Farrer Park's soccer pitches and hawkers

 


[Editor:Although the photo shows a hawker centre that was built in the sixties in the vicinity of Farrer of Park, the  food stalls previously lining the street near this football field was a big attraction to the area as well.]

I used to live in the vicinity of Farrer Park. It was a huge park which had been in fact a horse-racing track before this activity was relocated to Bukit Timah Turf Club (which is now Turf City and soon to be the location of new HDB flats)

There were numerous soccer pitches in the Park, and every afternoon there were matches to watch,  attracting sizeable crowds. It was the place to be at with soccer matches to watch and where food and refreshments were easily available. It was a time when soccer was purely a recreational activity, and the participants were indulging in it for the sheer joy of the game. The size of the crowd of spectators at each pitch was indicative of where the best action would be. 

Apart from enjoying the game, spectators also had another form of excitement. This was in betting. I understand this could be in various permutations such as which team would score the first goal or which team would be in the lead in the first half of he game, or what the eventual score would be.

Another big attraction in Farrer Park was the long line of street food stalls selling a variety of snacks from Singapore's diverse ethnic groups. Stools and benches were provided around each stall for the patrons. Hygienic practices were thrown to the wind, and with the volume of business transacted each day, it was a wonder that the hawkers were able to do all the cleaning and washing of dishes and utensils with just a few pails of water which they had to bring along with on their push carts each day, as there was no water source available in the Park.


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