Shebby Singh (1960-2022) Malaysian Footballer

Shebby Singh (1960-2022) Malaysian Footballer dies at 12 January 2022 ( 61 years) who played as a defender

He played as a defender. He started his football career for Johor FA in 1978. He then joined Kuala Lumpur FA in 1984, and was part of the team which won the Malaysia Cup three years in a row from 1987 to 1989.

He played nine years of international football for Malaysia, including playing in three Asian Games (1982, 1986, and 1990), and was a gold medalist in the South East Asian Games in 1989.

After retiring in 1996, he worked as a coach and a sports broadcaster, as well as a global adviser to the Blackburn Rovers during the 2012-2013 season.

Full Bio

Shebby Singh Full Biography

Shebby Singh  Playing career

Singh started his football career for Johor FA, before moving to Federal Territory in 1983, for which he was suspended from playing for a year by Johor FA for allegedly moving without permission. He was chiefly associated with Kuala Lumpur FA, and was part of the team which won the Malaysia Cup three years in a row from 1987–89. He also played with Negeri Sembilan FA and Pahang FA before ending his career with Perak FA in 1996.

He played nine years of international football for Malaysia, including playing in three Asian Games in 1982, 1986 and 1990, and was a South East Asian Games gold medallist in 1989.

His career in domestic football lasted eighteen years from 1978 to 1996. He won every domestic honour, including the Malaysia Cup, Malaysian FA Cup and League Championship.

Shebby Singh Coaching and media career

In 2006, Singh coached a football team named ‘MyTeam’ for a Malaysian reality television show. The squad was mainly composed of amateur Malaysian footballers. During the series, the team visited the training grounds of Manchester United, where they faced a selection of United players. The game ended in a goalless draw. ‘MyTeam2’ was broadcast in 2007. They lost 2–0 to the Indonesia football team.^{[citation needed]}

In 2007, Singh was appointed technical advisor to Malaysia Super League club Melaka TMFC. He also had a brief stint as caretaker head coach of the club after previous coach Irfan Bakti Abu Salim was sacked. He only lasted one year at the club.^{[citation needed]}

Singh appeared as a football analyst on South East Asian television.

Shebby Singh Blackburn Rovers

On 18 June 2012, Venky’s, the owners of Blackburn Rovers F.C., appointed Singh as global adviser at the club. On 29 December 2012, he appeared on sports programme 6–0–6 on BBC Radio 5 Live. He confirmed to presenters Robbie Savage and Darren Fletcher that the club’s former manager, Steve Kean, had in fact resigned from the club as opposed to reports in the press claiming he was sacked. Singh also described his appointment of Henning Berg as a “mistake that he regretted”.^{[citation needed]} Berg’s managerial reign lasted just ten games and 57 days.

Singh denied reports that he had taken over training sessions and stated the club’s next manager would be a man with experience, ruling out Scottish coach Kevin MacDonald. In spite of this, the inexperienced manager of Blackpool F.C., Michael Appleton, was appointed the club’s new manager, prompting strong criticism from Blackburn fans.^{[citation needed]}

Singh was instrumental in the dismissal of Appleton, who lasted 67 days in his job, ten days longer than his predecessor, Henning Berg. This managerial unrest saw his popularity among Blackburn supporters drop further. During this time, he was accused of ‘presiding over the farcical decline of the club’, according to one of The Independent article. Singh had not returned to the club after three months on leave, his only presence being a short visit to sack Appleton, whom he had never met.

Shebby Singh Personal life and death

Singh died on 12 January 2022, at the age of 61. It is believed that he fainted due to shortness of breath while cycling in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, according to Bernama. Footballer Zaquan Adha said that he saw Singh beforehand, and recalled that Singh looked ‘tired’ and ‘pale’ although he had just started cycling. Singh was cremated at Shamshan Bhoomi Hall, Kuala Lumpur.