Interview With Adam Beardsmore: 2016

My interview with Adam Beardsmore, from the ThaiGoals.com website

18th March, 2016

 

Please can you start by  introducing yourself

Hi, I'm Adam, the editor of ThaiGoals. I'm 36 and work full-time as a journalist for a daily newspaper in Bangkok. I come from Portsmouth, on the south coast of sunny England. In the past I have worked for papers in England as both a news and sports journalist.

 

How long have you been living in Thailand?

I've been living here for over two years now. Originally I came out here to be with my then girlfriend, who is Thai. We met in the UK when she was a student over there. Her student visa expired so I decided to up sticks and make the move. We got married in Thailand last year.

 

What first got you interested in Thai football?

I've always been a big football fan, and have followed Pompey since I was a small boy. I had a season ticket at Fratton Park before moving out to Thailand. One thing I missed about the UK was going to games and the matchday atmosphere with my mates. I became curious about football out here and started reading up on Thai footy online (including on your site!). My interest blossomed from there.

 

Why did you decide to start the ThaiGoals website?

The idea came to me quite suddenly. I found out Gary Stevens (ex-Pompey, and of course England, player) lived in Bangkok. I wanted to interview him for a paper back home as I was missing writing (my day job is as a sub-editor). After contacting Gary, from somewhere I just got the thought that I didn't want to write it for someone else, I wanted to put it on my own site. I raised the idea with a friend (who has experience of designing websites) and it went from there. We had a mad four or five weeks getting it all together. Gary now writes for ThaiGoals in his "The Verdict" column.

 

What are the aims and objectives for your website?

I want the website to be a good resource for people to learn more about Thai football, how to get to a game etc. Travelling options can be daunting for those who don't know Thailand well, and getting hold of information is not always that easy. I work full-time, so have to be realistic about the amount of content I can produce, and there are already people out there tweeting and posting info about game results, line-ups, goalscorers etc, as well as your site and the excellent "Tap Room" feature (which I hope to contribute to in future!). I see no need to duplicate this work.

 

Who is your website aimed at?

Currently predominantly expats and tourists. In the future, I may try and gear it towards a Thai audience as well, but that is only a fleeting thought at present and may never materialise.

 

Who is involved in producing your website?

Myself and a friend of mine. I currently produce all content (though hopefully this will soon change!). My friend helps out with website issues and maintenance, and my wife does graphics for me when I can twist her arm.

 

Is this an independent venture or are you funded?

Totally independent. It's just a hobby at the moment, albeit a quite time-consuming one. My wife has noticed I've got less free time, that's for sure. My daily swim has been neglected at times too. It's a tough life!

 

You've already spoken about Gary Stevens, please can you tell us about your other regular columnist, Matt Smith.

I wanted to include a regular blog from a player currently in the Thai Premier League. I did a bit of research and thought Matt would be the perfect fit. He's obviously a native speaker, which helps, and was actually on Pompey's books as a youngster. I approached him and he was keen to help out and publicise the Thai game generally. He's a lovely guy.

 

Do you have any plans to use more regular columnists?

Possibly in the future. I will be blogging as editor from time-to-time. As the site grows it's possible we may seek out more regular columnists.

 

What kind of articles will you be featuring on your website in the future?

I'm particularly keen on getting fans' experiences of Thai football in there, including practical details about matchdays etc in regular blogs which we will call "From The Terraces". I also want to feature Thai players/managers/fans; the ideal is that it's a site for everyone, though of course it being in English means it's heavily swayed towards expats and tourists.

 

Many other English language Thai football websites have come and gone, what do you plan to do to ensure your site stays the course?

As long as I'm motivated and enjoy doing it, I hope that this will be reflected in the content and the site will take care of itself. I want to keep the content fresh and interesting. Football should be fun, after all.

 

What most appeals to you about Thai football?

I think Thai fans have a real enthusiasm for their football. You can start a conversation about the game quite easily. It's a bit of a unifier between Thais and Farangs. And from what I've seen, some of the fans are great and really get behind their sides. Games can be a colourful spectacle. I like the fact too it's still a bit spit and sawdust and a world away from the over-hyped English Premier League. The grounds are more Fratton Park than Old Trafford! It still has that amateur feel to it, which can be quite charming.

 

Is there anything you don't like?

Well I've already gained an understanding of the political machinations behind the scenes. This affects all facets of life in Thailand and clearly football is not immune. Let's just be diplomatic and say things could be better organised at times.

 

What do you think of the standard in the PLT?

I've still not watched as much of Thai football as I would like but I've been impressed with some of the players technically. There are clearly talented players about. The pace is quite slow, but football is played on the deck, which I like. Defending leaves a lot to be desired though. It's difficult to make a direct comparison with England but clearly Thai football has a long way to progress.

 

Which teams, coaches and players have impressed you the most?

I've seen Buriram and like the look of several of their players. Their midfielder, Jakkaphan, stood out for me. I like the way he knits play together and I gather he's just been called up again by Thailand. Dragan Boskovic for Bangkok United impressed me when I saw him, though he did score a hat-trick that day! Cleiton Silva is a lovely, natural footballer, as Brazilians tend to be.

 

What, so far, has been your favourite match day experience in Thailand?

I still haven't been to as many matches as I would like, so ask me again in a year when I can compare different grounds!

 

What are your hopes for the season ahead in Thai football?

That the league isn't just a procession for Buriram, and that some new challengers will emerge (though I don't think this will happen).

 

What would you say to someone to encourage them to start following Thai football?

I think football is one way to understand the culture of a country, and get closer to its people. Just sitting in the stand at a Thai game gives you an insight into the Thai mentality. The pre-game rituals are interesting in themselves.

 

Here's your opportunity for some free publicity - please sell your website to us

It's a very user friendly site, with interesting and up-to-date features and blogs. Our clubs page (http://thaigoals.com/clubs/) is a great resource for people, and even includes the address in Thai of the ground to give your taxi driver. I avoid boring lists and information overload at all costs, and try to keep everything snappy and concise. I try to ask myself: What would I want to know as a football fan going to a game? Hopefully all the content is well-written (I would say that!)

 

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Come and check us out at thaigoals.com, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.