Being a fan of the beautiful game I try to watch matches wherever I go. Just recently I was given the opportunity to watch a match in Kuala Lumpur. So, what is it like watching football in Malaysia? Overall pretty damned good.
Why did I decide to come to this match? Quite simply because I had a layover on my way from Hong Kong to Phnom Penh, knew a coach and thought what the heck!
How to watch Selangor FC
Selangor FC are the most successful club in Malaysian football sd ell sis bing the oldest having been formed in 1921. Of course there have been ups and downs at the club, including relegation, but there is no disputing that they are the real deal.
They are located at the MBPJ Stadium (more on that later) and having a fanatical fanbase (also more on that later).
The stadium is about a 30-45 minute drive on Grab from Chinatown or the Hilton. There are multiple entrances, as well as parts of the stadium clearly serving a purpose. This includes VVIP, VIP (where I was sitting), as well as the part where the ultras hang out.
Prices to watch football in Malaysia start from about $10-20, although being a VIP I did not pay…..
What is the MBPJ Stadium like?
Built in 1996 for the Commonwealth Games it has largely been the home of Selangor FC. The official capacity is 25,00 and I think the match that I went to was about 2/3s full – or 1/3 empty depending on your optimism level.
I did not see a club shop, but there might well have been one for I say almost nothing but club shirts (more also on that later).
Football in Malaysia – Selangor 2 Perak 1
Billed as a local derby this was supposedly a great match to come see. Selangor absolutely dominated in the first 30 minutes and managed two goals, one a scramble and one a dubious penalty.
After half time came and went Perak who had looked dangerous for a while managed to pull one back and were unlucky not to get a point at 90 minutes.
OK, so that was the match, but what is it like to watch football in Malaysia? Firstly the standard of play was much better than I thought with teams looking like League One standard. That may not sound all that kind, but it is reality.
For context Cambodia at best are averaging titer 4-5 in the UK. You can read about what it is like to watch football in Cambodia here.
The atmosphere when you watch football in Malaysia
For this question I can only really answer it from the match I saw and indeed how the away fans also acted and I have to say that the vibe was insane in a great way. The Selangor Ultras were epic. Not only did they not stop singing, but they were extremely well organized.
They were also a bit political holding up a sign that said “all Zionists are bastard”. This is not me saying I agree, or disagree, but Ultras are about more than football.
It was though not just about the ultras with 3/4 of the stadium decked out in red and joining in. Amazingly I only say one Manchester United shirt and one Arsenal. People were not even wearing civilian clothes and this made for a great atmosphere.
Street food Senagor FC
Not street food, but rather fast food they had offerings of coffee, nameless sodas, as well as smash burger and hot dogs. I went for the hot dogs as this was pretty much all they had left. This was waved rather cold, but I was hungry.
Overall though watching football in Malaysia was very rewarding, I got to see my friend Conor Nestor and I even got a Selangor jersey. If only they could serve beer and pies then it would practically be paradise….