Sunday, 31 January 2021
Saturday, 30 January 2021
NEW!! My Favourite Matches by Antony Sutton: 2021
My Favourite Matches
by Antony Sutton
So when I got a message from Dale asking me to write a few lines about a particularly memorable Thai game I must admit I was stuck. I’ve seen a few over the years but I don’t think any particularly stand out enough to write more than a few lines, so I thought sod it, I’ll do a compendium, a Now! That’s What I Call Thai Football, a selection of memories from a number of games seen over the years in various places.
Thailand 1-3 South Korea
Supachalasai Stadium, Bangkok
2nd March, 1997
To paraphrase the Cockney Rejects, I wanna go back to where it all began. Except it didn’t. I’d been in Bangkok a good few years but despite telling myself to catch a local game, at various times I lived within a goal-kick of PAT Stadium or the Army Stadium or even the Thai-Japanese Stadium, I never got round to it. Like many a poor English teachers in those distant days I worked weekends and lived a hand to mouth existence the rest of the time where my meagre earnings would be divvied up between a few local bars and, eventually, rent on my box like rooms. Eventually I managed to drag myself to a game but as with much of the 1990s I remember little about it. I would find out later from Dale it wasn’t the first time we’d been at the same game though!
Thailand v Arsenal 4-3
Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok
22nd May, 1999
Arsenal in town? Couldn’t miss that, could I? I even finished work early and called into Bobby’s Arms for a few before meeting a mate closer to kick off but in them days there was no such thing as a few and by the time my pal arrived I was gone. I don’t recall leaving the air-conditioned bar in Patpong, getting hit by the moist humidity in the car park or getting in the taxi. I certainly don’t remember the fight with the taxi driver! I do remember the steps inside the ground and ripping a poster off the wall and I remember seeing some Arsenal faces in Nana after the game but it wasn’t till the following day I learned the score!
Thai Port v Chonburi
PAT Stadium, Bangkok
20th June, 2009
Three years after I’d started Jakarta Casual I thought it would be a jolly wheeze to add some Thai football content to my portfolio so I convinced my pregnant wife that yes, a few days in Bangkok for me would be a great idea. For me. I checked myself into my old manor off Sathorn Road and headed down to Chonburi. For some reason I thought it would also be a good idea to meet Dale in his backyard and then travel back into Bangkok with the Chonburi fans. The game was kind of fun but the lowlight was doing an interview with Kosin, the Chonburi keeper who had played in Indonesia, and not pressing record! My natural incompetence was preventing me from becoming a vlogger!
Muang Thong United v Chonburi
Impact Arena, Muang Thong
4th October, 2009
Ok so my second game in June hadn’t been so good, Chula United v Pattaya United, but I’d enjoyed myself enough to book a return visit just two weeks before my son was born! This promised to be massive and it was so massive I met up with Dale early doors and we were in the ground some three or four hours before kick-off which was just as well…the crowd was just shy of 16,000, a record at the time for the Thai league. Who’d have thought having football clubs representing communities would have been more popular than a game between a bank and a company that monopolized tobacco? Exciting times in Thai football!
SAFFC v Muang Thong United
Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore
6th February, 2010
Muang Thong were fun and a far cry from the alphabet spaghetti of Thai football in the 90s when SET v TFB or RTAF v BBC failed to arouse my interest. Yes, the subtle Manchester United imagery was boring but they were doing what so many clubs in Indonesia weren’t and that was creating a bond with supporters. They also had some bloody good players!
When I saw they’d been drawn with SAFFC I knew I had to make the effort to go there. I wrangled a pitchside press pass and was talking with SAFFC coach Richard Bok while the players were warming up when the fun started. This puffed up little fellow in a suit told me to leave the pitch. I replied, politely I thought, I was talking to my mate but he was having none of it. ‘Leave or I’ll throw you out!’
Kawin was warming up nearby and he noticed my little altercation. Match commissioners eh? That wasn’t the end of it. I was standing behind a line taking my photographs opposite the main stand and bugger me he comes over again and starts berating me for not being in the right place. I was standing with other local press types but he was only picking on me and I knew why but I wasn’t going to get thrown out of a football ground for calling an official racist!
