The Tap Room was a popular feature on my old website. Over the course of a week, I would invite various fans to share their views on a topic that was dominating the news, until we had built up a lively debate. Now, after a break of a few years, I'm happy to say...here is a brand new discussion:
The Tap Room: October, 2020
In these difficult and unprecedented times, what would you do to ensure a successful Thai league season from this point on?
Reply #1: 17th October, 2020
Name: Russ John
Team supported: Nakorn Ratchasima FC
Twitter: @russreport
As the TPL struggles to regain momentum after the inevitable consequences of the corona virus, maybe it's time for a reset in order to recover from a truly horrible few months.
Perhaps beyond the remit of the league’s administrators, the first priority must be to manage the return of fans. Perhaps beginning with a rise to 50% of ground capacity and thereafter, but perhaps not until next season, a return to full attendance.
The competitive nature of the League is making a great statement about how the remainder of the season could evolve. The season thus far has seen a most exciting race for the top with TPL newcomers taking on the usual protagonists. As many as five teams could be vying for the title and this is just what the TPL needs to improve its image and popularity.
The new era of TV coverage is an exciting opportunity to extend the games popularity and profile, within ASEAN and beyond. Perhaps an opportunity to "clean up" the domestic game. exists
The usual chestnuts need to be reviewed, referee training should be extended and supported and as it seems the much vaunted VAR is here to stay, efforts should be made to speed up its decision making. On the subject of VAR, there have been issues with time taken to make decisions that has not been added after, 90 minutes, this needs to addressed.
I personally find any kind of official abuse a real turn off (literally) and I would like to see an improvement in this regard. We need a directive to coaches to require them to control their players more robustly regarding behaviour on the pitch - particularly regarding abuse of officials. Now that the league is, potentially, in a larger shop window it is vital that it is shown in its best light.
Looking further into the future, the recent events at the PAT stadium highlights (see what I did there) a general lack of investment in football infrastructure. Ratchaburi FC has invested in a super, new, purpose built stadium and some lower league teams are making strides forward with stadium development. Perhaps some of the much hyped TV deal money could be earmarked for improvements.
Probably a non starter and requiring more imaginative and innovative thoughts than I can supply, the league needs to have a unique feature that sets it apart from other leagues if it is to compete - two 30 minute halves with the watch stopped for all stoppages, anyone?
So, to conclude, is the TPL, in its present form, doomed to lower attendances and lack of interest precipitated by the corona virus or could this be the beginning of a new dawn supported by Zense’s innovative and ambitious new ideas.
I certainly look forward to the thoughts and opinions of my fellow supporters of Thai football.
Reply #2: 18th October, 2020
Name: Jamie Pinder
Team supported: Buriram Utd
Twitter: @nangronginfo
My biggest annoyance with the restart of the season (apart from not going back to Game 1!) is the non-return of the fans. For some clubs, getting a few thousand is normal but for the better supported clubs, such as the two in Isaan, it makes a huge difference. Buriram United are doing a great job of 'social distancing' inside their own stadium but on the recent away trip to BG it was non-existent, as we all huddled together in the rain.
After our last home game, where supporters observed the rules, I went into the town for a small drink. Tawan Daeng, that bastion of social distancing and sobriety, was so full I was offered a table outside; it was rammed. So why can't fans watch the games in bigger numbers? It's not like every stadium will be full. On 31st October, Buriram host the boys from the council estate in a game which regularly has the league's biggest gate.......open up the doors, let's have some atmosphere please.
As Russ says, the new TV deal is interesting too. We'll see how it works out but the scheduling department doesn't seem to understand the league, putting the aforementioned game at Buriram on at the same time as BU v Port. Then there are the usual suspects of VAR, huddles, Referee abuse. We've had a six month break to discuss new ideas and how to combat these awful things but nothing has changed.
