Hats off to Hariss Harun

IT was to have been a historic trip to England for Singapore's national football team back in June 1972, headed as they were for the land of arguably the world's most popular and competitive league, and home of the world's oldest cup competition.

And they were to be hosted by both Arsenal and Chelsea to boot, so they were all pumped up with expectation.

At Highbury (Arsenal's home stadium at the time), the team were to be hosted by the legendary Bertie Mee and his head trainer Steve Burtenshaw.

Over at Stamford Bridge (Chelsea's home stadium to this day), the players were to meet and mingle with another great, Dave Sexton, and his assistant Ron Suart.

But the arrangements remained only on paper. Little materialised as planned, as the national team trained at parks and played "two sides…