Reply #1
Name: Russ John
Team supported: Nakorn Ratchasima
Twitter: @russreport
Likes.
Playing of King’s Anthem at start of matches.
Usual general friendliness shown by some players to opponents.
Bands – as long as I am sitting at least 100 metres away from them!!
The way Thai players cynically scythe down opponents then Wai in apology and try to pick up players who probably have fractured limbs due to their actions.
Carnival and friendly atmosphere at matches.
The way Thai fans wander in, having quaffed a quart of beer and eaten a bellyful of kebabs, 15 minutes after the start of the match, then wander out at half time for another quart of porter and more kebabs.
Fans singing serenades to the team after the match
Female fans - am I the only one!!!
Dislikes.
Foreign imports who spend half the match on their backsides feigning injury and/or touting for fouls and the other half arguing the toss with refs/linesmen/opposing players – no names mentioned, Chonburi fans – get rid of them.
Players feigning injury particularly towards the end of games, in order to waste time.
Standing over the ball at free kicks.
The rule that food or drink are not allowed inside stadia.
Changing times and dates of matches without adequate communication to fans.
Teams with no stadia being allowed to play in the Premier League.
Breaks in season for whatever reason – seasons need flow and momentum.
Total lack of respect shown by some players to the match officials.
Reply #2
Name: Rob McEvoy
Twitter: @robmcevoythai
Likes
That it is growing and spreading - There is nothing like being involved in a sport that has "the buzz". TPL has that right now. Big cities and high level people want to be involved and follow Buriram's example. Nakhon Ratchasima have been promoted this year bringing crowds of 20k plus, Chiang Mai are close , Udon Thani building a new stadium, Ubon finished top of their Regional League. A TPL with CM, Udon, Ubon, Korat, Songkhla and Khon Kaen, as well as a better spread in Bangkok (SW Bkk and Samut Prakan getting teams) added to the big clubs involved right now would be be very exciting for sponsors.
New Winners of League (possibly) and Cups - A league can't be predictable if it wants to attract fans. Lots of teams need a chance to be able to win something. Chonburi could win the league. No one predicted that. BEC Tero won the Toyota Cup, and there will be a different winner of the FA Cup.
Always something going on - The TPL is a little bit crazy, like a ridiculous soap opera. Sometimes it drives you mad, but at least it’s interesting.
Fan Culture - Football is a fans game, something other countries have forgotten. Thai fans are noisy, passionate, and in the main very peaceful and fun. Included in this...
The Team Song - The team running to supporters and acknowledging them, especially the Buriram sway, is fantastic and gives fans real involvement. English clubs should copy this.
Acknowledgement of Opposition Team and Fans
The drums - really add to a big crowd
The Prices - Priced for the common man, with free entry for kids. Go to a game with friends or family, is good entertainment, social, snack, couple of drinks and costs less than a meal out in a Mall chain restaurant.
The Food & Drink - coming from England, the quality, range and price of food at Thai grounds is fantastic. Can sit down and eat at Muang Thong for 30B. Wembley its 250B for a pie!
Dislikes
Hiring & Firing of Coaches - I wouldn't want to be a coach in Thailand, and a lot of good coaches (Thai and foreign) who could improve football clubs in the long term are being judged on 1 slip, 1 bad decision or 1 conversation. Thai football would be better if it looked after good coaches who want to develop players, increase skills and knowledge and make successful clubs.
Poor Recruitment, Planning & Management - Some clubs do well, employ sports management professionals and make good, well thought out business based decisions and have planned, thought out recruitment strategies. Some clubs don't. It's good to see those who do overachieving in terms of league position, attendances and growth and I can only hope all clubs become examples of good practice. Football around the world tells me I shouldn't hold my breath.
Big Empty Stadiums (with running tracks) - Not all stadiums with running tracks are bad. There is great atmosphere at Suphanburi and Korat for example. Not all small stadiums rock with atmosphere (TOT I'm looking at you). However, big, empty stadiums with few fans and a running track sap the life out of games to the point where its hard work to watch and to play. Much better to adapt these big stadiums, or move to smaller football specific stadiums or develop a crowd.
Diving & Feigning Injury & Time Wasting - all rolled into 1. Every team does it when their 1 nil up and the referees are seemingly powerless to stop it. Blights the 2nd half of a lot of games.
