TPL
Bangkok Glass 7-4 Chonburi
Leo Stadium
Attendance: 3,441
Sunday 1st July, 2018
Match report
by Dale Farrington
I spent the best part of Sunday morning and early afternoon catching up with an old friend who lives close to the SCG Stadium. We put the world to rights over beans on toast and numerous cups of tea. It was a lovely, peaceful start to the day. But then reality called and I had to make the short (in terms of distance) trip from his house to one of my favourite Thai football grounds; The Leo Stadium. Apart from a solitary clear stretch on the motorway, the journey was a nightmare! Virtually nose to tail all the way, but I patiently soldiered on. I had a match to get to!
Finally, and after battling through this ridiculously heavy traffic, I arrived at my destination to meet up with some more my mates, Tim and Clare. We chatted about music, food, family, colleagues and holiday plans, but not the game that we were about to see. If I’m being honest, I don’t think any of us thought it was going to be too entertaining. One other topic of conversation was the weather and, following some sage advice from the latter, I took a mad, late dash to my car to pick up my brolly. It would prove to be a wise move.
Back at the ground, I made my way to the away end to be met by what seemed like an entire regiment of security staff. I was stopped and searched by four - count ‘em - different guards. They were friendly enough, but was it really necessary?. What were they expecting to find? Whatever it was, I didn’t have it and was waved through.
After buying our beers from the bar inside (Hello again, Chonburi management!) we ensconced ourselves in the stand, where the first thing that caught our collective eye (is that a phrase?) was our striking new third kit. We all thought that it looked lovely, but still couldn’t agree on whether it was red or orange.
We were still debating this when Ariel Araya opened the scoring for Bangkok Glass. He then proceeded to remove his top in celebration. A ridiculous thing to do. A silly, needless yellow card so early in the game. Why put yourself, and your teammates, under pressure in this way? Surely the Sharks defenders would now be winding him up at every opportunity. Wouldn’t they? Well...no. We’re not that streetwise.
Ten minutes later, we were level, courtesy of boy wonder/overrated kid, Worachit. The three of us concurred that we’d be happy if it stayed that way and we’d take a point now, if it were offered. Sadly, the footballing gods had other ideas and we were soon three-one down. It was then that things started to get really weird.
The rain, that Clare had predicted, started. Not with a few drops, but with an absolute deluge. This prompted a mass exodus of fans, who sought cover beneath the stands. Initially, I battled on bravely under my umbrella, but even I had to admit defeat when a strong gust of wind turned it inside out. I ran as quickly as I could down the steps, seeking shelter.
After a few minutes in the relative dry of the concourse, I had a change of heart. Fearing that I might be missing something - we’d already had four goals in twenty minutes - I decided to return to the terraces, minus protection. I was drenched in seconds, but I didn’t care. In years to come, when the story of Chonburi’s glorious comeback was told, I’d be able to puff out my chest and say “I was there!” And, sure enough, as the rain fell horizontally and the twenty or so hardy souls who were as foolish as me, were rewarded by a second Chonburi goal. We went suitably mad!
I was really enjoying this. It was fast turning into one of the best away trips of recent years. The camaraderie between the fans was a real throwback to the much missed early days.I don’t think any of us thought we were watching a classic, but the whole thing was crazy enough to provide us with plenty of entertainment. So we danced and sang as the madness played out in front of us. Chonburi even came close to equalising. Which would have been perfect, but you can’t have everything.
Then, as the Chonburi players took the field for the start of the second half, proceedings took another twist - all the lights went out and the ground was plunged into total darkness. Cue the cheers from the visiting supporters. After a few minutes of peering into the eerie abyss, a couple of lights flickered and then went off again. Cue more cheers. This scenario was repeated for about the next fifteen minutes, until the power was eventually restored, revealing our lot standing on the touchline. They’d been there the whole time. Brave or foolish? I’ll let you decide.
A short while later, the opposition emerged from the relative sanctuary of the dressing room. What can it have been like in there? I guess we’ll never know, but it must have affected them in some strange way because moments after the restart, the Sharks drew level, causing chaos around me.
The rain was now easing and the majority of fans had retaken their places in the stand to see if the impossible could happen. It didn’t, but things did get even dafter.
Both sides appeared to completely abandon any idea of shape and tactics. It was a free for all. Pandemonium in the puddles. A primary school playtime match: Year 3 v Year 4. There was clearly something in the air that influenced the collective psyche of twenty two footballers. It was mayhem.
Every time they attacked, I thought they were going to score. Every time we attacked, I thought they were going to break away and score. It was that type of night. And the goals kept on coming: 4-3; 5-3; 6-3; 6-4; 7-4. Where would it end? It could have been anything at full time.
The fifth - or was it the sixth? - Bangkok Glass goal provided us with another talking point and reaction. As David Veloso wheeled away after watching his shot hit the net, he became the second Rabbit to remove his shirt in celebration.
“He’s wearing a sports bra!” exclaimed Clare.
“He’s wearing a sports bra! I’ve never seen that on a man before. Have you?!” she continued.
“I can’t believe it! I can’t believe what I’ve just seen. A man! In a sports bra!”
Even though there was one - or maybe two - goal(s) after this incident, it was to be the last major talking point of the match. It had clearly made an impression on Clare. Well, I guess it’s not everyday you see a man wearing a sports bra.
When the final whistle went, we just looked at each other and shrugged. What else could we do? A couple of dodgy refereeing decisions aside - and he certainly favoured the home team all night - there was nothing really to get annoyed about. It was a freak show. An aberration. Something we’ll be able to tell our grandkids - and anyone else within earshot - all about in the future. We’d used two goalkeepers (although not at the same time. Which probably wouldn’t have made any difference) and conceded seven goals. We’d scored four too - equalling our highest league tally of the year - but it had all felt so strange.
And, as we trudged towards the exit, Clare - who had clearly recovered from the shock of seeing a man in a sports bra - wearily observed that it felt like we’d been in the ground for days. I knew exactly what she meant. It was if we’d be transported to another world (The Thai football equivalent of Narnia) and had been trapped there, unable to escape to reality. And then, as we filed out, it was as if no time had passed at all. Had we been part of some elaborate joke? Or weird experiment? It certainly felt that way.
After all this, you won’t be surprised to learn that the drive home was a nightmare. Heavy torrential rain made things very difficult indeed. However, it just added to the overall surreal atmosphere of the whole day. It’s certainly one I won’t forget in a hurry and could yet prove to be one of the most pivotal ones in the club’s history. We certainly can’t afford another performance like this, especially with Muang Thong Utd and Buriram Utd coming up. They could easily score double figures. And, as anyone who witnessed that debacle at the weekend will testify, that is no exaggeration. Or did I dream the whole thing? Maybe those beans on toast were spiked? Even now I can't be sure.
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