Interview With Marco: 2009

My interview with Thai Port fan and blogger, Marco, from October, 2009

What is your name and where do you come from? 

- My name is Marco, and I'm from the North West of England. 

Where do you live now? 

- I'm currently based just outside Liverpool.

When did you last visit Thailand? 

- I was in Thailand for just over 6 months, from January 09 to July 09. I spent 4 months travelling around the country, which was a great experience, and then the last two months in Bangkok. 

How long have you been supporting Thai Port FC? 

- I started to support the team during my 2 months in Bangkok, so I'd say about 5 months in total. 

How did you first become aware of Thai Port FC? 

- I rented an apartment in the Thonglor area of Bangkok, and I knew that Thai Port played in Khlong Toei, which is only a couple of miles away from where I was staying, so I decided I would make it my duty to get along and watch my local team! 

Which was your first match? 

- My first match was against Nakhon Pathom at PAT Stadium. It ended 1-1, and it was a cracking match. Michael Byrne opened the scoring for Nakhon Pathom. We then had a 20 minute delay because the floodlights went out! When play resumed, Thai Port threw the proverbial kitchen sink at NP, and we got a deserved equalizer when Thai Port keeper Pattarakorn (who had joined the attack) headed a corner against the bar, leaving Pipat Tonkanya an easy tap in. At that moment I knew that Thai Port was the team for me! 

Which has been your most memorable match supporting Thai Port FC? 

- Of the 5 Thai Port games I've been to, we've only won one! That was a scrappy win against Pattaya United. They definitely seem to do better when I'm not watching! I did see us beat Muangthong United via the internet, which was a really good backs to the wall performance. Obviously, yesterdays FA Cup Semi-Final win against Osotspa was a fantastic result, but due to internet streaming problems, I only saw 30 minutes of it. 

Do you travel to away games? 

- I've never seen Thai Port play away from home. During the 2 months I was in Bangkok, we had 5 home games on the run, so I wasn't able to see any away games. I intend to rectify that next season when I'll be back in Thailand for a holiday, also if we get into the AFC Cup, I'll try my best to catch one of the away fixtures. 

What sort of crowds have you been getting this season? 

- The crowd numbers at PAT Stadium having been growing week by week. At the first match I went to, there were 2 stands, neither of which were full. Now there are 3 stands (2 of which were recently made bigger) and the crowd numbers are getting up to the 6,000 mark. It's very encouraging for the future, especially if the plans to build 2 new stands go ahead. That would bring the capacity up to 10,000. 

What sort of image does the club have in your area? 

- The people of Khlong Toei have really got behind the team this season, and I think Thai Port FC has become a focal point for the community. I believe our fans are some of the most passionate and knowledgeable in the League. They are really proud of the team's performances this season, and I hope we can win the FA Cup for them. 

How do your owners promote and advertise your club? 

- I think most of the promotion happens via the clubs official website and forum. Unfortunately for me, and other no Thais who are interested in the club, all the information is in Thai. This is part of the reason why is started a blog about Thai Port, which I try to update every day with any news about the team, match reports, photos, video highlights etc. I've had quite a lot of interest from people all over the world, which has been a welcome surprise! 

How far do you think the club can go? 

- If we win the FA Cup and finish 6th in the TPL this season, then that would be a fantastic achievement given the fact that we haven't won a trophy since 1993, and spent 2007+2008 clinging to our TPL status by the skin of our teeth! (Both season we avoided relegation by one point). 

How ambitious are your owners? Have they made any promises as to what they hope the club can achieve? 

- The club President Khun Pichet Mankong, seems to have great ambition for Thai Port. He has already announced the club will have a budget of 30,000,000 baht for next season, and that he is looking to recruit players from Korea, Japan and Uzbekistan, as well as signing some Thai international players. He wants us to be challenging the likes of Chonburi and Muangthong Utd up at the top of the table in the next few seasons. 

How do you think your club is regarded by fans of other Thai teams? 

- In a league of so many new and recently formed teams such as Muangthong and Bangkok Glass, I think we are seen as a team with a good pedigree and history that has really underachieved over recent seasons. 

How do you think your fans are regarded by fans of other Thai teams? 

- I'm not totally sure? I get the feeling our fans are seen as rough-and-ready folk from a working class area, who love to drink a beer or two, and aren't afraid of telling you what they think. In my experience though, they are amongst the kindest, most generous people I've ever met. A group of fans looked after me at all the games, and gave me food and beer, and even dropped me off at my apartment after the match, and they wanted nothing in return. Even though I speak very little Thai, and they only spoke a small amount of English, our combined love of football and Thai Port transcended the language barrier. I was genuinely sad when I had to say goodbye to them after the Chonburi match at PAT Stadium (my last match before returning to the UK). 

Are you happy with your team's performance this season? 

