By Nitcha Jaowattana
The Nation on Sunday
Published on November 7, 2010
Karuna Chidchob, wife of Bhum Jai Thai Party de facto leader Newin, talks about her work in developing Buri Ram's two football teams.
If there were any venue in the Thailand Premier League where the atmosphere bears a resemblance to European football, then it would certainly be Buri Ram PEA's home ground, the I-Mobile stadium, where fans fervently support their team throughout every home game.
On match day, a sea of blue, the club's colour, washes over the stands as far as the eye can see. The noise can be heard from several kilometres away. In front of the home fans stands a seemingly tireless middle-aged woman leading the cheers for the North Eastern side, who finished runners-up in the recent season.
She's a familiar face to Buri Ram fans, who greatly appreciate enthusiastic dancing, but those who don't follow the game may be surprised to learn that she's the wife of the club's president, Newin Chidchob. Karuna could, of course, watch the matches from the comfort of a VIP box but says she's merely doing what she loves.
In fact, what few people realise is that Karuna has a dual cheering role, as she's also a cheerleader for Buri Ram FC, a team which plays in the country's regional league and which she manages.
"Khun Newin and I are alike in one way. We put our hearts into what we believe in. In terms of business, making a profit from a football club is not an easy job. Most people would think it is better to do something else.
"However, we're different. We see it purely in sporting terms. Without a strong will, it's impossible to do because it's hard to control players who come from different backgrounds and have big egos," said Karuna, who is nicknamed Tai.
There's no doubt that fans play an important role in Buri Ram's league campaign. The team's home record proves it: this season, they've won 11 out of 15 matches at the stadium dubbed the "Thunder Castle", propelling them to second spot just four points adrift of champions Muang Thong United.
With Buri Ram gaining credence in the TPL thanks to a level of support more commonly seen in the European leagues, Karuna is understandably happy with the work she's been putting into encouraging fans.
"I just want to lead by example. When you come to support the team, you need to give it your all. That way, you really enjoy it," she says.
"In the early days, most supporters were villagers who turned up for matches in old T-shirts and shorts, rather as they would for a sports day at primary school. I said to myself "It can't be that way for my team.
"So, I came up with a plan to change it. I told my husband that I would oversee the repairs to the bathroom at home and invited some hardcore fans over to discuss what we could do. We watched a video of Chon Buri FC fans, which we hoped would give us some idea on how to organise the cheering.
"It began with a change to the way fans dressed. No more slippers and shorts. Then, we practised cheering for three days, starting with clapping to a rhythm to make it more powerful.
"I don't know what people think about us. I just want them to know that Khun Newin is the kind of person who gives it his all. Whether as a politician or the head of the family, he does it with his heart.
"I can say that if Khun Newin becomes prime minister, I would divorce him. I think our family has had enough of politics. We're very happy to work with fans. Nowhere is better than the place where you live with people who give their hearts to you."
That's not to say Buri Ram supporters are popular with everyone. Some consider the fans a "set up", an accusation that Karuna strongly denies.
"Some people have tried to paint us as mercenaries. That's not true: It's simply a reciprocal business. We have to accept the fact that there is nothing free in this world. When we receive support from sponsors, we need to do something in return. It's nothing more than that.
"I just want to ask our critics whether they'd like to see the same at their team games or not. If they say 'yes', then we have our answer. But even if they say 'no', they don't have the right to criticise other people.
"I want to make it clear that our fans don't get payment. They come of their own will to support the team. Most are vendors or farmers so they have their own income. They just sacrifice their time to cheer the team.
"I've asked Khun Newin as to whether we can allocate an budget to support the fans in terms of transportation and ticket fees. But we only give these expenses on the condition that they really come to support the team."
Asked about the shirt emblazoned with a slogan "Whatever I did was wrong" on the back, Karuna says she just wanted to make a mockery of her experience.
"I'm not a cyber world fan. I don't often surf the Internet to find what people are saying on web boards. I was taken aback by the amount of criticism we received. Our critics wanted to know why we had to do everything in unison.
"I felt very low psychologically at the attacks. I told Khun Newin last month that I wanted to quit not football but my role on the stands. But how I can give up when I'm always telling the fans that they need to show a fighting spirit in supporting the team."
No comments:
Post a Comment