Q - Please can you introduce yourself
A - Varawut Silpa-archa, age 41. I am from Suphanburi province and I am the President of Suphanburi F.C.
Q - How long have you been involved with Suphanburi FC?
A - Since January 2011.
Q - Why did you first get involved with Suphanburi FC?
A - The former club president approached my father requesting his support in running the club. My father then assigned me to oversee the running of the club and then I became the club's new president.
Q - Please can you describe your typical working day.
A - I spend the good part of the day at my office which is next to the club's office in Suphanburi Stadium. Many people will come and go and discuss various matters all day long. In the afternoon, if time permits, I will watch my team train or even do some running or exercises myself in the stadium or in our own private training facility. Sometimes in the evening I will be invited to attend some local functions such as wedding ceremonies or funerals.
Q - What is the best part about being involved with running a football club?
A - To be able to learn and experience first hand, the spirit of the sport, as well as meeting thousands of people whom I would not have the opportunity to meet had I not been running the club.
Q - And the worst?
A - The tremendous amount of pressure that you have to bare when things turn out not as expected. But in time you will learn to conquer such pressure and turn it into fuel that will push you to work even harder to achieve your goal. This, after all, is not such a bad thing.
Q - How happy are you with the progress the club has made in the last couple of years?
A - The word happy is an understatement. Suphanburi F.C. has come further than anyone, including myself, expected. Despite the long history of the club, the current management is only a few years old, thus making us one of the youngest management teams in the TPL.
Q - What are your short term ambitions for the club?
A - To set a standard of play, including style, discipline and fundamental guidelines both on and off the pitch for Suphanburi F.C. At the same time, establish a strong foundation for our own academy.
Q - And long term?
A - To propel and develop Suphanburi Province, as well as its people, into the next era by utilising Suphanburi F.C. as one of the vital resources. Over the past few decades, Suphanburi has turned from a province no one has heard of into a province that is well recognised in many aspects on a national level. Through this club, Suphanburi will develop from a national province into a truly international one.
Q - You already have a very impressive stadium. Do you have any plans to develop it further?
A - We do not own the stadium. The stadium is run by the Sports Authority of Thailand. We are, however, working very closely with them in order to provide the best sports facilities to the people of Suphanburi
Q - Which clubs do you think are good models to follow?
A - There are 19 clubs in the TPL that are good examples to us. Each one will have its own advantages and disadvantages. We are merely a new group of managers at the club who could learn from all of them. International wise, I am interested in the style of Spanish and Brazilian football, the discipline of German football, and the publicities of British football.
Q - How important are the fans to you and the club?
A - They are the heart and soul of our club. Without them, we would not be where we are today. They are the reason for our club's existence. If there are no fans, for whom would play? Our club is the precipitation of their faith, their pride, and their support.
Q - Do you ever involve fans in the decision making process at Suphanburi FC?
A - Being the new management of a club, one cannot afford too much involvement from the fans. Certainly not as much as we would like to. Each group will certainly have their own views and opinions on the running of the club, which sometimes can be in conflict with one another. Thus, by involving one group of fans and not the others, and vice versa, it could do more harm than good to the club.
Q - Would you ever consider involving fans in the decision process at Suphanburi?
A - I consider myself, as well as my management team, rather inexperienced when it comes to the running of a football club. Once the club has strong foundation as well as stronger and more experienced management, the involvement of the fans in the decision making process will be crucial.
Q - How important is it for the local community for the club to do well?
A - In my opinion, the local community and the fans are one and the same.
Q - What initiatives does the club have within the local community?
A - Quite a few. For example, we are working closely with the leading schools in Suphanburi on creating an English program that would utilise football as the teaching medium. Also a S.M.A.R.T. program is in the planning process, whereby the people of Suphanburi will be able to enjoy Sports, Music, Art, and Recreational activities and thus resulting in many talents that can be further developed. We have also been approached by the Suphanburi Correction Facility (the provincial prison) inviting us to participate in its sports day, as the majority of the inmates are big fans of our club and possess many of our jerseys. This is to name a few.
Q - What are the reasons for your slow start to the season?
A - We are implementing some new, and yet crucial, strategies and changes within our team. This can cause confusion among the players. Also the accident of one of our key player during the pre season has thrown us off our course.
Q - What do you think you need to do to put things right?
A - I need to be patient!
Q - The league seems far more open this year. Why do you think this is?
A - Many teams have worked very hard during the pre season as well as the significant increase in the number of fans all over the country.
Q - What are your thoughts about Chonburi FC?
A – It is certainly one of the oldest and most importantly, most efficient, clubs in the TPL. The performance is highly consistent with a very strong team of staff and players.
Q - Which Chonburi players are you most wary of and why?
A - It is not the individual that I am wary of, but the team as a whole. This is the strength of Chonburi.
Q - Which Suphanburi players do we need to look out for on Saturday?
A - All of us, even the subs!!!
Q - What sort of tactics do you think you'll need to employ on Saturday?
A - If I can answer this question I won't need my coach any more. But I hope my boys perform prudently.
Q - In this fixture last season, your players celebrated earning a draw at the final whistle. Will the same result be considered a success this time?
A - Playing in Chonburi, yes.
Q - Would you like to send a message to the Chonburi fans?
A - Victory or defeat, as the final whistle is blown, none of that matters anymore. The most important thing is how football brings the people of the two provinces closer. We always appreciate warm hospitality extended to us by all Chonburi fans, as well as the team. We are certainly looking forward to welcome all of you to Suphanburi and reciprocate such hospitality.
Q - Would you care to make a score prediction?
A - I do not dare.
Q - Anything else you'd like to add?
A - I am certain that this Saturday's match will be another entertaining match for all of us.
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