After gaining promotion to the Thai Premier League at the end of last season, Sisaket FC plan to make their stay among Thailand's footballing elite a long and successful one. Playing at the highest level of domestic football for the first time in your history can be a major challenge for any club, but especially for one which claims that it can draw on the support of 50% of the country's population.
Such expectations, and grandiose statements, can also bring extra pressure but the self styled "Isaan Club" is confident that it can handle life at the top.
There are signs that Sisaket have been getting their act together behind the scenes recently and are regarded as a well organised outfit. Therefore it's probably no coincidence that the team have progressed from the third tier to the the TPL in just three years. However, they've struggled during the opening few weeks of the campaign and are still without a win after four games.
Of course, it's still early days but the feeling is that if the team don't start winning soon they could be in for a scrap to avoid the drop rather than challenging for honours.
Away from the pitch the management have realised the importance of marketing and have a put a lot of effort into promoting The Dangerous Kouprey. The club website is frequently updated and is easy to navigate. It also broadcasts live matches online and features quality highlight packages as well as a shopping section which offers a large range of merchandise. And for those fans who can't get into cyberspace there is also a club shop in the city.
At the start of the 2010 campaign the club outlined the following goals for Sisaket FC:
To strengthen the squad
Aim to finish the 2010 Premier League season in the top 5
To increase club sponsorship
To spend 30 million baht renovating the stadium and increasing its capacity to 20,000
To expand their fan base by promoting Sisaket FC as "The Isaan Club"
As "The Isaan Club" they hope to attract regular away support of over 10,000.
So, as you can see, they have set themselves some rather ambitious targets. Only time will tell if they can achieve them.
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