- Very happy! At one point, it looked like we might break into the top 4, but the further we have gone in the FA Cup, the more the manager has rotated his squad. This has meant our League form has fallen away, but if we win the FA Cup and finish 6th, overall it'll be a great season. 

Are you happy with the manager/coach? 

- I'm delighted with coach Sasom. He seems to be able to get the best out of his players and the fans love him! 

Do you think you will win the FA Cup? 

- BEC Tero have beaten us twice this season, so it's about time we got the better of them! It won't be easy though. Their manager Tawan Sripan has done a great job since he took over, and they also have the TPL top scorer Anon Sangsanoi in their squad, but I firmly believe that our army of fans will make the difference, and they'll inspire a Thai Port victory. 

What sort of crowd do you think the final will attract? 

- I think Thai Port will have at least 10,000 fans. I'm sure BEC Tero will bring 5,000 or so. There will be a fair few neutrals there also, so I'd guess 20,000+. 

Who would you say is your best player? 

- The obvious answer is Pipat Tonkanya. He's our captain and talisman, and he's pretty deadly in front of goal. When he was out injured recently, we really struggled to score without him. 

Is there anyone else we should keep an eye out for on Sunday? 

- Watch out for Jirawat Makarom, who gets plenty of goals from midfield, or Moudourou Swa-Moise, our man mountain of a centre back. I get the feeling that with the Cup Final coming up, the team playing on Sunday will be mostly reserve players, so you might not see the better players in action. 

Which other TPL players (or players from overseas) do you wish you had at your club? 

- I think we are lacking options up front at the moment, so I'd like to see us sign Paul Bekombo from TTM Samut Sakhon and Sarayoot Chaikamdee from Osotspa. 

What are your opinions on the fact the match has been moved to Supachalasai as a punishment for the behaviour of a couple of Chonburi fans? 

- It seems incredibly harsh! There have been incidents at other Stadiums this season that have resulted in fines for the offending clubs. I see no reason why the same punishment shouldn't have been given to Chonburi. 

What do you think a suitable punishment would have been? 

- I think a fine (30,000 baht seems to be the going rate), and a warning to improve security would have been sufficient. 

Chonburi's fans are staying away in droves as a protest but those who will be there are planning a demonstration. Do you think the Thai Port fans will be supportive of this action? 

- The ones I have spoken to, have said they have sympathy for Chonburi, and they'd be willing to join the protest before the match, but they don't seem to be willing to boycott the match completely. (Maybe they might change their mind now we have 2 visits to Suphachalasai on the horizon!) They seemed a little worried that Chonburi fans might try and block the entrances which could lead to problems. Let's hope nothing like that happens. 

What do you think the score will be on Sunday? 

- You'd have to think that with the FA Cup Final looming, Thai Port will rest all the players who played against Osotspa on Wednesday. The game doesn't have any real meaning for Chonburi, so I'll say 1-1. 

Which is the best team (apart from Thai Port) that you have seen this season? 

- The best team I've seen live were definitely Chonburi. I saw them against Thai Port at PAT Stadium, and although we were unlucky to lose, Chonburi played very well. I also saw them in 2 AFC Cup matches and they were far too strong for their opponents on those occasions. 

Which is your favourite other team (if you have one)? Thai or overseas. 

- I'm a big Evertonian, and have been since I was 5 years old. Ironically Everton got to the FA Cup Final while I was in Thailand, and Thai Port have reached the FA Cup while I'm in England. "Sod's law"!! 

Do you support the Thailand national team? 

- Yes. I've followed their results for a few years, since my first visit to Thailand in 2006. I was unable to find out anything the TPL back then, so I was content to follow the National team's results. 

Who do you think is the best Thai player at the moment? 

- I really rate Datsakorn Thonglao who plays in Vietnam. He's got great vision and skill and I'm sure he'd be able to play at a decent level in Europe. 

Are you happy that Bryan Robson is the new Thailand head coach? 

- I think the fact Steve Darby has been retained, should mean that it's a pretty smooth transition for Bryan Robson. He did okay at Middlesbrough with plenty of resources, and not so well at Sheffield United and West Brom without resources. Obviously in International football, you have to work with what you are given. So it remains to be seen how well he'll cope. 

Realistically, what do you think he can achieve? 

- In the short term, the Asian Cup Qualifier double header against Singapore in November is crucial. If they can pick up 6 points, then things will be looking good. In the long term, he'll be aiming for qualifying for 2014 World Cup qualification. I think this will be a very tough task though. 

What did you think of Peter Reid's time in charge of the Thailand national team and the manner of his departure? 

- I was very disappointed with the way he left. There was no indication that he was unhappy in Thailand, so for him to leave to be the assistant at Stoke is in my opinion a strange move. But that's in the past now, so good luck to him! The guy's an Everton legend so I'll forgive him! 

Anything else you'd like to add? 

- Thanks for the questions, and good luck with the protest on Sunday. I'm sure the Thai Port fans will try and support you in anyway they can.