At Buriram recently there were two lengthy delays for VAR and the crowd had no idea what was happening. Once again, I refer to rugby where the referee can talk to the 4th official to agree a decision. I don't think football is ready to show replays as rugby does as that would leed to riots in the stadium, but I'd like to see the 4th official make his decision and the referee not be involved. It means there's no need for the players to harass him.
I'd also like to see some more positive tie ups with B Teams. I've a whole list of ideas that have been discussed with the powers at Buriram. We need to show more support for Surin City, more support for the ladies team and our academy, more interaction with the Team and the fans, more fan days, maybe the odd K-Pop star appearing at half-time. When I first went to Buriram there was a lot more going on outside the stadium before the game and, I know, much of the reduction is caused by Covid, but the teams need to find ways of getting fans back as the teams are gradually allowed more fans into the stadium.
Reply #3: 19th October, 2020
Name: Grant Aitken
Team supported: Muang Thong Utd
Twitter: @GrantMTU86
I'm in total agreement with Russ and Jamie. It's ridiculous to see life resuming up and down the country, but the football being restricted to a paltry following inside the stadiums. Subconsciously we’re suggesting that stadiums are a hot bed for COVOID transmission, and with the virus set to linger, the long-term implications will be negative to the game.
Politically speaking, we have some heavy hitters attached to our major sides. Time for them to use their power to get the limitations lifted, and let more fans in through the gates before irreparable damage takes place. After all, they are the lifeblood of the sport.
Credit to players, coaches and management for taking significant wage cuts to keep our beloved teams afloat. I feared there’d be a few big name casualties before the league’s resumption so I’m very thankful for that.
However, I fear for the game at grassroots level. The youth league has been scrapped, the concept of the U23 league has been quickly forgotten and B teams are prohibited. There will be a spate of boys around 18-22 years’ old that are probably seeking a career change right now.
As yet there are no updates on the horizon which makes me believe the FA will provide any competitive action for our teams this year. Thankfully, the schools and football clubs that do care are bounding together to put contingencies in place, despite precisely zero financial help from the FA. The future of our national team is pretty much dependent on the pride of a few top government schools and the unwavering beliefs of a handful of our football clubs.
The league has thrown in a catalogue of surprises since its return. Much like the other guys I’m keen to see what the new TV broadcasters can do to bring our game to a wider audience. The V-League appears to be a few years behind our own standard, despite emerging talents, and the Malaysian football community must be sick to death of Johor’s financial superiority squeezing the competitive spirit out of their domestic game. A higher profile within the region can help boost our team’s coffers and make them less reliant on tyrannical club owners, which can only be a good thing.
Reply #4: 20th October, 2020
Name: Tommie Duncan
Team supported: Port FC
Twitter: @TJRDBKK
Russ, Jamie, and Grant covered most of the bases. It really is the usual old issues that have plagued the league for years. Poor marketing, lack of a fan centric attitude among owners, the league, and the FA, and on and on.
Getting the fans in the seats has always been difficult for some clubs and it seems the break has made it a bit harder for all clubs. I must admit will all of the nonsense floating about Port, my interest has waned significantly and I am not very excited about the restart. In addition, I think many local folks have bigger worries at the moment.
What can be done? Well, truthfully I don't think much as long as the owners have all of the say and their own gratification and esteem is more important to them than ensuring an excellent experience for the supporters. And the league and the FA are certainly not going to step up to the plate and initiate the type of changes that need to occur to push the league forward.
What would I like to see? Owners banned from sitting on the bench for one. Referees being a bit more free with cards when players get in their faces. Sportsmanship is still sorely lacking. Coaches and management demanding a more professional attitude from players. Diet, fitness, etc. Of course if owners aren't demanding this, then there is not a lot you can do. A "winning isn't everything, it's the only thing" attitude would be nice to see at clubs as well. More focus on the league as opposed to the National team would be good as well. Of course I'd also like to see a return to 5 foreigners a side (of any nationality) so that local players have to up their game if they want to play.
