Please can you tell me a bit about yourself and where you come from?
- I am a Dutch former museum curator who celebrates his 65th birthday on Saturday.
How long have you been in Chiang Rai?
- I have been visiting every year since 1986 and when I retired in 1997, I moved here.
How long have been following Chiang Rai United?
- Since its second or third home game ever in 2009 (Second Division North) so almost from the start.
What sort of crowds do you currently attract for home games?
- Last year, when we were still playing in the First Division at the stadium of Chiang Rai town, the number of spectators was in between five and six thousand. Now, playing at the stadium of the Mae Fah Luang University, about thirty kilometer to the north of the city, the number went down to between three and four thousand (too far for motorcycles!). The crowds are made up of mainly men between eighteen and thirty years of age.
How does this compare with when you first started going to watch?
- The first match I visited, when we also played in the stadium of the MFL-University, I shared the stands with about 250 others. With a gigantic snowball effect this number went up rather quickly and when we started to play in Chinagrai town it was booming.
What does the club do to help the fans travel to away matches?
- On occasions in the past buses were organized and for 500 Baht you could join the party. This also included one night’s stay at a hotel. Our average away game is more than 800 kilometers away. The club doesn't have a big budget, but we are happy that we have a fanclub in the Bangkok area as well (Kwankrung) that cheers our team when we are playing there.
Do you manage to get to many away games?
- Last Sunday was my first time. I travelled to Mahasarakham, where Khon Kaen temporarily plays (about 800 kms from Chiang Rai), and met up with a friend that lives in the that neighbourhood. We were the only orange fans at the match and our combined age was almost 140 years old.
Do you hope to travel away more often this season?
- Yes, but the nearest place is Phichit (about 500 kms) and we have already played there. I hope to be in Ratchaburi at the beginning of May with Chiangrai Hills FC, the all-hiltribe team of Maechan.
What are your happiest memories of supporting Chiang Rai United?
- Sitting among the other fans I can forget that I am a foreigner here and hearing Chiangrai! Chiangrai! feels great. I am still too shy to join the choirs but I do in silence. It's the feeling of unity, to be part of a local thing. And of course two championships, first in the second division and one year later in the first. Which club manages to offer that to you?
Who are your best players?
- Wasan, our number forty, was officially the best striker of the first division last year. This year I haven’t seen that much of him (he has a newborn daughter, nicknamed ... Forty!). My favourite is Brasilian Edvaldo Pereira, not only as a very experienced player, but also for his cheerful character. He is one of the two players that played European Cup football (with St. Gallen, Swiss champion in 1999). Lovely guy and unsurpassable on the square meter. The other one is Romanian Leontin Chitescu, who was a champion with Cluj. Nice player.
What do you think about your coach/manager?
- Brasilian Stephano Zugurra, he’s a very sympathic person. He played with Vitesse Arnhem in the Netherlands more than ten years ago. He was the coach with Persebaya when they were three times Indonesian champion and he coached the Brasilian U19 team. He’s also coached at a number of other clubs. He arrived in Chiangrai last year for the second leg of the league. We were in ninth position but when the league was over we were third and were promoted to the Premier League. He was instrumental in that.
What do you think about the people who run your club?
- The first word that comes to my mind is admiration! Our Chairman, Miti Tiyapairat, was 23 years old when everything started and he is doing most things by himself, with the assistance of his fiancee Khun Korbtip. I have great respect for his professionalism, his vision, perseverance and strength. Don't forget that we have strong headwind politically, so things aren't easy.
What are Chiang Rai United's realistic long term ambitions?
- First of all to stay in the Premier League. Many agree with me, and I am happy that also BG-man Andy belongs to them, that we have been the best team in games were the points however were left behind. The potential is great and it should be cashed in one day.
Which TPL teams have impressed you this season & why?
- ... no idea
Which TPL players have impressed you this season?
- ... no idea
What do you think about Chonburi FC - the club, the team, the fans?
- I know that it is one of the top-teams of Thailand, but I never had the pleasure of being introduced.
Who do you think will win the TPL this season?
- The team of Newin Chidchob.
Anything else you'd like to add?
- Please never confuse Chiangrai United with Chiang Rai FC, now at the bottom in the Second Division North. After the success of Chiang Rai United in the first year of its existence, the Provincial Administration Authority lost face (they have been 'sitting' on the stadium for thirty years and didn't manage to do anything with it) and reacted by taking over FC Thoeng, led by a visionairy local doctor and renamed it Chiang Rai FC.
Many people think that the foundation of this club was a political move. The stadium was suddenly theirs and finally security guards chased away the players of Chiang Rai United when they were training there, as they usually did. The doctor is side lined in the meantime and a military man is now in charge of this club.
Thanks John. And happy birthday!
- Have a nice day and take care!
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