Linesmen - I don't think the referees are that bad contrary to popular opinion. However the assistants are so bad that they dictate the style of football you can play. Trying to break the offside trap with a quick forward is very difficult.
Thai National Team
Thailand needs a stronger National Team. This would drive interest up further.
Lateness - Huddles have been discussed at length. I don't understand the need, but if teams came out earlier, games would start on time huddle or no huddle. On Saturday at BBCU the teams came out at 3.51pm, and the game kicked off on time. It can be done.
NCPO Broadcasts at the start of TPL games on TV - There is a full day of Sports repeats, and yet the minute the live sport comes on, the NCPO broadcast comes on meaning you miss up to half an hour of live sport. Surely there is a way around this. Really drives me mad.
True Sport lack of TPL Commentary - True coverage would be much enhanced with commentary, especially English commentary. It would drive up interest amongst foreigners and add to understanding.
Reply #3
Name: Roger Smith
Team supported: Buriram Utd
Twitter: @Binnsy1
Likes
1/Entrance Fees
2/Match day atmosphere
3/Cost of replica shirts.
4/Cost of away travel.
5/ Seeing Muang Thong struggle.
Dislikes
1/Standard of match officials.
2/ The Huddles
3/ Corruption.
4/ Cheer Leaders(exept BG Rabbits)
5/ Lack of information about Reserve/Youth games.
6/ Lack of consistency by FAT.
7/ Stadiums with Running Tracks.
Name: Malky
Twitter: @BKKFootballBlog
Likes:
The cheapness of the tickets
The wide variety of beer and food available at the stadium
The relaxed and friendly atmosphere in and around the stadiums
Being able to go to a game without the feeling of getting my head kicked in. Even when it does kick-off, I rarely feel threatened
Meeting up with different fans of different teams
Having the opportunity to travel to provinces I'd never visit unless there was a football match to watch there
Feeling like I'm getting involved in Thai society. I'm not a big fan of Thai music or entertainment so football gives me a chance to socialize with Thai people
Dislikes:
The Thai FA
The constant changes to the fixture schedule. It makes it very difficult to plan away trips
Club owners using Thai football to promote themselves
Players feigning injury
Players kicking the ball out of play when a player is feigning injury
Fans constantly feeling injustice towards their team. Sometimes you have to accept that your team does have an occasional stinker
Drummers arriving ten minutes late and then planting their drum kit two meters in front of me
8pm kick offs when I'm working the next day.
Getting taxis to and from stadia in the rainy season.
Reply #4
Name: Paul Murphy
Team supported: Army Utd
Twitter: @PaulmurphyBKK
Likes
Atmosphere
At first, I was bemused by the way that fans kept singing and drumming until the end of the game, regardless of performance. However, there is no doubt that it keeps spirits up through some of the most dire displays and there have been plenty of them this season.
Serenades
I know that some of the Tap Room regulars don’t share my view on this but I like the fact that the team goes to their own fans at the end of the game and is ‘serenaded’, regardless of the result. I also like that, usually, the opposition team and fans are applauded. Unthinkable in many countries but I think it helps keep the fragile peace…
Beer
Unfortunately, the choice is almost always limited to Leo or Chang but it is great to be able to sit and have a beer during a game. Very few countries in the world allow this – Germany and Japan are the exceptions I have experienced – and it is not consistent across the league but any civilised society should be trusted to be able to drink during a game of football without getting violent.
Supporting the local team
Many Thais are still left cold by the TPL but there has been a huge shift in the past 10 years when it comes to the teams that Thais support. The best example was when I was in Chiang Rai and there were club shirts everywhere. Ten years ago, the only shirts you would have seen were for European sides. Nowadays, you regularly see people sporting the colours of their favourite Thai team - as it should be but, nonetheless, a significant development.
Integration
It’s always difficult to integrate into a foreign culture due to lack of shared experience and knowledge. Thailand’s very different politics and, often, income disparities, are further obstacles. However, football is the international language that allows people to mix freely and a context in which it is easy to communicate with the locals.
Dislikes
Governance
The administration of the game in Thailand is a very bad joke. We shouldn’t be too judgemental given the fact that the football associations in many countries are guilty of failing to standardise disciplinary procedures, ludicrously refusing to revisit injustices if the referee has taken action during the game and adopting reactionary views on the use of video reviews. However, the FAT and TPL take incompetence to a new level. The 6-week late season break and subsequent scheduling confusion was farcical in the extreme. Arbitrary fines and punishments are routinely dished out and the nine-point penalty and fan ban for Thai Port and Muang Thong was preposterous. The most depressing aspect is that things are actually getting worse.
