FOR the fans, the gigantic Shah Alam Stadium reflects their great pride in Selangor being a big team in the M-League.
In fact, Selangor were the biggest and shiniest team in Malaysian football in the 1970s-1980s, when no other sides could hold a candle to them.
And Selangor, winners of the Malaysia Cup an unrivalled 33 times, saw it fit to name themselves as the Red Giants when the semi-pro league became fully professional in 1994. And so well supported were the Selangor team by their fans that a huge stadium with a remarkable seating capacity of 80,372 was built to accommodate them that year.
Sheer in scale and magnificent in architecture, the stadium not only became a major landmark in Shah Alam but till today remains the biggest home venue in the M-League. It hosted many world class matches, among them the friendly between Lionel Messi's FC Barcelona and Malaysia XI in 2013.
But over the years, the stadium's facilities deteriorated and this season, the Selangor team couldn't even play their Super League matches there anymore this season.
But the authorities have decided to do something about it even though the Selangor team will have to lose their home for some time.
Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the state government had earlier agreed to let Darul Ehsan Facilities Management (DEFM), the manager of the stadium, begin renovation works in March. But it was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Amirudin stressed that the state government will exercise financial prudence in repairing the stadium and it should not burden the state as they have to be mindful about the post-Covid-19 economic reforms.
"The initial plan was for the repairs to start in March this year. But the Movement Control Order came, so we will only now begin work," said Amirudin yesterday.
"This will force the stadium to be closed for up to 18 months, depending on the volume of work. The renovation package may either involve critical damage only or overall repair.
"Whatever it is, we want to make sure the stadium functions at its maximum capacity when it's reopened.
"The state government and DEFM Sdn Bhd will ensure this sports landmark in Selangor gets proper protection. The Shah Alam Stadium is a sacred venue for our beloved football team, the Red Giants," he added.
It was reported that the Selangor team were not allowed to use the Shah Alam Stadium as their home venue this season by the Malaysian Football League (MFL) after its roofs were found to be damaged and may compromise the safety of spectators.
The Red Giants then requested to play Perak at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on March 7. The match ended 1-1.
However, the MFL later ruled that the national stadium should not be used as an alternative home venue for M-League matches.
The Selangor team have not stepped foot on Shah Alam Stadium for more than half a year. The last time they played there was against Bangkok United in the Selangor Asia Challenge on Jan 19. Bangkok United beat Selangor 4-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw in regulation time.
Because of its capacity, Shah Alam Stadium was chosen as the the venue for the 2017 FA Cup final which saw Kedah beating Pahang 3-2 and also the 2018 Malaysia Cup final which saw Perak overcoming Terengganu 4-1 on penalties after the match ended 3-3 in extra-time.
The Shah Alam Stadium was also closed from December, 2015 until May, 2016 when its field was replanted with cow-grass and its lighting system upgraded from 1,200 lux to 2,000 lux.
Following the announcement of Shah Alam Stadium's closure until 2022, this will be the longest period that the home of Selangor will stay silent, as silent as the closed door matches when the M-League restarts from next month.
For the remaining Super League matches, Selangor will temporarily use the UiTM Stadium as their home venue. The Red Giants' home matches are against PJ City (Aug 27), Melaka (Sept 5), UiTM (Sept 14) and Felda (Sept 23) while their away matches are against Sabah (Sept 1), JDT (Sept 9) and Police (Sept 19)
Amirudin said the state government sympathises with the Selangor fans but urged them to be patient as their safety comes before anything else.
"We hope Selangor supporters will bear with us the inconvenience while waiting for the stadium to be ready.
"The state government and DEFM Sdn Bhd want to ensure there are no issues when the stadium reopens.
"The stadium is also used for other activities, besides football. So, we hope the others can also accept this temporary disruption.
"The Shah Alam Stadium has hosted several historic events and it holds fond memories for many of us.
"That's why we want to deliver the best for this stadium," added Amirudin.