When passions run high, it's easy to get caught in a herd mentality

Dissapointed Singapore players question the match official after Malaysia were awarded an injury time penalty kick. Malaysia won the AFF Suzuki Cup tie 3-1.

Being part of a crowd can be overwhelming, but it pays to be your own man

Last Saturday, Malaysia dramatically beat their fiercest rivals Singapore in the AFF Suzuki Cup. There were children sleeping in the same room that I was watching the game in, so I had to bridle my celebration. Meanwhile, the Singaporean home crowd were trying to pelt the match officials with bottles.

Now, possibly the last thing you would expect is a Singaporean acting like a hooligan. They are known to be civilised and professional in all aspects of life. Given their reputation, I would have expected them to politely applaud and say, “We are naturally disappointed, but it was good value for the price of the tickets.”