RED DEVILS DI BUMI MALAYSIA
Pada Jun 1981, Manchester United menjelajah Malaysia untuk bermain dua perlawanan persahabatan bersama pasukan pilihan Malaysia dan Selangor FA.
Nama-nama besar seperti Martin Buchan, Garry Bailey, Ashley Grimes dan Joe Jordan tentunya menarik minat penyokong tempatan dan membuat semua teruja untuk melihat pasukan Red Devils bermain di bumi Malaysia menentang pasukan kebangsaan.
Namun, ini bukannya kali pertama pasukan Manchester United berada di Malaysia. Pada tahun 1980, pasukan kelab Inggeris itu telah mendarat di Kota Kinabalu untuk menentang pasukan pilihan Sabah, yang diketuai oleh legenda bola sepak James Wong. Pasukan itu turut dianggotai pemain import tempatan Soh Chin Ann dan R. Arumugam.
Manchester United dengan pantasnya kembali ke Malaysia untuk menentang pula pasukan pilihan kebangsaan di Stadium Merdeka pada Jun 7, 1981. Skuad pilihan Malaysia yang di bawah kendalian ketua jurulatih M. Kupan terdiri daripada ramai wajah baharu ketika itu dengan pemain bek kanan Pahang Jamal Nasir sebagai kapten. Walaupun mereka masih tidak begitu berpengalaman, skuad pilihan Malaysia telah menunjukkan semangat juang yang tinggi dan berjaya mengikat pasukan kelab terkenal itu dengan seri tanpa jaringan.
Garry Birtles hampir dapat menjaringkan gol pada minit ke-51 apabila penjaga gol Peter Rajah tersadung kakinya tetapi malangnya bola terkena tiang gol kanan. Malaysia cuba membalas serangan beberapa minit kemudian menerusi Ibrahim Din yang meluru 30 meter untuk melepaskan sepakan tetapi penjaga gol Manchester United, Paddy Roche, bersedia untuk memintas.
Selangor juga mendapat peluang untuk menentang pasukan Red Devils, di mana pasukan pelawat menang 4–1. Pemain sayap kanan K. Kanagarajah berjaya menjaringkan gol tunggal bagi Selangor. Sementara itu, empat gol Manchester United dijaringkan oleh Joe Jordan, Steve Coppell (2) dan Garry Birtles.
Pilihan Malaysia: Peter Rajah, Jamal Nasir, R. Subramaniam, K. Gunasegaran, Ibrahim Saad, Yahya Jusoh, Yunus Alif, Ahmad Yusof, Tajuddin Noor, G. Torairaju, Muhidin Hussin, Zulkiflie Hamzah, Rosli Hussein, Ibrahim Din, Kanadesan Nair, Roshidi Shaari
Manchester United: Paddy Roche, Martin Lane, Kevin Moran, Martin Buchan, Arthur Albiston, Ashley Grimes, Gary McGarvey, Garry Birtles, Joe Jordan, Lou Macari, Scott Worral
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The Red Devils Land in Malaysia
In June 1981, Manchester United was in Malaysia to play a couple of friendly matches against Malaysia and the Selangor FA.
Names like Martin Buchan, Garry Bailey, Ashley Grimes, and Joe Jordan certainly attracted local fans when the Red Devils landed and there was buzzy excitement to see them play on Malaysian soil against the national players.
However, this was not the first time that Manchester United played on Malaysian soil. In 1980, the English team paid a visit to Kota Kinabalu where they played against Sabah Selection, captained by football legend James Wong. The team also consisted of local import players Soh Chin Ann and R. Arumugam.
Manchester United swiftly returned the following year to play against Malaysian Selection on June 7. The match was held at Merdeka Stadium, with a team under the guidance of national coach M. Kupan. The squad comprising of mostly fresh faces, with Pahang right back Jamal Nasir as captain, was said to be quite inexperienced but they managed to put in the effort for the match to end in a goalless draw.
Garry Birtles almost netted a goal in the 51st minute through a low shot when goalkeeper Peter Rajah tripped over his foot, but the ball unfortunately hit the right post. Malaysia retaliated a few minutes later as Ibrahim Din raced to 30 metres to make a shot but United’s goalkeeper Paddy Roche was ready to intercept.
The Red Devils also played a match against Selangor, where the visiting team won 4–1. It was right winger K. Kanagarajah who scored the sole goal for Selangor. Meanwhile, Manchester United’s four goals were scored by Joe Jordan, Steve Coppell (2) and Garry Birtles.
(Photo shows Malaysian Selection captain Jamal Nasir, dan Manchester United captain, Martin Buchan, exchanging pennants before the match.)