It was a good game, SAFFC won on penalties and the next day while I was at Changi waiting for my flight back to Jakarta I spotted Kawin and he smiled at me! No, I didn’t ask for a selfie or an autograph! Three months later I would be back in Singapore to see SAFFC take on Bangkok Glass and again I made the short hop, hoping to catch the bunnies but they never showed.
Thai Honda v Bangkok North
KMIT Stadium, Lad Krabang
22nd July, 2012
Back in the 90s I had a teaching job at KMIT. I used to take the train from Din Daeng and alight at Phra Chom Kao I think it was where I would be picked up by the company. It was a long old trek back then and of course little did I know almost 20 years later I would be returning. Much changed of course in Bangkok, I had sworn I would leave if a skytrain ever got off the ground, and of course there was a new airport and guess what? My old stomping ground was close by and there was a football ground right in the flight path. I mean, I had to go didn’t I? I went for a few days and booked a flight for Jakarta timed to leave after this regional league game had finished!
Malaysia v Thailand
Bukit Jalil Stadium, KL
20th December, 2014
I’m no fan of international football but I would crawl over broken glass for the AFF Suzuki Cup. For 2014 I’d gone to Vietnam to see the Indonesia group stage games in Hanoi and on the way back to Jakarta stopped off in Singapore to see the Lions take on the Thais. Thailand won that game 2-1 and went on to reach the final. I didn’t bother going to Bangkok but some Malaysian friends said I really should make the effort for the second leg in KL so I got permission from wife and son and headed north.
What a game. What an experience. Malaysia won 3-2 and came oh so close to winning the trophy but the Thai side was something special. But so were the Malaysian fans who put on a show of their own. A great trip and a fantastic advert for all that was great about south east Asian football.
Since then, my interest in Thai football has waned. They still produce an amazing conveyor belt of talent but the league lacks the sheer strength in depth or the history, traditions or passions of the game in Indonesia. Plus, my son was growing up and I needed to spend more time at home, especially as I was spending more and more time working overseas. It would be nice to get back there and spend a couple of months bouncing around the provinces watching games, if only to put the finishing touches to a book I originally began some 14 years ago!
NEW!! My Favourite Match by Russ John: 2021
My Favourite Match
by Russ John
TPL
Nakhon Ratchasima FC 1-1 Buriram Utd
11th July, 2015
Attendance 34,659.
Introduction
A hot day, and one of those "I was there" moments. I remember well the shock and horror of entering the 80th Anniversary stadium at my customary one hour before kick off only to be confronted by a stadium completely bereft of empty seats...
10th July
The story began the day before. Rumours of a big crowd for the local derby began to surface and talk of tickets on sale at a certain time later that day.
Panic and a 70 km drive to the stadium. Inevitably upon arrival, no tickets on sale but a swirling mass of confused punters. I resignedly trudged back to the car. The fact that I was about to miss out on the very match that I have been dreaming about began to dawn on me. Pissed off, ticketless and an unfortunate reminder of the last time I was locked out of a football match - the infamous 1972 Wolves v Leeds United match in which the home team beat Leeds to deny them the English title.
I had, in all of the confusion, become detached from my beloved other half. Unbeknownst to me she had wandered off, just as she does every week in Tesco. To my amazement she returned clutching two orange coloured pieces of paper - 2 tickets for tomorrow's game in zone W. I was absolutely gobsmacked. To show my appreciation, I pressed a 100 baht note into her hand. "Go and buy a new frock, teerak", I whispered in polite appreciation.
11th July - matchday
An hour before kick off, don't be daft, that's way too early to go in, let's have one last beer...I should have known. Tell tail signs, full car park, unusual number of fans swirling around outside the stadium.
The sight awaiting us on exit from the main concourse was truly awe inspiring. Before us, like teeming ants, a crowd of 34 000 plus had amassed, many standing, most eating. It was eerily quiet as if the fans were patiently waiting for the battle yet to come. Finding a seat was mission impossible but fortunately my ample 1.95 metre height ensured a decent view from a gangway on the half way line.
