SCOTT'S STORY

By Tony Mariadass

 

Scott William Ollerenshaw as a footballer has always believed that in life, what is meant to will be.

The 52-year-old former Australian national striker who has played for Sabah, lives in Kota Kinabalu since 1994, married former national karate exponent, Michelle Koh, has two children Jordan (22) and Alicia (14), was last week appointed by Sabah FC as their Technical Director (TD).

From left: Jimmy Koh and Belinda Koh (Michelle's parents), Alicia, Scott, Jordan, 

Michele and Aggie (Jordan's girlfriend)

His son Jordan played football earlier but decided to do other things and now helps his mother in their fitness centre business.

“I am footballer and not politician. I do not play politics but football. I let what happens based on ability,” said Ollerenshaw who besides playing for Sabah from 1994 to 1997, played one season for Negri Sembilan in 1998.

“It may have been a longtime since I last played for Sabah in 1997, but I am happy to be back to be involved in the game in Sabah again as a TD. I have always wanted to give back to the game in Sabah and finally I have the opportunity.

“I am only glad that I have been given an opportunity to work with Sabah football after all these years. I do not hold any grudge or angry because I was not given an opportunity earlier.”

Ollerenshaw said he had to thank former Sabah’s and national iconic striker, James Wong, for recommending him to the new management team of Sabah FC.

“I was then contacted by Sabah FC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Firdaus Akbar Khan (below), and after the meeting, I was offered the TD’s job. I was delighted and accepted it.”

Ollerenshaw’s journey into Malaysian football in 1994 was not on a silver platter.

His good friend, former Pahang skipper Allan Davidson, arranged for a trial with the Elephants, but did not get the nod because Pahang’s coach Yunus Alif had already signed on their final foreign player quota – besides Davidson, Thailand’s Attaphol Buspakom were signed on.

Then, former athletics coach Leslie Armstrong, arranged for Ollerenshaw to attend trial with Kuala Lumpur. But again, then KL coach, the late Ken Shellito, was looking for a defender and signed on Scott 0’Donnell.

Ollerenshaw returned to Australia but got a call from Armstrong for a trial in Sabah under coach Kelly Tham and the rest is history, and went on to get married and settled down in Sabah.

With Sabah besides having scored 110 goals in the 106 matches he played during his four-year tenure, he had the honour of winning the FA Cup in 1995, emerging Premier League champions in 1996, Golden Boot Winner 1995 (22 goals) and 1996 (18 goals) and Most Valuable Player in 1996.

In 1996, he played as a guest player for Selangor under coach Ken Worden against visiting Manchester United and had scored the only goal in their 1-4 defeat.

“I believe Sabah is a ‘Sleeping Giant’ because there is abundance of talent waiting to be tapped and groomed,” said Scott who played 12 international matches for the Australian Youth team and capped 18 times for the Senior team including playing for Australia in the Seoul Olympics reaching the quarterfinals.

“I am really looking forward to working at the grassroot to tap the talent and create a big pond of players for Sabah.

“There are youth programmes currently with age-group teams (state junior teams, NFDP and Football Schools of Excellence), but we need to have more programmes throughout Sabah for more children from the grassroot to join structured programmes and to be coached from a young age.

“This where we also need a big pool of qualified coaches for these programmmes and I intend to work closely with national technical director Datuk Ong Kim Swee (who incidetally was his teammate in Sabah), to have more coaches from Sabah certified or upgrade themselves through their coaching courses.”

Ollerenshaw said his involvement with the Sabah senior team will be minimal because he will not interfere with the work of coach Indonesian Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto who has returned as head coach of Sabah FC for their Malaysian League 2021 campaign.

Kurniawan was signed under the previous Safa management and guided Sabah to Super League safely in the Covid-19 disrupted 2020 season but his one-year deal ended last November was not extended.

“My involvement with the senior team will be with the foreign players in mentoring them to assist them understand the Sabah culture, their role expected as foreign players and basically help them settle in better with the team and play a key role. I will not get involved in their playing role in the team or team tactics.”

Ollerenshaw said he has done so many things since he last played for Sabah but getting back to help Sabah football was something he always wanted to do.

“In fact, I am tired of the things I have been doing as my true love is to be on the field and be involved with football directly,” said Ollerenshaw.

Among the things he has done include being a shareholder of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (2001-2003), managing director of Borneo Sports & Adventure Holidays S/B (2004 – 2012) – where his wife was the owner where their core business was football facilitator, player agent and tour organiser.

He had also initiated and fully sponsored the KK Junior Football Leagues (2008 – 2013) and as Player Manager he had introduced mixed heritage players to the M-League, scouted, researched, and initiated passports for 12 Mixed heritage players including the like of Brendan Gan, Mathew Davies and Carbin Ong who all have gone to play for the national team.

As a player agent, he has worked with over 70 players (both local and foreign) signed for Malaysian clubs over the last 10 years.

He has also worked exclusively with JDT and HRH Tengku Mahkota Johor (TMJ) for mixes heritage players signed by them.

Scott, Alan Davidson and Alistair Edwards

Another area he was involved was initiating the Malaysia Borneo Football Cup – a junior development tournament held yearly in Kota Kinabalu. The tournament would attract over 60 foreign teams from Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, India, Philippines, and West Malaysia. All Sabah teams participating in the Borneo Cup were given free entry.

He had also organised playing tours all over Asia for National Associations from Malaysia, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Maldives, and India.

Ollrenshaw’s parting words were: “I hope to wake up Sabah as the ‘Sleeping Giant’ in the coming years and see more players from Sabah make the national team.

“Players in Sabah are a different breed – they are physically and mentally strong, hard workers and passionate about the game. They only need to be spotted, placed in proper programmes, guided, and moulded into great players.

“Just look at the players from the past from Sabah – late Peter Rajah, James Ong, Hassan Sani, Matlan Marjan, Bobby Chua, Jelius Ating, Bobby Gonzales and Ronny Harun to name a few.”

Ollerenshaw is on a mission for Sabah football, but it is important that he is given the time and support to achieve it for them.

Nothing happens over night or by a wave of the magic wand!

Scott's handwritten Bio which he wrote for scribe in 1995 on board a Malaysia Airlines flight from Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Lumpur for the FA Cup final.