STATISTICS FOR 2010

White won the season opener for the first time in the history of the Social Frees since it was established 28 years ago with a 4-2 win over Colours on 2 January’11.

Yours truly also failed to maintain a personal tradition of having scored in the first game of every year with a lethargic display with no one else to blame but himself. This may be a subtle sign of ageing and the looming idea of permanent retirement from the beloved sport.

Statistics for 2010 are as follows:
50 Games played: Colours won 31 games, 6 games were drawn and White won 13 games.
Total number of goals scored: Colours (192) White (140)
Clean sheets: Colours (6) White (1)
Longest winning streak: Colours (6 weeks) White (2 weeks)
Best win: Colours (9-1 on 6/6/10) White (6-0 on 23/5/10)
Most goals in a match: 15 Goals (White won 10-5 on 31/8/10)
Least goals in a match: 2 Goals (Colours won 2-0 on 17/1/10 and game was drawn 1-1 on 19/12/10)

SOCIAL FREES (Penang) 0 - 1 OUTSIDERS FC (KL)

This historic game was played at the City Stadium in Georgetown, Penang on 10 April 2010. So the scenario is the oldest social football team in Penang (maybe Malaysia?) playing in the oldest stadium in Malaysia and with most of the Social Frees team represented by the alumni of Penang Free School (the oldest school in Southeast Asia), we have a jackpot of sorts.

It was the first time that the Social Frees team was playing in the format of three 30 minute halves with 10 minute breaks in between. The result was fair with Outsider FC (who were clearly the more organised team) winning 1-0. However, the main winner was the social spirit that prevailed throughout the game with teams sending the ball out of play whenever somebody was injured, no intentional fouls, no persistent bad mouthing of one another, minimal questioning of referees' decisions and congratulating one another after the game had ended. This was indeed a true example of how a social game should be played.

Our thanks and gratitude to Felix Ooi (Municipal Councillor) and his assistant Annuar for helping us make this event a success.

A SOCIAL LEAGUE IN PENANG?

On 10 April'10, the Social Frees will be contributing towards the development of football at a social level by having a match with visiting Outsider FC who plays in the Kelab Aman Social League in KL. On 29 Aug'09, the Social Frees played with A-Line FC (KL Social League). It appears that KL has these tantalising social leagues which is completely non-existent in Penang.

Here's the question: Can a Social League be created in Penang?

Identifiable problems:
1) Lack of people wanting to commit time (and money?) to coordinate social teams.
2) Very few playing grounds available and the state-owned stadiums are very expensive
3) Penang has a smaller population of soccer players and many social teams include div. or league players. Hence there could be problems when a social league limit/prohibit such players.

1ST DAY CNY, VALENTINE'S DAY, 2ND SUNDAY OF FEBRUARY

A survey is being conducted to ascertain if the games could be played on 14 Feb, 15 Feb or 16 Feb representing the first 3 days of the Chinese New Year. Unless there are at least 14 Ayes for any of those dates, we shall have to assume an automatic cancellation of the games. It is therefore also possible for games to be played on 2 or all the above mentioned dates though I remain pessimistic that this is likely. The die hards are pushing for games on 14 and 16 Feb including a special event on 16 Feb so do respond. There has been requests for other dates but whereas my own firm is closed from 13 Feb to 22 Feb (re-opening only on Tuesday 23 Feb'10), it is unlikely that other companies will remain closed beyond Tuesday 16 Feb, so it would be a pointless exercise.

2010 - the beginning as it will be, 2009 - the end as it was

Colours started the 28th year since the Social Frees was established the usual way - with a win over White. However, the winning margin is getting increasingly tighter. Colours won by three goal margins in the more recent two years (4-1 in 2008 and 8-5 in 2009) and huge margins in the years before. This time it was just a 2 goal margin 6-4 win with 22 players playing.

Yours truly still managed a goal in 2010's first game to maintain a tradition of having scored in the first game of every year. However, this time it was not a usual field goal, rather it was a penalty taken and scored. It looked pretty like a set-up (a nonetheless legal penalty though) either to 'reward' my loyalty to the team (or perhaps a X'mas present from some very dear friends to cheer me up) but given my recent lack lustre performance, I accepted the charity with much humility and thanked both those who got me or gave me the penalty. I will maintain the role of acting coordinator until a new coordinator is appointed (if it does ever happen).

Statistics for 2009 are as follows:
51 Games played: Colours won 30 games, 5 games were drawn and White won 16 games.
Total number of goals scored: Colours (170) White (136)
Clean sheets: Colours (9) White (2)
Longest winning streak: Colours (5 weeks) White (3 weeks)
Best win: Colours (7-1 on 28/1/09) White (9-0 on 21/6/09)
Most goals in a match: 13 Goals (Colours won 8-5 on 1/1/09)
Least goals in a match: 1 Goal (White won 1-0 on 15/11/09)

IDEAS ON COORDINATING FROM 2010 ONWARDS

This is to invite ideas and suggestions and/or nominees for a new coordinator or if you prefer, a coordinating team to take up the task of managing the Social Frees from 2010 onwards. Please post only constructive comments. The old coordinator will retire at the end of 2009. Thanks.

To preempt questions on the 'suddenness' of my decision to retire and whether it is related to certain incidents recently, I have to categorically state that those incidents have little to do with the decision to retire, rather the incidents involved a difference of opinion between two friends (individuals with very strong personalities and views) who have known one another for more than 20 years, and I even considered myself to have the upper hand in those arguments. My decisions are never influenced by such petty issues (though it does make the decision slightly easier to make), instead certain near fatal accidents, one towards the end of 2008 and another earlier in 2009, combined with the recent marriage of the second last bachelor among my former classmates (making me the last bachelor, certainly not 'eligible' and more the case of being 'overdue'), prompted my decision much earlier. I had earlier announced that I was systematically ending of my active involvement in Ramblers SC where I have been serving as VP. Like some of my other friends who have ended their tenures as club coordinators due to 'family commitments', I am pursuing a similar course of action to possibly start such 'commitments' in the future. Someone told me that the true test of a great leader is in his ability to create other leaders and in preserving the legacy of his charge. I truly hope to pass this test.

Analysis of friendly match on 20 September'09

20 September 2009

Social Frees 5-2 Dalat

It was a game which started with a slim 1-0 first half in favour Social Frees (captained by Lee Eu Beng). However, the second half was an explosive and exciting period with half-a-dozen goals scored. Everything favoured the Social Frees, the fact that the team was 26 years old, playing on its own home turf and most importantly fielding nearly 2 teams as it had a complement of 20 players. Dalat played well considering it had for a long time not played competitively on a grass turf (more of a futsal team). The Social Frees strategy was straightforward, when playing a team more attuned to the short pass system of the futsal game, play long passes and utilise the full length and width of the field. As futsal teams are quite good at proximity defending, the best scoring option was to place "rocket launchers or mortars" at the rim of the penalty box about 10 m away from the goal posts and 4 goals were scored from that distance. This distance is the traditional weak point of most futsal teams attempting to play on the grass court. The Dalat team will be a force to be reckoned with in the future as it continues to build its experience on the grass court. It has players who were better built whom I believe some to be capable of faster sprints but had yet to be able to master the long overhead pass presumably because such a pass is absent from a futsal game. The game was a "social" success as both teams started and ended the match on very friendly terms. Other than unintentional fouls, there were no other serious incidents occurring during the game.