All of a sudden, a flash appeared of myself and drunken friends cascading down the North Bank Molineux until brought to a halt, in abdominal pain, by a metal barrier. The thought quickly evaporated as I was showered by a mixture of spittle and Chang beer as the crowd erupted at the sight of the teams coming out.
Needless to say at my age and with my creaky old back being buffeted and shoved around throughout the game by burly young Thai guys meant that the actual match was uncomfortable but I suppose enjoyable, but oh how I yearned for my usual bourgeois padded seat in the VIP section!!
Oh, by the way, a nice competitive match, which ended amicably in a 1-1 draw - a day of infamy had come and gone, a point apiece and...I was there!!
Friday, 29 January 2021
NEW!! My Favourite Match by Phil Williams: 2021
A new series of articles in which fans of the local game write about their favourite match.
My Favourite Match
by Phil Williams
Thai Premier League
Buriram Utd 1-3 Samut Prakan City
Sunday 29th November 2020
Attendance: 9,510
Having only been a Samut Prakan City supporter for a season and a half (the club has only been in existence that long!) I don't have as many games to select from as other expat football followers who have years under their belts. So I'm still in the fortunate position of being able to remember all of the matches very clearly (with a little help from my blogs of course).
The game that sprang instantly to mind when I was mulling over this topic was the 2-1 home win against Port FC last season. Our hot shot neighbors rolled into town with hundreds of their fans in tow, a packed house, a terrific atmosphere and a great performance that saw Samut Prakan victorious in a game that had everything. However, I'm going to choose an away match simply because I enjoy away games more. Home matches tend to be a bit routine; you arrive at the ground at the same time, sit in the same seat and talk to the same people.
To quote Bill Bryson in one of his travel books - "nothing gives you greater satisfaction than a travel plan that comes together successfully". He might have added "especially if Samut Prakan win" but our trip to Buriram was, for me, the perfect football weekend. Everything came together.
There's something slightly barmy about taking a plane to get to a football match (you wouldn't dream of doing it in England) but fly from Bangkok to Buriram I did. From Buriram's modest airport, the shuttle bus was waiting to take me to my boutique hotel in the city centre, which turned out to be very nice. And I had just enough time in Buriram to do what I wanted to do - have a stroll around the city, do a few expat bars, meet up with Jamie Pinder (one of our online football family) for lunch, and spend some time pre-match looking around Buriram's awesome Thunder Castle.
As for the game itself, not that many teams win 3-1 at Buriram and while we rode our luck at times, two brilliant long range efforts from Tardelli and Chakkit Laptrakul and another from Jaroensak meant we returned back to Bang Plee with the three points. But what made the occasion extra special and still gives me goosebumps was the noise from the 250-odd Samut Prakan supporters who made the trip. Certainly the loudest I've heard us at an away match. As we all filed out of the away zone after the game, many fans were facing a five-hour drive home but no one cared. We were just in the mood to party! I was dancing and hugging with fans I'd never said half a dozen words to.
Catching the plane back the following day and bumping into all the players and staff at the airport gave me the chance to give them a thumbs up and say a hearty well done. That put the icing on what was an unforgettable weekend! I'm not sure a certain Mr Pinder would agree though.
Kor Royal Cup - Highlights: 2011
Kor Royal Cup
Chonburi 2-1 Muang Thong Utd
Supachalasai Stadium, Bangkok
30th January, 2011
Kor Royal Cup - Match Report by Greg Hill: 2011
Kor Royal Cup
Chonburi 2-1 Muangthong United
Sunday 30th January, 2011
Match Report
by Greg Hill
Don't panic! Don't panic!
Erratum first - the season ticket prices I quoted recently are only applicable to the VIP section of the West Stand. The North and South stands will cost 1,500 bt this season. Last season it was 1,200, so after allowing for the two extra games, the increase is paltry. That price includes the gift voucher and club shop discount.