I hope the new TV contract turns out well but again it all comes down to marketing.
We'll see.
Reply #5: 21st October, 2020
Name: Phil Williams
Team supported: Samut Prakan City
Twitter: @Ajarncom
Under the current circumstances, we simply have to improve (and speed up) the communication between clubs and fans regarding away ticket allocations. Yes, I know we are only talking about 10% of 25% stadium capacities but it’s still a few hundred paying punters putting money into the coffers and Thai football needs every penny it can get right now.
Let’s take my club, Samut Prakan, as an example. For Saturday’s game at BG Pathum, our allowance of 200 tickets went on general sale at the club shop on Thursday and Friday between 5pm – 7pm (right in the middle of rush hour) I personally couldn’t get there because I was away on holiday but even had I been at home, I wouldn’t have spent 400 baht in taxi fares and hours of my time to schlep to the ground just to buy a couple of tickets. It’s far too inconvenient and it’s not just me. Many supporters don’t live near the ground and getting there during the week is too difficult for them.
Khun Phisit is one of the guys who organises coaches to take Samut Prakan fans to away games and I was speaking to him on Saturday before kick off. He said he had no opportunity to book the usual 48-seater bus because he had no idea what the ticket arrangements were – and the bus needed to be booked 72 hours in advance. Cheap bus travel – Perhaps just a 100 baht return – gives the ‘lower income supporters’ the chance to attend games.
Khun Phisit looked around and said ‘I can’t see many of those supporters here tonight and I’m not surprised. It’s too expensive for those fans to make their own way to Pathum Thani from their homes in Samut Prakan. More crucially, they don’t know if they’ll be able to buy a ticket on the day or whether they will be all sold out. So they just don’t bother. They’ll watch the game on TV instead’
It’s sad isn’t it? Dozens of Samut Prakan fans who would love to be there, aren’t there to cheer on their team. Plus you need to factor in the money they would spend on drinks and snacks etc whilst at the stadium.
How long will it be before supporters like that – the lifeblood of Thai football – lose interest and drift away?
To add insult to injury, I met with the Samut Prakan marketing director an hour before kick off, as he was about to return a fistful of unsold tickets to BG Pathum. Something’s very wrong here. We need clear communication and we need a system. This isn’t directed at just Samut Prakan. I’ve read many comments on several premier club Facebook pages from disgruntled fans who are kept totally in the dark when it comes to buying tickets.
I plan to go to away games at Buriram and Ratchaburi next month, but how can you book planes, trains and automobiles and accommodation when you haven’t got the foggiest if you’ll even get a ticket?
I also heard on Saturday that 80% of the BG Pathum fans in attendance were season ticket holders. In other words, many home fans who buy tickets match by match, aren’t getting a look in. How annoying that must be when your team is top of the league and playing some champagne football. So with that in mind, I concur with the other Tap Room contributors, we need to get back to 50% capacities as soon as possible.
We have to keep the interest levels up. The new long-term TV deal was fantastic news but I don’t want to sit at home and watch matches played out in empty stadiums. I want to be there in a noisy, packed away end, proudly sporting my club colours. Let’s give as many fans as possible the chance to be there!
Reply #6: 22nd October, 2020
Name: Gian Chansrichawla
Website: thaileaguecentral.com
Twitter: @GianChansricha1
Everybody has bought up great points so far and I agree with most of it. Starting with the positive, I think the new TV deal from Zense and the ASEAN broadcast through 1PlaySports is really helping the Thai League out. We are getting a lot of interest from across ASEAN in our league which is excellent, and clubs can now plan long-term with stable TV money.
In terms of things that need to be improved, ticketing is a big deal as Phil mentioned, especially with limited capacities. Going to football games should be made as easy as possible if we want to see attendance rise. And of course, I think it is beyond time to allow 50% of capacity.
