More of my pre website messageboard postings from 2008
MAY 2008
1/5/08
Post: Why don’t folks go to watch clubs like Bangkok Bank play?
I think that this has been mentioned on here before. The company teams - BKK Bank, Krung Thai Bank etc have a very small fan base due to that fact that they aren't necessarily connected to any particular area. A lot of teams change stadiums and even towns most seasons - The season before last Port Authority played their home matches in Chonburi and last season it was PEA FC. They have both subsequently moved on; back to Ayutthya in PEA's case.
A few years ago the whole of the TPL went out on the road. 4 matches played at a different stadium over the course of a weekend. I went to watch a couple of games which were played at Asumption College (Chonburi were still in the Pro League, so we weren't involved).
The crowds for this experiment, certainly in my experience were good. But I don't think that the clubs gained any "real" fans as a result.
It's no coincidence that the best supported clubs are all either provincial teams or town teams - Chonburi, Nakorn Pathom, Samut Songkhra etc.
I agree with (another poster) that the size of the fan base shouldn't matter but it could be, in time, that however rich their history, clubs with their roots in the local communities will replace the company sides.
Time will tell.
On a final note, I 'm not sure about crowds further down the pyramid but SriRacha's attendances have been very disappointing this season. 300/400 and most of these are Chonburi fans going along to watch a match on Sunday. Last year they weren't doing as well - they are currently top of Div 1 - but getting bigger crowds. Maybe it's a result of the kick off time being changed from 6:00pm to 4:00pm.
1/5/08
Some good points (by another poster about attendances) especially about the EPL. However, I don't think that the fixtures are arranged to avoid clashing with "big games" from England. It's just inexperience on FATs part. We still got out regular 5,000 in spite of it clashing with Chelsea v M*n U*d on the TV.
I appreciate that most Thai teams don't have floodlights so have to kick off early but surely there are enough weekends for a 16 team league to avoid playing midweek. Even if they have to schedule midweek games, why not arrange it so teams with floodlights are at home so they can kick off in the evening?
And, why did we play yesterday? Today is a holiday. Surely it would have made more sense to play today.
As for your last point. Unfortunately, foreigners are just not interested in local football. You see a few at Thai international matches but the only others I've seen at TPL/Pro League?Division 1 matches have been agents or coaches!! - This is not true at Chonburi, where I've managed to get a few people from my work to go to games.
2/5/08
Post: I think the need for better advertising is a key issue
There are big billboards and banners hanging from every second lampost in Chonburi advertising the season's fixtures. On matchdays a couple of vans drive around the town with adverts blaring out of the pa. We have got things right in that department.
Most of the ex-pats in this area live in Pattaya and probably have no interest in local football. They are happy to congregate at the local bars and watch live matches from England on TrueSport.
I'm sure they know that Chonburi FC exist because we do get coverage in the English language media. So that's not really an excuse.
Either way, there'll be a big crowd today for the visit of Seesaw and his mates. I can't wait!!
3/5/08
Chonburi 0-1 BEC Tero
Well, what can I say?
Once again we have totally dominated a game but failed to finish. We shaded the first half but absolutely battered them in the second.
And then an absolute howler by Kosin (Sinthaweechai) gifted them the points in injury time. A real sickener.
On the plus side, there was a fantastic atmosphere in a crowd of about 7,500. Disappointingly only 50 or so BEC Tero fans made the effort to travel. Very poor. I was expecting a lot more.
Also, I got the chance to give the BEC coaching staff a bit of stick afterwards by waving a tape measure at them and asking them what it was like to play in front of more than 500 people. A small victory for me.
Added to which I gave one of the Siam Gila cameramen some grief. He was wearing a M*n C*ty T-shirt so I reminded him that they'd thrown away a two goal lead against Fulham last weekend. He wasn't amused!!!
Anyway, upwards and onwards. We have a huge match on Wednesday. Let's hope for a good performance and 3 points to at least give us a glimmer of hope going into the last round of matches.
8/5/08
Chonburi 0-2 Gamba Osaka
Yes, the dream is over. It was fun while it lasted. I shall certainly take away a lot of happy memories from this season's AFC CL campaign.
The media coverage, the crowds, the atmosphere, the victory against Melbourne, the spirited comeback against Chinnam, the convoy of buses, mini-bus, cars and pick ups on the motorway. The list goes on. But, most of all, I'll remember the players. Every single one of them playing for the love of the game and the sheer joy of the chance to compete on such a big stage. They all deserve a lot of credit for their unflinching effort. Well done, lads. We're proud of you.
On to last night's match. If I'm being honest, the better team won. We had a couple of good chances early on which, had they gone in, might have made a difference but overall I felt we were found wanting against a classier side. All credit to Osaka. They are worthy group winners. Good luck to them in the final stages.
Good support too. A few hundred travelled over from Japan to be joined by some ex-pat Japanese.
Apart from the Melbourne match in two weeks we now have a break. During that break we need to sign a striker who can score goals. Our lack of goals this season is becoming a real worry for me.
23/5/08
Topic: Ney Fabiano’s transfer to Melbourne Victory
The worst kept secret in Thai football. If I'm being honest, I'm not that sorry to see him go. He hasn't really performed for us this season and still shows signs of the kinds of histrionics - diving! - that blighted his career with TMFC. However, I'd like to wish him luck; maybe he is more suited to the A-League. I hope that we can spend the money - I don't know how much - on a striker who can score goals!!
From the Melbourne Victory website:
"Fabiano spent the majority of his career in Brazil and Austria before joining Thailand Tobacco Monopoly FC last year and establishing himself as the Thailand Premier League’s top scorer with 18 goals, six ahead of his nearest rival."
Incidentally, Pipob On-Mo scored 16 last season - 2 fewer than Fabiano not 6,as reported on the MVFC website.
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