Colorful memories... of the Lam River!

(Baonghean) - In the mid-1990s, we, soldiers from Nghe An, were stationed in Cam Ranh, Khanh Hoa. We compensated for our homesickness with our love for the Song Lam Nghe An football team.

Fans supporting SLNA team. Photo: Tran Hai

During the 1995-1996 season, the Khanh Hoa team had a match against Song Lam at Nha Trang Stadium, about 40 kilometers from where we were stationed. Two days before the match, a group of fellow countrymen from Nghe An province discussed going to Nha Trang to cheer them on. The group consisted of 32 people from Dien Chau, Yen Thanh, Quynh Luu, and Nghia Dan districts.

Having just received our allowances, we discussed making a banner. However, we couldn't agree on what to write on it. Everyone had a different opinion. Some said, "It should say 'I love Nghe An!'"; others suggested, "It should say, 'The Lam River wins...'"

Finally, I, the battalion's best at creating wall posters, was tasked with "composing" the banner. Ultimately, I came up with the phrase "The Colorful Storm of Song Lam" for everyone's opinion. The thing is, at the time, I was a fan of the Dutch national team, and the name was meant to convey the message: Song Lam Nghe An should be the Netherlands of Vietnam. After some debate, everyone finally agreed.

On Sunday morning, around eleven o'clock, we set off, carrying a blue banner with red lettering. We even held it up along the way to show it off to everyone.

Upon arriving in Nha Trang, after strolling along the beautiful beach, it was time to go into the stadium. Our group of supporters sat in a corner of the stands, with banners hanging out; we looked rather modest compared to the home team's supporters, but our slogans were quite... flamboyant.

SLNA fans during the match against Khánh Hòa. Photo: Đức Chuyên

I don't know if Hữu Thắng, Quang Trường, Văn Sỹ Hùng... and our teammates still remember, but it's true that we shouted very loudly back then, and some spectators in Khánh Hòa paid close attention to us.

That match ended in a draw between Song Lam Nghe An and Khanh Hoa, but we, with our banners proclaiming "The Song Lam Storm," were incredibly excited. We've been away from home for at least a year, some for three years, without ever returning home on leave. We poured our love for our homeland into our hometown team. The Song Lam team helped us send our feelings back to our homeland like a wind blowing our souls back to our motherland...

Phan Xuan Hau