That news came to me during the n-zone meeting before today's game. Most of the time I had so little clue what was going on that the speaker could have been explaining that I was Ian Dowie's love child and I'd just sit there and nod. The only other news I understood was that the n-zone have started a voluntary registration scheme to support group activities and prevent hooliganism. Presumably we're banking on hooligans being dumb enough to register themselves voluntarily.
To the stadium and it must be noted that the turnout was poor. Chonburi's much-vaunted away support was about half of what it was for the FA Cup final and the Thai Port contingent could've been out-sung and outnumbered by UB40. MTU bought about 60-70% of the FA Cup numbers.
Today's line up was - Weera (GK), Pakasit (RB), Panupong (CB), Nattaporn (CB, Capt), Rehman (LB), Datsakorn (MD), Issouafou (LM), Diarra (DM), Dagno (DM/MD), Christian (RM), Teerasil (ST).
Notice the number of high-profile newcomers excluded from the starting line up. However Rehman became the first European player to better Berkant Gotken's grand total playing time of exactly zero hours, zero minutes and zero milliseconds.
The first half was very similar to the cup final. Chonburi looked the better side without doing much of note and we had the occasional weak break but little more. It was a very scrappy affair to be honest. To be fair, I've had more dire evenings this month but then again, they did involve unblocking the toilet in my bathroom.
The only real point of interest - apart from Chonburi hitting the corner upright - was that I've already found this season's replacement for the Jakkaphan Keawprom "Is he a disaster or future master?" award and this year it's Issoufou Boubacar Garba. This guy needs serious time on the training ground to time his runs, know when to lay the ball off and when to go for himself. Right now he's got the athleticism but little else.
At half time a large chant of "Worawi ork bai!" came up from MTU fans.
The second half saw a notable improvement with Teerasil back to his best and Abdoul starting to find his rhythm in front of the back line. Rehman also started venturing out of his half more often. As we pushed forward, the Sharks hit in a rebound effort - at least that's how I saw it from the other end - past Weera.
Incensed, Christian found his fire and Anon came on to join him as the attack became three-pronged. We pushed closer and Chonburi survived two low crosses across the six yard box before the jammy dodgers hit us on the break with a low shot that swept under Weera, who must have been having flashbacks of his time in the defensive black hole that was Bangkok United.
Now really galvanised, MTU entered Jakkphan Pornsai into the fray and we really did look ready to go for it in the 3 minutes of injury time. A high cross just flew over Christian's head but moments later he chased a direct through-ball and got the last touch to score before he grabbed the ball and ran it back. Just moments later, Zesh was lining up a finisher before a last ditch clearance rescued Chonburi. The whistle went shortly after.
It's important not to read too much into this result. Chonburi are a well-drilled side that made few changes in close season. MTU on the other hand brought in several new faces and rested the higher-rated of those players today. Of those that played, it was clear that Weera is fine, Rehman needs time to settle and, surprisingly, looked better going forward than defending and Issoufaou needs more time in training before he gets anywhere near the first team. Apart from playing Dagno so deep, I had no real gripes with the new coach's tactics.
I understand Reene's conclusion to the game was similar to my own - we have a group of skilled individual players who need to gel together as quickly as they can. I really felt that Carlos used today's match as a friendly, hence his leaving Anon, Toth, Pornsai and Kallio out of the starting line. That's forgivable given our (neccesary) very slow pre-season campaign but now the time for experiments is over.
I recall last season's Kor Royal Cup being a similarly scrappy occasion before the ruckus started and I didn't worry too much then, either. In fact I drew no conclusions until the first ACL game a fortnight later. Let's hope it's the same old tale this year.
Man of the Match: Teerasil Dangda. Fantastic footwork from the front man held up the action so many times to bring his team mates into the attack.
NEW!! Interview With Malcolm Imray: 2021
My exclusive interview with former Thai football blogger, Malcolm Imray.
Please can you introduce yourself
My name is Malcolm Imray. I lived in Bangkok between 2002 and 2015 and I am the former writer of the Bangkok Football Blog.
