SHAH ALAM, July 5 (Bernama) -- For over 25 years, the Shah Alam Stadium has served as a venue for the Selangor team, undoubtedly holding countless memories and nostalgia for players and sports fans in the state.
Thus, the demolition of this iconic pride of Selangor, which began last Monday, has stirred various emotions among fans who have witnessed the ups and downs of the Red Giants, as well as the emergence of new talents nurtured on its pitch.
Selangor FC head coach Nidzam Jamil said that the Shah Alam Stadium holds a thousand and one memories for him as one of the young talents developed through the Selangor Football Academy, spending much of his early involvement with the Selangor team at the stadium.
The prolific defender said that one of his sweetest memories at the stadium was lifting the cup after Selangor were crowned champions of Premier League 1 in 2000.
"Shah Alam Stadium indeed has its own aura, and from my academy days, being a player to becoming a coach, this iconic venue has always been a place we look forward to playing at, and it is a matter of pride to perform in front of the Red and Yellow sea of fans.
"As one of the most successful, stable teams with a strong fan base, I believe the construction of a new stadium will inject enthusiasm and excitement among supporters to come and cheer at the stadium," the Kajang-born told Bernama.
Former Kedah defender Azmeer Yusof said the stadium has witnessed significant changes in his career as a football player.
He said it was the venue for his first final match and the first trophy he won when helping Kedah win the Malaysia Cup after defeating the Selangor team in 2016.
"Thanks for being the place of the most beautiful memories in my life. It all started here... and ended here. Goodbye, Shah Alam Satdium," he said.
For die-hard Selangor supporter Herfizul Akma, 42, being at the stadium when his beloved Red Giants won the Malaysia Cup for three consecutive years from 1995 to 1997 is among the sweet memories he will never forget when talking about the Shah Alam Stadium.
"At that time, I was still in secondary school, and my father would either take me on his motorcycle or we would take the bus from Petaling Jaya just to watch Selangor's matches at the stadium.
"I still remember those moments and witnessing firsthand the winning goals scored by David Mitchell in 1995, Talib Sulaiman's final penalty in 1996, and Christopher Kiwomya's goal in 1997. These are the most beautiful memories that I will never forget," he said.
ANAK Selangor Fan Club (ASFC) president Mohd Faizal Wahid said although he is sad about the 'loss' of the sacred stadium, he is now relieved that the redevelopment project of the Shah Alam Sports Complex (KSSA) has begun after the facility was abandoned since its last use in February 2020.
"We hope that when KSSA is completed, it will become a new icon for football in Selangor, attracting more supporters to come and cheer every time the Red Giants team plays," he said.
Aside from football, the news of Shah Alam Stadiums demolition also attracted the attention of former Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) students who pursued performing arts studies at the stadium, which was used as a temporary faculty around 21 years ago.
Sharing his sweet memories through a Facebook post, Azharul Azmir Kamarulzaman said the stadium witnessed a group of teenagers like him from all over the country come together to pursue their dreams.
He said that beneath the rows of spectator seats in the stadium once stood an institution of knowledge where they would study, and sometimes the lecturers' voices could not be heard due to the cheers of supporters during match days.
"In this stadium was where our faculty was located, where we listened to our lecturers whose voices would be drowned out by the loud cheers of football supporters above us every time a goal was scored when we were having night lectures.
"Thank you, Shah Alam Stadium, for all the memories created, for being our shelter when we were young, and for becoming beautiful memories for us when we grow old," he said.
For the record, the Shah Alam Stadium was used as a temporary learning location for students of the Faculty of Film, Theatre and Animation (formerly known as the Faculty of Creative Technology and Artistic) before moving to UiTM Puncak Perdana Campus in 2005
Officially opened in July 1994, the Shah Alam Stadium with a seating capacity of 80,372, started to be demolished on Monday to make way for the development of KSSA after the developer received a permit approval from the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA).
The demolition and reconstruction process of the Shah Alam Stadium is expected to be completed in December 2026.
-- BERNAMA
