Putting the Boot In

Illustrious Australian football coach David O’Connor has arrived in Singapore to very little fanfare. His love for the game and desire to develop the tiny country’s fledgling professional league in a big way has seen him accepting terms he’s less than thrilled about—that is, if his contract even materializes. He faces the daunting task of rebuilding a team whose spirit and confidence is in shatters. He has to bridge cultural divides and finds a way to inspire his team to believe in him, the game, and importantly, themselves and each other. And slowly but surely Gombak United begins to ascend from the bottom of the league table, soon recognized as a force to be reckoned with. But at the height of his success, David is suddenly dropped from the team, marking the start of his downward spiral into drink and womanizing. His journey is fraught with difficulties, leaving him with broken ventures and financial troubles. But David is a fighter, and in a country that seems intent to break him—and jail him even—he is determined to rise again.


David O’ Connor has an impressive resumé both as a football player and coach. He has played professionally in England and Australia and coached in both Australia and Singapore. David O’Connor founded the DOC Football Academy in Singapore in 2004. He has also appeared on sports shows as well as provided commentary for football matches.