In memoriam: No one lived football the way Shebby did

KUALA LUMPUR − This past month has been a difficult one for most fans of Malaysian football. Our disappointing showing in the AFF Suzuki Cup was made even worse by losing Serbegeth “Shebby” Singh – the ex-national-player-turned-football-pundit, who has become synonymous with football discussions.

I first met Shebby in the Astro cafeteria before the inception of Astro SuperSport and immediately took a liking to his forthright and opinionated view of the game. In no time at all, we had him as a weekly guest on our sports magazine show called Sports Saturday on Talk Radio.

Our working relationship soon turned to friendship, and I vividly remember having a three-hour animated chat (our conversations were nothing if not long) on what ailed Malaysian football at a wedding the entire time it was being celebrated!

A few years later, we worked together on several local and international radio and tv shows. Although Shebby was hard on camera, once he was done with work, he would delve deeper into the subject he loved with humour and fun.

I still remember when he called me one afternoon while I was working at Wow FM and invited me to play in a testimonial match with ex–Manchester United star Denis Law in KL. When I told him I didn’t have my football kit with me, he insisted I be there, nonetheless.

When I got to the stadium that night, he handed me his football boots − that was the closest I got to walking in his shoes. On the pitch, I felt I had to push myself at every turn to ensure that he didn’t have a go at me later.

Former national teammate Khan Hung Meng, 63, who was Shebby’s opponent in the 80s, had this to say about the man: “He was fiercely passionate and very disciplined. He believed in hard work and as far as he was concerned, there were no shortcuts to success on the pitch.

“As a teammate, he was absolutely no-nonsense and never gave up. As I followed his career over the years into broadcasting, I saw how he had manifested into a strong personality, one who was frank with his opinions.”

Former Bayern Munich coach and ex-national player Lim Teong Kim, who now resides in Germany, had this to say about Shebby: “As we were roommates during the ‘89 SEA Games in KL, we talked a lot about how football should be run, train and played.

We enjoyed the training methods from Dr. Jozef Venglos and Trevor Hartley. The best games I played with Shebby were against Everton, the SEA Games final against Singapore and, last but not least, KL’s World Cup qualification match against Korea, which we won 2-1.

Datuk Yasmin Yusuff, who was a close friend, shared that “Shebby and I had been best of friends for almost 40 years. I’ve been a football fan all my life, so it was wonderful to spend time with another football ‘nut’.

“However, never once did I ever imagine that I would be able to co-host a radio show about World Cup football with Serbegeth Singh − a full-time national football player!

“I had no confidence at all that I would remember names, positions nor the teams they played for. But with Shebby leading me all the way, I found that I could hold my own with him − and to be honest − I was amazed at the football knowledge that came out of my mouth!

“Years before we both did the show, I was a firm fan of the KL football team − even sponsoring their training kit − and had followed the team all over the country, so my relationship with Shebby had developed into a firm friendship, with us pulling each other’s legs about our favourite teams – his was Spurs, mine was Man U − I supported France, he Italy. And he fancied himself as the Malaysian Passarella even though I laughed at him for it.

“Our team rivalry was so intense; I even remember calling him up in the middle of the night while he was away in training camp to crow over the fact that France had beaten Italy. Before I could say a word, he said: ‘I know why you called’.

“But, far more than football, Shebby was my best friend. His was the biggest shoulder I cried on and at one time − he was so worried about me − he and a friend took turns to sleep downstairs in my house so that I was not alone.

“We could talk into the late hours of the night about anything under the sun − about his children, who were his life − about Blackburn, about ESPN.

“Right now, I’m still in shock and my heart is completely shattered that he is gone. I had been away on Christmas day when his daughter Natassha − my goddaughter – celebrated her birthday and I told her to make sure we all get together when I got back. Well, that was nine days ago, and now, we’ll never have that dinner.”

Broadcaster Ben Ibrahim said: “Shebby was a good man. He had a serious face but a very kind heart.  My first TV show was a programme called Absolute Football on Astro Supersport with myself, Shebby, Zainal Abbas, Kevin Francis and Raymond Goh in 2005. It was Astro's first show to feature local talents for regular content. 

“Shebby showed me the ropes of the business and was always happy to put in a good word for me to get other work. He was not insecure and was proof that you can be direct but not aggressive.  I will miss him. Thank you, Shebs, for everything you have done for football and our sports TV industry. 

“Just remember, you sent Neville Southall the wrong way to score a penalty when Malaysia played ‘my’ Everton in 1989. Malaysia Boleh!”

After losing someone like Shebby, the outpouring of love that we have experienced over the past week or so just goes to show how passionate Malaysians are about the former football star and how expressive they are about their love for the game, just like how Serbegeth Singh felt about football throughout his life.

I know that somewhere in heaven right now, Shebby is talking about football in the company of legends, such as Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona and George Best.

And just like us, they will definitely be enjoying those moments. – The Vibes, January 19, 2022