I want to focus specifically on one major problem in the Thai League that isn't discussed enough and needs to be addressed. That is the 'inflation' that is currently happening with regards to transfer fees and player salaries. This is something I've discussed with Grant previously and he's contributed a lot of great ideas to this.
The main issue facing the Thai League is that there is simply too much money in it when it comes to first-team squad building. The spending splurge of Port FC's owner, followed in short order by BG Pathum, has increased the transfer fees paid for players (and arguably their wages, although that process likely started with Muangthong United's 2016 'Dream Team'). This is bad mostly because it makes our players "uncompetitive exports" - that is to say, no Japanese or Korean team would buy a Thai player if they have to pay over the odds and could acquire a better talent for much cheaper in their home country.
Even if the Thai player is *slightly* more expensive for the same quality, it will still be a worthy investment because of the marketing and merchandising advantages. However, if domestic wages continue to inflate (while the quality of players remains the same), it is going to damage the long-term future prospects of our national team.
On the face of it, a 'deflation' is likely what the league needed in order to curb crazy spending and keep clubs in line. However, the *way* this COVID-19 deflation has happened has been a disaster. First team spending continues to rise, with the hit all going towards grassroots football, as Grant mentioned. B-Teams no longer have a place with the new combined National League, and youth academies are being under-funded up and down the country. This isn't just bad on a football level - on a human level, this is devastating for the number of young people who are being denied the chance to chase their dreams.
We need to hope that clubs stop spending crazy amounts on their first teams and start putting that towards their academies and facilities instead. The first step is to reduce transfer fees - Tommie's idea of expanding the foreign quota would help with this a lot, as it would increase the pool and reduce the relative value of a top Thai player. Secondly, it is good to see Buriram and Muangthong leading the way in terms of investing in youth, and Bangkok United have been suggesting that they will follow suit. Port is probably the worst in this regard, as they completely ignore their infrastructural needs and youth teams while spending exorbitant amounts of money on the first team.
The FA first needs to re-introduce a way for B-Teams to get involved in the league system. This would be preferable to a 'U-23 league' as playing with adults is better for their development. Secondly, they need to find a way to reward teams for investing in their academies and punish teams that don't. The youth football scene is in the biggest need of help right now, and it is not being discussed enough.
The Final Word: 23rd October, 2020
Name: Russ John
As usual, a lively debate that expresses the passion that we all have for Thai football, So here we are, a unique opportunity, given the coming onset of the Zense “Sportainment” era, for the game we love to reset and provide an exciting package exposed to a new and wider audience.
The Tap Room participant’s comments seem to fall broadly into two themes, the fan’s experience and football and community.
So how will the game and its administrators respond. Jamie’s piece concerning returning crowds makes a good point. Whilst entertainment venues and demonstrations see hundreds of citizens bunched together with little social distancing, attendances at football venues are severely restricted. This links nicely to Phil’s point about ticket availability. We all hear stories of wrong kick off times and last minute chances to schedules.
Tommie also bemoans the fact that team owners are more concerned with their own self gratification than providing an excellent fan experience You have to make it easy for fans to buy tickets and attend matches - or fans will stop turning up!!
Grant’s call for the “big hitters” to use their leverage to get things moving regarding crowd attendance is a valid one but I sometimes wonder if they really care!
There does seem to be a common theme regarding teams greater team participation within the community and their role within grass roots football. Jamie and Grant both calling for greater development and opportunities for youngsters and more fan participation. Youth teams, team link ups with smaller teams and woman’s football all help to raise the profile of the parent club and should be regarded as priority issues.
Regarding players, Tommie suggests that a five foreigners per side would help to raise he standards of local players and Gian argues that inflation transfer fees and player salaries could be to the detriment of club spending on academies and youth player development. Gian’s comments in particular suggests that the FAT should be looking at long term sustainability rather than short term gains.
Great effort guys, let’s hope that those in positions of power are listening and are open to change.
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