1. FANS
Pattaya Utd have the lowest average attendance in the TPL this season (1,966) and have only won once - in nine attempts - at Fortress Nong Prue. Also, I don't expect Chonburi to take many this evening. Most of our fans don't seem all that bothered about this fixture. Could we actually see a sub four figure crowd for this one? It's not beyond the realms of possibility. As a derby, it's hardly Celtic v Rangers.
2. PATTAYA UTD'S PROGRAMME NOTES
For a city that boasts the largest English speaking population in the whole of Thailand, you’d think that Pattaya Utd wouldn’t have any problems finding someone to write their programme notes for them. However, the magazine’s editors prefer using the ever unreliable Google Translate (with “hilarious consequences”) to inform their foreign fans. Example: “They got first three point as home team at Nong Prue stadium in front of Pattaya fan which no need to explain how much prodding they got”. Genius!
3. THE PATTAYA UTD CLUB SONG
Lennon & McCartney? Jagger & Richards? Lieber & Stoller? Strummer & Jones? Pah! Keep your ears open for this one tonight. It’s got “Classic” written all over it.
Spirit of Loma: Official Club Song
Be united on the same journey.
Pick up the star and dream.
I’ll be at your side.
The way we walk is not too far to reach.
You are everything.
Dolphin the great.
Everytime in the field,
We realise that you are
At the utmost of your strength.
Excessive sweating,
We always see it.
Please don’t forget,
We will be here standing
Ninety minutes.
We will cheer ‘til we drop.
Pattaya Utd,
The victory is not too far to reach.
You are ready to confront
Every team in the way.
Fight for your fans the Dolphin.
Not too long you will seize the victory.
Thai Premier champion
Is not far away.
4. THE CHONBURI LINE UP
With a “prestigious” friendly against Hong Kong’s Kitchee SC scheduled for tomorrow night, I’m sure that Heng and Yong will be tempted to rest a few players this evening. So don’t expect to see Suttinun, Anucha, Therdsak, Quero and Adul. After all, it’s only a league game.
5. EXCESSIVE SWEATING
As mentioned in the song. Look out for plenty of excessive sweating tonight. However, I expect most of it will be on the terraces and not on the pitch, as a proportion of home fans are more accustomed to getting their kicks at Walsall, Grimsby and Carlisle rather than in the tropics.
6.STEWARDS
Whereas I believe that Chonburi have gone overboard with the over officious stewarding at home games, our neighbours seem to have gone to the other extreme. At last season’s match they made my wife remove the skewers from her kebabs but failed to search the two big carrier bags we had with us. They also failed to check our tickets or stamp our hands (which is common practice at most Thai football grounds). Then, about twenty minutes into the match, they all disappeared never to be seen again.
7. DUAL PRICING
Whilst this odious practice hasn’t yet filtered into Thai football, it is well known that Pattaya – as a major tourist centre – operates such a scheme. Most of the shops and vendors around the stadium are OK and treat everyone the same but someone did try to sell me a bottle of water (rrp B6) for B20 a couple of seasons ago. Needless to say, I took my custom elsewhere.
8. JADET MEELARP
Chonburi’s most successful coach now has the unenviable task of keeping Pattaya Utd in the top flight (good luck with that). In my opinion, I think he has been treated unfairly by our club and I would love to see him do well wherever he goes. There’s no doubt that he’ll have his players fired up for this one. He has a point to prove. However, I’d love it (just love it!) if we beat his lot tonight and sent them closer to the TPL trapdoor. Sorry, Jadet.
9. SAUSAGE ROLLS
There’s a shop close to the ground which specialises in ex-pat food. Their sausage rolls are particularly good. The ones we bought (or rather, had bought for us) last season were about a foot long and tasted delicious. I’m also led to believe they do a very tasty steak and kidney pie, which I intend to sample today. I’d love to tell you the shop’s name so you could all go there but I’m afraid I don’t know it. Just follow your nose!
10. ENTERTAINMENT
Pattaya Utd are poor and we’ve hardly set the world on fire this season so everything points to a drab passionless affair this evening. I hope that’s not the case. I’d love to be entertained by an open, free flowing, high scoring encounter in front of a large, enthusiastic crowd. Maybe I should go to another game. Or look elsewhere for my fun.
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