"Nice enough, but a bit basic"

I was in Singapore for a work trip for 2 days recently, so decided to take in the Albirex Nigata (S) v Gombak United match on 21/10/2011. The stadium is easy to find, located only about 10-15 minutes walk from the Civic District of Singapore (or a 4 dollar taxi fare) and also very close to public transport. The stadium is located in a tourist area of Singapore, so there are hundreds of bars and restaurants around the ground itself and safety is no problem whatsoever.

The ground itself looks larger than it actually is, the main stand is quite imposing when seen from the front, a two-tiered covered modern looking facility. Opposite to this is a smaller stand, a single tiered and uncovered seating area. There are no viewing areas behind either goal, with a wall and netting behind each. Overall the capacity is only around 6,000 but as I said, it seems bigger than this once inside.

The view from the main stand is excellent, I was on the lower tier near the half-way line and the view was unimpeded. The seats were extremely comfortable, much better than any in the UK or Australia I have sat in! The atmosphere was credible despite only 711 people being present, the Gombak supporters made a fairly decent amount of noise for their small numbers. I suspect a full-house for a Singapore national team game would be generate quite an atmosphere.

Toilets at the ground were adequate (those of us from the west should however avoid the squatting pan at all costs!) however the food and drink facilities were sparse. You cannot take a can or bottle into the viewing area, so you have to get drinks poured into a plastic cup from a bottle, and the food was the basic chips and lollies type stuff, which was most disappointing given the Singaporean love of good food!

Overall, a worthwhile experience and not the worst ground I have been to by any stretch.

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