FOOTBALL AND MY LIFE

A lot has been both said and written about football so I want to quote briefly how it has changed my life so deeply.




As a hopeless student with a bad background and a broken family, I chose to play football to prove myself. As a striker, I led my team, 74 KNNc, to the final match. We defeated our opponent, 74KCNa, to become champions of the university and I obviously became a talented trustful midfielder in school. Considering a goal keeper in class 74 CTM not qualified enough, I volunteered to wear gloves and keep the goal from the first game in December, 1975 until the day I came to Kien Giang in March, 1980. To keep my position, I just had to practice hard. In Bao Loc, to get up early, I had to go to bed at 9. There, in order to get a good sleep, I practiced every afternoon. Because I was a book-worm and played the guitar 365 days a year in Bao Loc, here I could do again what I did. Rain or sunshine could not stop me playing the guitar, neither did it rain “cats and dogs” or was it so hot.



When the former team captain, Nguyen Hung, Agricultural College, graduated in July 1976, I was voted to replace him. When I first showed up in the tournament “The Spring” run by the Department of Education of HCMC, I was among the 3 goalkeepers selected. During my 4 years of college, I neither missed nor played badly in any games. During the first month of 1977, Phan Van Lan, a graduate from Tu Son Gym and Sports University, set up university policy which included maintaining that each sport’s department head was solely responsible and independent. I was the first he chose to be the chief team and head of football. The more whole school sports was progressive, the better I was trustful and responsible. I knew my special strenght best of all and I recoginezd very clearly I what I would do. That helped me a lot as a farmer would know his daily work or a soldier understood his each fight. Even though I was not a Communist youth- member, I was in charge as the head of football of the school and, of course, Agriculture ward. Although I was not trained, I took a whisle and was a good referee of all school games. Basketball followed Foolball’s success. With my playing experience in Bao Loc, I had a chance to play in male school basket ball team. Due to a lot of girl students in the dorm wanted to try, I became their coach- an ideal one in some of their eyes.

Other teams around the school didn’t have or lacked a yard to practice. We turned to be a big magnet. We got a lot of invitations. Viso Company often asked my 2 team mates and me to officially play for them. Then Viet Duc Technical High school and Thu Duc district team also need my sticky hands. In my internship in Soc Trang, the chief of the provincial team persuaded me to join their games. Back in Bao Loc, Tam De and Bay Binh’s talent helped make me the second striker, I was rather coward though. After the national revolution, I was a guy with self-pity. But with what I did for the school sports campaign, I was self- assured. It was often said, “Being expert or being political”. I often asked myself, “Being good enough”. On behalf of the whole team, I was in charge of keep the bikes and motobikes for some big games. I got a job of making lines and hanging the goal’s nets to raise the team’s fund. For each of the city’s big games, I was given 2 tickets to Thong Nhat stadium. When my class went practicing at four different locations, beside my guitar, I carried a big bag of football shoes for my team class. In another word, when getting invitations to play where we practiced, we advertised our university’s brand name. Due to what I did, Can Tho University officially asked me to work for it Sep 1979.

Contrary to many predictions, I was offered a job as a sports official at my own University. I was unexpectedly honored. The school bus, a dorm room, teacher’s dining room, high standard such as 19 kg of rice, meat, milk, sportswear were what all graduates wished. My godmother, also my mother-in-law to be, had nothing more to expect from me. After one year of separation, I came back to her family and reconciled myself to a sister’s envy as well as others’. After solving my private matters, I decided to see my biological mother at Soc Xoai, Hon Dat, Kien Giang In my luggage, there was a warm love for my Mom and a burning love for football as well. Wearing school shoes and a T-shirt while I practiced at Soc Xoai’s yard, everyone enjoyed watching me as I did when Phuong Thanh, an artist- footballer, practiced and played one game for my Bao Loc Agriculture high school in 1973. Mr. Tu Da- the team manager- signed a contract to have me play for The provincial Technical Material Company several games. Due to lacking players, the rich and famous team- a consecutive champions- got me here to work and play football for it. Just a few knew that my godmother advised me to be here so I would be able to have a chance to support my Blood Mom.

At the end of March 1980, I got here to work while my brother was still in prison, my sister was in a new-economic zone. Practicing every afternoon, playing every fortnight, I played obviously better. In the national tournament that year 1982, I was a selected goalie. The team was assisted by one of the Sai Gon Port’s midfielers. As a second goal keeper, I played 2 games rather well. After weekly game, I saw my Mom who was proud of me because the neigbors had rumors or talked about me,

“It’s rare to be the same as you.”

After my fiance’s visit and my brother sister’s going abroad, Apr 1982, the company was sure that I had missed the trip so they would no longer trust me. Being disappointed, losing hope made me drink. No long after joining drinking club, I was highly ranked. Asking for a permission to stay out, I tutored and shared a small making chalk business. I practiced to make advertising board by myself to prepare for another change. Having a lover and getting married to her helped me look forward. I stayed with the family-in-law and went to work until I was fired. Failing to apply jobs several times, I decided to be part of my father-in- law’s making wine home business. Did the ball stop rolling in my heart? Was life just as smooth as it seemed? Did I feel pleased to be a wine producer. I did not believe in fate but I did count on what Dat- a former famous striker- working as a coach for Forestry Department- asked me,

“Try to play a game for us, brother Thanh.”

That was a semi-final game in the provincial championship 1985. I played well and we won that game. I was asked to go on for the final one- the fate- deciding one.

Making a good save in the game, I was almost a hero. In the 5-penalty shoot out, our opponent- Ha Tien cement- 2 would never forget my save which helped make the Forestry Department the champions. The vice- department director asked me to work. What a life! I became a construction controler for the Forestry Company as well as the department’s both goal keeper and an accord guitarist until the day I stopped working for them.

As my going to school in Bao Loc, playing football and my coming to Rach Gia changed my life very much, now did my studying and teaching English.

How spectacular a football game! How about life?

The lunar year’s day of the Tiger

Luong Ngoc Thanh