How are you and what are you up to these days?
Nowadays I’m living and working in São Paulo, Brazil. I’ve been here since 2017. Similar to everywhere else, many things have changed due to the global pandemic, and I’m basically adapting to the Covid-19 dictated life that we all have to abide to these days.
How and when did you first get into Thai football?
Actually, the first Thai league game that I ever saw was at the Thephasadin in 2002. I’ve no idea which two teams were playing but the standard of football was dire and you could hear a pin drop in the stadium. The match was so bad that my mate and I left at half-time in order to hit the pub.
Between 2002 and 2009, I watched the national team a few times at Rajamangala. I remember watching a friendly against Newcastle United in 2004 and I attended a few games at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.
However, by 2009 the Thai game had evolved and my reintroduction to the Thai game was Muang Thong United versus Samut Songkhram. At that time, I had a friend who was living in Muang Thong and we decided we should check out a match. I was pleasantly surprised to see an almost full stadium with the home fans kitted out in red while there was a small pocket of Samut Songkhram fans coloured in light blue. The atmosphere was cheerful while the football on offer was better than I expected. As an avid football, I was hooked and wanted to learn more about the TPL.
When and why did you start your blog?
Once I got into Thai football, I wanted to find out more information about it. By chance after an online search, I stumbled up a Thai football forum which had a dozen or so expat contributors. Most of them had blogs and websites and I enjoyed reading about their football experiences. This was something I thought could do and I created a blog to share my own observations of Thai football.
Yours was one of the first English language blogs to cover Thai football in general rather than one specific team. Why was this?
I decided early on that I never wanted to stick to one team in Thailand. Partly because I was tired of the hurt and disappointment that football causes you when you are invested in a team and also because I’m somewhat of a ground-hopper. I love to visit new stadiums and watching Thai football enabled me to travel to many provinces/cities in the kingdom that I’d have never ventured to had it not been for football.
How long did it run for and why did you stop?
I started the blog in 2010 and continued until I left Thailand 2015. For the first couple of years, I was really into it but my enthusiasm gradually petered out from 2013 onwards.
What did you enjoy most about curating your blog?
I enjoyed the fact that I could remain anonymous while writing the blog. I’ve never been one to hunt the spotlight so writing the blog enabled me to remain in the background. Also, while writing match reports, I enjoyed meeting up with friends who supported, Thai Port, Army United and Chonburi when I attended their games. On the other hand, I was content enough sitting alone with a beer at somewhere like Air Force or the TOT Stadium whilst taking in a match.
Was there anything you didn't enjoy?
Like most people who write about football online, the repetition of writing the same stuff becomes boring. Sometimes I felt that I was constantly covering the same issues. Likewise, match reports and reviews need to be written in a timely manner otherwise they become quickly outdated and irrelevant. A few times I posted match reports after consuming several bottles of Leo at a match. Waking up sober the next morning and checking out the mistakes that I had made whilst typing the previous evening could be a little bit mortifying.
Away from your own blog, what other work did you do covering Thai football?
I wrote match reports and previews/reviews for the Thai League Football website. Back then TLF was the biggest and best site in English for all things Thai football. It was run by an Australian bloke called Nigel. Other contributors were Kevin who extensively translated headlines of Thai news articles on the site’s Twitter account while Matt interviewed many of the big names in Thai football at the time and he also helped out with match reports and other various things.
There were also Lilian and Joseph who took pitch side photos for us. Unfortunately, the website never really got the big break it deserved as Facebook and Instagram became the preferred medium for Thai football coverage. For some reason, Thai football fans preferred to pore over 140 similar photos of their favourite team eating their pre match meal or random pictures of the club big wigs doing irrelevant stuff.
In addition to TLF, I wrote several articles for the Chonburi FC website run by Dale and I penned a few match previews for Lewis and Deano on the Army United site.
What advice would you give to someone who writes a Thai football blog or website?
For new writers, the most important thing is to be patient. It takes time to build an audience so don`t expect overnight success. Another important thing is not to rely on people when they give you their word or make promises. Often these promises are broken or they never materialise. And finally, write what you enjoy. Don’t be pressured into doing things that you don’t want to do.
