Significant Events

Between 1959 and the early 1970s, numerous cricket teams of Test or first class standard visited Singapore and graced the Padang.

The most notable of these were:

  • The Australian Test team to India and Pakistan in 1959
  • The MCC team to New Zealand in 1961
  • Ron Roberts’ Commonwealth XI in 1962
  • E.W. Swanton’s Commonwealth XI in 1964
  • Joe Lister’s International XI in 1968
  • The MCC XI on its East African and East Asian tour in 1970

The Indian and Pakistan Test teams returning from their tours of Australia in 1968 and 1972 respectively also visited Singapore. Unfortunately, their one-day fixtures were washed out.

Although the future of the Club looked grim during the 1960s, because of declining membership, financial difficulties and the possibility of government action, it survived (largely because of the sterling work of Club President Andrew Gilmour (after whom the Gilmour Room is named) and during the 1970s and 1980s it began to prosper once more. Concern for the community became a hallmark of the Club during the 1980s, the most outstanding example of this being an SCC Extravaganza charity day in 1984, in which year Singapore celebrated 25 years of self-government. The event raised $285,000 for the Community Chest of Singapore.

Seven-a-side rugby teams had competed for the Ablitt Cup since as long ago as the 1940s, but it was not until the 1980s that the SCC Rugby Sevens was expanded to become a truly international competition. The SCC Soccer Sevens (now played in sixes format) has become an equally popular annual event and in 1991 it was enhanced by the presence of British soccer stars Gordon Banks, Bobby Charlton, Roger Hunt, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters (all members of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup), Mike England, Pat Jennings, Kevin Keegan and Tony Woodcock.

The highlight of 1991 was the visit of Singapore President Wee Kim Wee on 6 December and his acceptance of honorary membership of the Club. Another event in 1991 of interest in the context of the Club’s history was the discovery of the oldest sports trophy the Club has in its possession – a Challenge Cup presented to the Club by Vice-Admiral C.B. Hamilton and officers of the British ships visiting Singapore in 1887, in commemoration of the many games the British Navy had enjoyed on the Padang.