There is no fan in Malaysian football like Devinder Singh!
‘Dev’, as other fans commonly know him of the City Boys, is not your common everyday supporter that cheers for the team. This man is almost like a walking encyclopaedia of Kuala Lumpur’s time in the M-League. The Voice of The City Boys dares says that no other fan in the country keeps tabs on their teams like him. The Red And Whites are blessed to be graced with his interest, commitment and passion in researching, obtaining, deciphering and sharing facts, figures, and trivia of KL’s football journey. Simply put, this man of a few words is your go-to guy if you want to check, double check or triple check anything related to the city slicker’s football fortunes at the national level.
To the regulars at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, they would not miss seeing Dev selling his ‘Sampai Mati Kuala Lumpur’ titled match-day programme book whenever the City Boys are playing at home. Since the start of 2021’s victorious season, the former accountant took it upon himself to produce these mini-newsletters that contain up-to-date information about KL City at an unbelievable price of RM2 per issue (barely enough to sustain his cost for printing, time and effort), these collectables which also carry an autograph of a player or current head coach Bojan, are snapped up like hot cakes every time! The Voice of The City Boys cannot say enough, but it is a must-have for serious fans.
Why is Dev doing all this? Purely out of passion. In the age where information is at the click of a mouse, yet accurate data in Malaysian football is difficult to obtain unless you do it all yourself (and that too, plenty of obstacles that come with it), the Wangsa Maju resident is a KL City fan who wants others to know more about his team.
Just before the Malaysia Cup triumph last year, the 42-year-old, also a well-liked personality within the City Boys’ dressing room, was asked about the team’s performances. He said he was proud that the City Boys have performed beyond their fans’ dreams.
“It’s not easy being a KL fan. We had our highs in the late 80s, then it was low… with the lowest point being the relegation to the third division in 2014, where the team had to play at the UKM ground in Bangi,” said Devinder.
He believes that things are looking up and progressing under the current leadership of Stanley Bernard (Chief Executive Officer). Bojan continues to forge the team into a strong unit as his tactics make the team a tough nut to crack.
“From my observation, the team has a tight family bonding and everyone fights for each other. Tactically, Bojan has made the players work hard, producing results,” he said.
However, for those who remain unaware or perhaps did not notice, Dev has not been seen in Cheras with his match-day programme book since the 2-1 home victory against Kedah DA on July 27, 2022.
Unfortunately, five days before the City Boys were to meet Viettel in Saigon for the AFC Cup 2022 ASEAN Zone Semi-Final, Dev’s health has been diagnosed below par, but he is resting his way to recovery but still unable to attend our fixtures at home until his condition improves.
Together, Stanley and Bojan visited him after the win in Saigon, and he is in the good hands of his family members. On behalf of Kuala Lumpur City Football Club, we pray for his speedy recovery, and we cannot wait to see him back in the stadium again, never mind his much sought-after match day programme books!
DEVINDER!!! There’s only one Devinder! There’s only one Devinder! There’s only one Devinder!
GET WELL SOON, DEV!
Quotes:
“A man whose soul is filled with statistics. A heart that beats for Kuala Lumpur City Football Club” — Stanley Bernard, Chief Executive Officer.
“Hello Devinder, saya doakan awak kembali kuat and sihat seperti biasa. Awak kuat bro! Thanks selalu buat analisis team saya . Analisis saya yang banyak awak bagitahu berapa banyakk penampilan saya bersama Kuala Lumpur City bersama Malaysia, Terima kasih, Bos! Saya doakan moga semua dipermudahkan dan awak kuat bangun semula! — Akram Mahinan, Kuala Lumpur City Player
“Devinder is a beautiful soul who is a massive part of the Kuala Lumpur City family. The players have greatly appreciated his smile and constant optimism. His presence around the training ground has been missed lately.” — Giancarlo Gallifuoco, Kuala Lumpur City Player.
“Devinder is a true legend of Kuala Lumpur City FC. From the first day, he would share his statistics with me, and sometimes I felt he knew more about my career and the number of matches I have played in my career. All of his statistics are fantastic. Last year, he was one of the guys who gave us information about achievements that nobody had achieved for 30 years: When was the last time Kuala Lumpur City beat a team in two to three matches in a row? What are the best statistics? This motivated the players in games. He is an excellent asset to us. I went to see him after he suffered his stroke, and I showed him some videos of goals scored in the AFC Cup, and he was smiling. I hope he gets well soon and will return to the field as quickly as possible.” — Bojan Hodak, Head Coach of Kuala Lumpur City.
“Get well soon, King Of Football Statistics! Hope to see you again at the stadium supporting our beloved team. #SampaiMatiKualaLumpur” – Nizam, Kuala Lumpur City Fan
Some parts of this article were taken from the New Straits Times, December 1, 2021, Fan-Tastic-Devinder-Figures-It-Out for KL by K. Rajan.