Which matches stand out from your time in Thailand?
The two games that stick out in my mind are the Thai League Cup final in 2010 between Thai Port versus Buriram, and Army United against Muang Thong United in 2011. I was still relatively new to Thai football at this time so that’s probably why these games were memorable for me. I remember that Buriram were strong favourites to win the League Cup Final 2010. However, Thai Port upset the odds by winning 2-1. The thing that really caught my attention was contrast of each set of fans. The Buriram fans were orderly and their choregraphed singing and dancing was led by the club owner’s wife (Karuna) who was barking out instructions on her megaphone while perched in front of them on a platform. I always remember looking over to the Buriram fans when Port scored and they never flinched while their song and dance routine continued unabated. Meanwhile, the Port fans were spontaneous in their support and there was a real emotional passion from the Khlong Toey faithful.
At the end of the 2010 season, the Royal Thai Army had been relegated but were given a reprieve when they won a hastily arranged playoff due to the expansion on the TPL. The club then rebranded into the swanky new Army United. Four new Brazilians had been added to their squad and in their first game of the season the surprisingly swept aside the recently crowned champions Muang Thong United 3-0. I remember the Brazilian striker Leandro dos Santos was unplayable on his debut but sadly for him this match was probably the high point of his time in Thailand as he eventually ended up as a dejected looking left wing back at Bangkok Glass. This game was also noteworthy as there were 15,000 fans inside the stadium and it was in stark contrast from the previous season when Army were followed by a couple of hundred diehards.
Do you still follow Thai football?
I check out the scores and the league tables from time to time, but that’s about it. I have very little interest in the off-field stuff though. I still have my Twitter account but I tend to skim through the Tweets related to Thai football. It`s a shame really because there appear to be a host of knowledgeable football writers these days covering the Thai game. As I’m living in Brazil now, my focus has naturally switched towards the football scene here. The Brazilians are far more passionate about their domestic game so I can have some good craic with them. In general, Thai football fans know more about the big European clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool and Barcelona than they do about their own local game.
How does it differ from the time when you were most involved?
It appears to me that the same old mistakes keep getting made and the rulers of the game are still subject to making decisions based on knee jerk reactions. In addition, I can imagine VAR must be a nightmare in the TPL. I can just picture swarms of players harassing the ref and linesmen to check VAR every two minutes. Handballs and fouls are still subjective for the match officials so the feelings of corrupt injustice and chants of “keegong” (if fans are inside the stadiums) must be rife every time a team suffers an unfavourable verdict. I don’t know if there are still pitch walk offs in Thailand these days but a decade or so ago, they happened fairly regularly.
What do you miss the most?
I probably miss the social scene more than anything else. It was nice to meet up with friends who supported different Thai clubs. I enjoyed going to the stadium, having a few beers and mingling with the supporters. All in all, it was a cheap day out and more fun than wandering around a shopping mall or sitting in a Thai bar listening to a band playing excruciatingly loud music.
Finally, is there anything you don't miss?
I definitely don’t miss the hi-so club owners having their nauseating photographs plastered online, in written publications and gigantic billboards around the stadiums. They made out they were doing the local community a huge favour but in reality, they were running these clubs purely to boost their own public well-being. Also, the Laurel and Hardy type of incompetence by those ruling the Thai game is something that isn’t missed by me. I remember games being postponed at short notice due to a rock concert or something similar being held at the club`s stadium. These events had been planned months in advance so why wait and postpone the game 48 hours before it was going to kick off.
Tuesday, 26 January 2021
NEW!! Interview With Chaiyakrit Aamlid: 2021
My interview with Muay Thai commentator, and Chonburi fan, Chaiyakrit Aamlid.
What have been your impressions of Chonburi so far this season?
The best way to sum it up is “mid-level team”. It hasn’t been a good season and it is clear that we are a long way away from the bigger Thai league 1 teams.
Which has been our best performance?
