Looking back at Singapore’s golden football era, one name remains unforgettable — Eric Paine.
As the goalkeeper who fearlessly defended his team’s goal throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Eric’s contributions to the national team are both celebrated and cherished.
His passion for the game continues to inspire football fans across generations.
Vintage Radio sits down with Eric to reminisce about his football career.
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Eric Paine: Childhood and Family
Credit: Vintage Radio
Football runs in Eric’s blood. His British father, a semi-professional footballer, put his career on hold when he was drafted into the army at 19 for World War II. He ended up defending Singapore against the Japanese.
During that time, he met Eric’s mother and had three children. Eric was the middle child, but almost definitely his father’s favourite as he took to football like a fish to water, following in his father’s footsteps.
His father, a huge football fan, earned the nickname “Gila Bola” in Malay, which directly translates to “crazy about football”. Eric’s father bought him the best football gear, including a match ball from Adidas which cost a “fortune”. He also encouraged Eric to play football with older boys in the neighbourhood.
For two hours every day, Eric would play as goalkeeper, defending shots from all directions. He later credited this time in his life as invaluable training, making him bolder and more resilient in facing tough shots from any angle — skills that would serve him well in his future career.
Eric Paine: Discovering his goalkeeping talent by a stroke of luck
Eric was selected for the school football team in primary four, the only player from that level, as the senior team mainly consisted of players in primary five and six. Due to his speed and accuracy, he was placed in midfield and attacking roles.
One day, during a match for the McNair finals, the goalkeeper of the school team called in sick. The teacher in charge was downcast, and looked around the team, asking if anyone could volunteer to be a goalkeeper.
Without hesitation, Eric stepped up. He played brilliantly, saving a penalty and two blank shots. His team eventually emerged as champion with a score of 1-0.
Eric Paine: Training under Coach Choo Seng Quee
In secondary school, Eric did not have a co-curricular activity. His father took him to coach Choo Seng Quee, who was renowned for leading several Southeast Asian football teams to victory.
The training was supposed to start at Farrer Park Stadium from 7am to 11am. As his father had woken up late, Eric and his father arrived at the stadium 10 minutes late.
Due to this incident, Eric almost gave up on training with Coach Choo.
Eric’s father cajoled him by sharing about his own football days. A broken leg had ended his football career, but he encouraged Eric to chase the dreams he could no longer reach.
"I want you to succeed in football. So that one day, when you don the Singapore jersey, it will feel like I’m playing too."
When Eric was 15, he found himself at a crossroads, being courted by football, hockey, and rugby teams in school, each eager for him to join. With the sports calendars clashing, Eric made the difficult decision to step away from all three to focus on his studies.
A week later, he was called to the principal’s office, where the sports masters of all three disciplines were waiting. They asked him to choose just one, promising the other two would step aside once he made his choice.
Credit: National Library Singapore
Eric Paine: Becoming a Household Name
After Eric joined the combined school team, he went to a match in 1966 held in Malacca. Singapore was part of the team that competed with the other states and emerged as champions. This victory filled Eric with immense pride and joy, deepening his passion for representing Singapore as a goalkeeper. From that moment, he promised himself to work even harder to earn a spot on the national team.
Two years later, Eric was selected as part of the national team.
Credit: Vintage Radio
Eric Paine: Fondly Remembered as a Hero of Singaporean Football
Eric is proud of his legacy in Singapore football. He recalls how touched he was by the response to a facebook post by his brother Jason of Eric guarding a goal from his younger days.
"It brought out a lot of comments from the public. I found that most, if not all, were favourable comments about my display in goalkeeping."
"Many were saying that I was undisputedly the best Singapore ever had. I feel proud that they have this to say about me, that they still remember me after 46 long years, and from the bottom of my heart, I like to thank them. As one saying goes, heroes don't die. They just fade away."
This content was originally aired on Vintage Radio. To listen to the complete podcast, click here.
