National Stadium started its demolition and making way for the construction of the Sports Hub.
  • 2011
    • February: The demolition of the entire stadium completes.
  • 2012
    • late 2012: It was announced that National Day Parade 2013 would be the last National Day Parade to be held at the Marina Bay Floating Stadium before moving back to Kallang in 2014.
  • 2013
    • 10 June: Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Mr Lawrence Wong visits the construction site of the new National Stadium before its completion.
    • 26 November: It was announced that the National Day Parade in 2014 will be the official last one at Marina Bay, as the Sports Hub will not make it on time for the parade.
  • 2014
    • 14 February: Sports Hub CEO Philippe Collin Delavaud announced that the Sports Hub will not be fully open by April 2014 as the National Stadium's completion was pushed back to June 2014.
    • 30 June: The new National Stadium was officially opened on the former site of the Former National Stadium.

See also

References
  1. Sam, Jackie (26 June 1963). "Singapore to get $10 million National Stadium". The Straits Times. Singapore. p. 18. Retrieved 2 April 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
  2. Lim, Kee Chan (2 July 1963). "The Straits Times". The Straits Times. Singapore. Retrieved 2 April 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
  3. Frida, Ernest (15 March 1966). "S'pore stadium go-ahead". The Straits Times. Singapore. p. 21. Retrieved 2 April 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
  4. Singapore Pools, The Beginning of the National Stadium Archived 2 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  5. "Work begins on complex". The Straits Times. Singapore. 7 December 1966. p. 20. Retrieved 2 April 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
  6. Frida, Ernest (21 February 1970). "$16mil stadium to be ready by 1972". The Straits Times. Singapore. p. 21. Retrieved 2 April 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
  7. Singapore Sports Council, News on the redevelopment of the National Stadium Archived 13 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  8. Patwant Singh (29 March 2007). "Consortium reveals horseshoe-shaped iconic design for Sports Hub". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2007.
  9. Satish Cheney (28 March 2007). "All 3 proposals for new Sports Hub 'truly spectacular': Vivian Balakrishnan". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2007.
  10. "A tribute to the Old Lady of Kallang", The Straits Times, 31 May 2007
  11. Marc Lim, "Sun sets on the Grand Old Lady", The Sunday Times, 1 July 2007
  12. Terrence Voon, "Old foes' nostalgic farewell to their field of dreams", The Sunday Times, 1 July 2007
  13. Leonard Lim, "Thanks for a great match, mate", The Sunday Times, 1 July 2007
  14. Singapore Sports Council - National Stadium Facilities Archived 13 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  15. "Stadium memories: 1973-2007", The Straits Times, 30 June 2007
  16. Dangerous Tour
  17. HIStory Tour
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