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FINAL Newspaper Review!

TODAY Newspaper; Wednesday December 24'08

Title: Local fans' unsporting rampage (AFF Suzuki Cup)



Summary: On Sunday, the Lions (Singapore) were knocked out of the AFF Suzuki Cup, losing to Vietnam at the National Stadium. However the main "show" was not the score on the pitch, instead it was on terraces where violence broke out after the end of the semi-final second leg match. It ended up with punches and bottles being thrown by the Singaporeans. Most of the trouble occured around and outside the East Entrance, where both the die-hard Singapore fans and 5,000 Vietnamese fans were seated. It was also mentioned that the poor behaviour of local fans started even before the match did. Quoted by an NTU undergraduate:" The Singapore fans screamed vulgarities and boo-ed when the Vietnamese national anthem was played.

My thoughts: I think it is already bad enough that Singapore has to lose to Vietnam 1-0 on our home turf, but the actions of some of the fans were really dramatic and it has added salt to the Lions' wounds. Quoted from a Vietnamese fan:" I have been in Singapore for more than six years and I believe it to be a very peaceful community. This is the first time I've seen something like this happen here." Therefore, I think that the authorities should implement some tactics such as placing the fans at different places instead of being in the same side of the stadium. The authorities should also release the home fans only after the away fans have left, to prevent the same thing from happening again. Also, maybe there should be more security personnel patrolling the area so that the fighting can be stopped immediately and that no one would be injured.

Zhiye!