Q - How long have you been an Oldham Athletic (Latics) fan?
A - I've been a Latics fan my whole life, 46 years and 2 days! My parents met at Boundary Park (Oldham's home ground) and I used to get taken to games in my carry cot as a baby.
Q - Where did you used to stand or sit to watch home games?
A - As a youngster, I'd sit on the wall at the front of the Broadway Paddock, level with the halfway line. I spent a couple of years standing at the Chaddy End corner of the Broadway Paddock before making the leap into the Chaddy End (the popular terracing behind the goals) itself. I always stood at the back in the top right hand corner, nearest the Main Stand. That way if the match was boring I could switch my attention to what was happening on Clayton Playing Fields! (local football pitches where there would be a dozen or so amateur games being played every Saturday afternoon)
Q - How often did you used to go to games before you moved to Thailand?
A - Even though we moved away from Oldham in 1975 I still used to go to all the home games and most of the away fixtures right up until I emigrated. Living in the Midlands it was easy to get to most places by train, armed with a Young Persons Railcard, but when I lived in Kendal (in the north-west corner of England) in the late 80's and early 90's it required a lot more effort. Fortunately these were our glory years (Oldham reached the League Cup Final, The FA Cup Semi Finals and played in the top division for the first time in 68 years)so it didn't seem so much of a chore like it often did at the start of the decade.
Q - What brought about your move away from the UK? And was having to give up The Latics a factor in your decision?
A - Work. I was becoming bored with my old job and a very good friend of mine had been working out here for a number of years. On a holiday trip to see him, in February 1997, I was offered a job on the spot. It was very much a case of right place, right time. The Latics and my family were about the only two things that I considered before accepting. I returned to England at the end of the 96/97 season still undecided whether or not I'd make the move a long term one. However, we lost at Reading and were relegated to the third division so that sealed it. I was on the next plane to Bangkok. Therefore you could say that Oldham Athletic actually drove me out of the country!!
Q - Do you miss it?
A - I do miss it. Especially when the big games come around, which I know is not that often! I would love to have been at the Man City cup tie (Oldham beat our local Premier League neighbours 1-0). But watching it on tele out here was probably just as exciting.
Q - How do you keep up with Latics in Thailand?
A - Via the official site, of course. Plus the OWTB messageboard and frequent phone calls to my dad. Although I usually have to hold the phone at arms length these days!
Q - Do you make it back to many games?
A - I haven't been back to the UK since the summer of 2003. The last Latics match I saw was the League Cup tie at Scunthorpe. We lost and ended up with nine men! This had been the Summer of Uncertainty (Oldham very nearly went out of existence when a former owner mis-managed the club's finances) so I made a special effort to go back that year. Prior to getting married, I used to go back each July so I'd get to see a couple of games right at the start of the season. I've still got money stashed away for when we reach the play off final. I'm sure that my great grandchildren will be able to put it to good use!
Q - Have you converted any friends or family to Latics where you are now?
A - The wife is now a Latics fan and I make sure that most Chonburi fans are aware of our existence. I've also been able to indoctrinate a fair few of my students down the years but once I can no longer threaten them with detention if they can't name the current starting eleven I don't know how much interest they take in The Blues.
Q - Generally what you do on a match day?
A - On match days at the beginning and end of the English season I'm usually travelling back from watching Chonburi. It's not too bad if we have played at home - I only live two minutes away from the ground - but if we've played away I'm usually sitting on a bus somewhere in the greater Bangkok area at kick off time. When I'm at home, I usually watch one of the EPL matches on the TV whist following the Latics on the internet. Occasionally I'll get a text from my mum. More often than not I'll have a cold Beer Chang in my hand whilst I'm doing this.
Q - What local football do you watch? What's the standard like?
A - I go and watch my local team, Chonburi, every week and have been doing so since our formation in 2002. We have been promoted once (2005), reached the final of the Singapore Cup once (2006), won the Thailand Premier League (2007), finished runners-up last season, qualified for the AFC Champions League (2008) and this season we are in the quarter finals of the AFC Cup and currently sit second in the league. We have also won the Thai equivalent of the Community Shield (Kor Royal Cup) on two occasions (2008 & 2009). So it's more than made up for all those lean years following my home town club.
I've recently started my own website dedicated to The Sharks and I usually manage to shoehorn references to Oldham Athletic into most of the items I post. I also contribute to a general Thai football messageboard and all the regular posters know I'm a Latics fan. I'll also go and watch other games if they are being played reasonably locally. The standard in the TPL is about Conference level.
Thai players are extremely skillful but they do lack a bit of nous and they are prone to losing the plot when things are going against them. Thai domestic football is enjoying a huge surge in popularity this season. Crowds are up and the locals are going out to support the game like never before. The press coverage has also been increased. This is all so different to my first experiences here. There were only a few dozen people in the stadiums and the atmosphere was akin to an English County Championship match played on a wet Wednesday. I also go and watch the Thai national team as often as I can. I've had some great nights at the National Stadium(s). When it's full, or at least two thirds full, there is a cracking atmosphere generated.
Q - What are Thai football fans like?
A - In spite of the huge increase in numbers, crowds at Thai football matches are very well behaved and fans can mix freely before, during and after matches without any fear of trouble. There have been one or two very isolated incidents this season (inevitable whenever you get a large group of people together) but these sort of things are extremely rare and are usually stopped by other fans before they escalate. You can also enjoy a beer or two during the match.
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