Refereeing
I’m sure I won’t be the only one to highlight this problem. Putting aside suspected corruption, what bothers me most is the way in which many refs call fouls for minimal physical contact but don’t have the bottle to make bigger decisions (penalties and red cards). Yellow cards are often shown for ridiculously routine fouls but players then get away with brutal challenges. It is infuriating.
Play acting
Sunday evening was another depressing example of the way in which players have become very well versed in the dark arts. With TPL survival at stake, it wasn’t surprising that Thai Port had a win-at-all-costs mentality against Army United, but it was still a dismal spectacle to watch their players (especially the goalkeeper) crumpling to the turf and staying down with depressingly predictable regularity. PTT Rayong were also very guilty of this when they played Army United earlier this season. The worst thing is that the younger generation have grown up accepting this as ‘part of the game’ so it won’t go away any time soon.
Tantrums
I’ve never seen so much spitting of the collective dummy as in Thailand, with many teams walking off the pitch (generally to return) after a decision goes against them. The worst example of this that I saw came last season when BEC Tero walked off after a marginal offside decision denied them a goal. There have been much worse decisions than that one.
Stadia
The recent TAP room debate highlighted the issues around the stadium experience. While stadium facilities are generally improving, one of the biggest issues concerning Thai stadia is accessibility. The prospect of trips to BEC Tero or Bangkok Glass should be appealing to any Bangkok-based fan, but there is a sense of dread relating to the question of getting there and getting back. More clubs should follow Army United’s example of providing buses for the fans to make these trips.
Reply #5
Name: Tommie Duncan
Team supported: Singhtarua
Twitter: @TJRDBKK
Whoa. A tough one for me considering the current circumstances.
Likes-
1. It's nice to have a live sport to go watch. It was something I missed about the US!
2. It's very inexpensive even at the most "expensive" stadiums
3. Lots of teams in the BKK area
4. I have met some good people
5. Thai fans really welcome foreign fans
6. A live match can be a very fun atmosphere
7. The sport's potential in Thailand. Whether it will be realized is another issue altogether
8. Away matches!
Dislikes-
1. The incompetence of the TPL and FAT. If there is a choice, they will make the wrong one. Won't even keep to a schedule. These folks have a bird's nest on the ground and can't take advantage of it. The TPL is not really visible. How much merch do you see in shopping malls? Media about town?
2. The lack of professionalism. Not only with FAT/TPL but with most teams. From the shop level (not being open during stated hours/not having a good stock of merch), up to administration, and in game coaching and management. It is just not up to par. High school American football teams in my home state of TX are run better.
3. Poor facilities and the lack of truly one purpose football stadiums
4. The drop in the quality of play since I have been a fan. Possibly due to more restrictions on the foreign quota
5. Growing hooliganism among the fans
6. Amazingly poor officiating
7. Corruption and the politicizing of the sport in Thailand
8. Fans should be the #1 consideration and they aren't. Not by most teams or by the TPL. The attitude seems to be "we are doing you a favor by having a team for you. Take it or leave it."
Reply #6
Name: Dominick Cartwright
Team supported: Singhtarua
Twitter: @dominick_1975
Likes
1) Singing and listening to Thai fans songs. Bangkok Glass have a song that goes along to the tune of Yellow Submarine, nice.
2) I like the fact that Buriram's Thunder Castle has a shooting range at the back of the ground, at PAT we just have shooting.
3) I like the motorbike taxi ride from my place to the home ground takes about 15 minutes I stick some tunes on at a dangerously high volume and hurtle down to the ground at break neck speed. I bump into random smiling fans on my way through Klong Toei and after N.W.A. have finished making their views on modern policing well known I'm there.
Dislikes
1) The re-branding of teams, changing team colours or badges. The TPL doesn't have much history, teams should try to hold on to some things that give the team a link to their past.
2) The fact that everyone is too frighten to vote against Worawi as the head of the F.A. People think he's going to win and are scared that if they don't vote for him they will be left out in the cold. He is our very own mini Sep Blatter.
3) I have to put my hands up and say this came from some of our fans this week. A Port defender made some room on the edge of the the opposition's box and looked like he had a slim chance with a BG defender baring down on him. Some people beside me were shouting at him to dive and go for the penalty. Seriously?
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