This is such a hard question to answer since a lot of our “good” performances had a lot of luck involved. Early on in the season we managed to beat Nakhon Ratchasima 3-1, it’s a good result, however, we can’t forget how poorly we played in the first half. So if we do not take the first half into consideration, it was probably our best performance.
Another match that can be talked about is our 3-2 win against Ratchaburi. The first half was great, scored two goals and the players looked confident, however, in the beginning of the second half, confidence turned into over-confidence, nervousness and doubt. Chonburi managed to concede two goals. Admittedly one of the goals that Ratchaburi scored was from a penalty, some might say the penalty was harsh. One of our players tried to head the ball away but ended up heading it to one of his hands…. anyways, the last few minutes Chonburi managed to push on and eventually Junior Lopez scored the winning goal from long range. Was absolutely delighted to get that win.
And our worst?
Way too many to name, but I will try my best. Losing 4-0 to Buriram early on in the season was hard to watch. That match made everyone believe Buriram were going to be an unstoppable force once again this season. However, after that huge win for Buriram, they started to perform poorly, which made Chonburi’s result look pathetic. I still wouldn’t class this as our worst performance since Buriram do have top thai league players. Another match to forget is our 3-0 loss to Chiangrai…at home! Chiangrai absolutely outplayed us and it looked like a bunch of professionals were bullying a school team. Sadly I was at this game, but luckily, I didn’t have a great view of it since I was sat behind one of the goals.
Losing 4-1 to Samut Prakan was another poor performance that I want to forget, the defending was atrocious and the players never looked like they wanted to win the match, it seemed like they accepted defeat before the game started. However, this match is still not my worst match of the season. The worst match of the season for me is out 1-0 loss to Prachuap. Prachuap so far this season has played 16 matches and only won 3, one of those 3 was against the “famous” Chonburi FC. The match itself was so boring I found it hard to stay awake for it. Chonburi played Prachuap after defeating Trat FC 3-2 so many would expect Chonburi to do well against Prachuap… instead we witnessed a very poor team who failed to connect anything. Each individual player was poor and knows that they should have done better.
Which players have impressed you most this season?
Probably Kritsada Kaman, and I am only saying this because he is still young but it is clear that he is important for the team. He has shown that he can play in multiple positions but I think the center midfield spot suits him just fine. I wouldn’t have chosen him if he was already in his mid 20’s but he is still young and has time to improve. Hopefully he can continue to get better. Sadly, if he does get better, Chonburi will probably sell him to another team, that seems to be what Chonburi does all the time.
Which players have you been most disappointed with?
Kroekrit has been extremely disappointing as he is meant to be one of our top players, but the season we have seen from him so far does not suggest that. He is also our captain but he doesn’t seem to stand out at all. He does not seem like a motivator and I’m still baffled as to why they gave him Pipop’s number 10 shirt in the first place. It’s clear that Sinthaweechai has a stronger connection with the fans and the players despite the fact that he has only recently made his return.
I also want to add that (in case you haven’t figured it out) I am not the biggest fan of Kroekrit, let us not forget about the picture of him holding up the Muang Thong scarf whilst still playing for Chonburi. I heard Muang Thong has sold some of their top players, so hopefully they have room for Kroekrit now, wouldn’t care if he left at all.
What are your thoughts on the new signings?
I’m happy by some of them and baffled by some them. I am happy about Kelic joining since Chonburi does need a strong/commanding center back, our defence hasn’t been great so hopefully he can help us out there. Durosinmi is a player I’m excited to see play for Chonburi, it’s clear that he is delighted with the move and I am certain he will bring good performances to the team. I’m not particularly happy with us signing Jaycee John because I don’t understand what he can bring to the team, it’s clear his best years are behind him and we got rid of Kushida because he wasn’t as good as he once was.
I just don’t see how Chonburi bringing in Jaycee John could benefit us in any way. Eliandro seems like another Caion but I am hoping he proves me wrong and scores more goals for us. As for Junior Eldstal… Never heard of him before but I am hoping he can perform better than Carli de Murga.
Once the season restarts, we may not be able to play our home matches at Chonburi Stadium. What are your thoughts on this?
Of course I miss going to the stadium to watch the matches but I guess now we are living in very special circumstances. If we aren’t allowed to play at our stadium it should apply to other teams as well. If that’s the case, I wouldn’t oppose to playing at a “central stadium” where every match takes place.
How do you do think the TPL/FAT have handled the current crisis?
Much better than the higher ups who are controlling Muay Thai that’s for sure. I’ve never been a fan of the FAT but at the end of the day it’s not them who make the final decisions, but then again, none of the higher ups seem to want to take much responsibility either.
What is the nature of your involvement with Muay Thai?
I was commentating at the Max Muay Thai stadium, but now the stadium is on a long break so I haven’t been doing that recently. At the moment I just run Muay Thai pages on Instagram and Twitter where I post about Muay Thai news, results, history and other topics.
Are there any good local young fighters we need to look out for?
Tawanchai Chor.Thaiset is a phenomenal fighter from Chonburi province that has been named the SAT fighter of the year. Although he is still young, it’s obvious that he one of the best fighters today. Petchjeeja is another fighter from Chonburi province who is phenomenal. She is from Ban Bueng district and competes on the Thai Fight promotions. Most of her fights end with her winning by knockout and she has also represented the Thai national team in Amateur boxing. Great young talent who can accomplish great things.
Which Thai footballers do you think would be good Muay Thai fighters?
I will give you a half biased answer, Sumethee Khokpho who is a goalkeeper at Ratchaburi trains at the same gym I train at under the same Kru. The gym is called O.Sansuk. He seems to love the sport and comes to the gym any chance he gets. He also works hard in Muay Thai training and trains like all the other fighters at the gym when he does have time to come to the training sessions. Though he is fairly new to the sport, he isn’t afraid to spar against anybody. That’s always a good sign.
Which two Thai footballers would you most like to see in a fight?
Don’t want to see any of them in a fight since they seem to go down so easily in football matches haha. And a lot of them who do go down don’t seem to be able to beat the “10 count”. So I think its best that footballers stay playing football and Muay Thai fighters continue to fight.
What are your thoughts on the clubs decision to allow Leesaw to miss the BG game to prepare for his boxing match?
Personally, to begin with, I am not a big fan of the 10 fight 10 show. I am sure that many people enjoy the show and good for them, but I tend to enjoy watching actual boxers get it done in the ring instead. Funny enough, the 10 fight 10 show is the most watched boxing/Muay Thai show in Thailand. It just shows how massively Muay Thai has dropped, celebrities fighting each other will not help Muay Thai or boxing grow in anyway, unless they are also willing to follow & talk about the sport publicly and go attend the actual fights themselves.
I would not have a problem if Leesaw wanted to participate on the show during the off season, however, him participating on the show whilst the season was still on is disgraceful. It proved to me and a lot of other fans that he is more committed to getting his name out there than he is to Chonburi FC. Now he is gone, good riddance.
Here’s a chance to plug your social media accounts. Off you go…
I run a page called Muay Thai Results (@muaythairesults) on Instagram where I post the latest results from the most elite Muay Thai stadiums and events. I also post Muay Thai news and other muay thai related content. I also do the same sort of thing on Twitter (@muaythaichai), on twitter I tend to post more about my personal opinions about Muay Thai topics, on Instagram I post the news and the results without my personal opinions.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I hope that Chonburi FC can start performing a lot better because so far it has been far from impressive.
Monday, 25 January 2021
Sunday, 24 January 2021
Chonburi Fan Club Protest Banner & Headband: 2008
A banner and headband from the fan protest following the club's eviction from the Municipal Stadium in June, 2008.
Saturday, 23 January 2021
Just How Good Is It? by Greg Hill: 2011
In April, 2011, Greg Hill wrote the following article comparing Thai football to English football
Just how good is it?
by Greg Hill
“What’s the standard like?” is probably the question I’m most frequently asked by my friends and family in the UK when I mention footie in Thailand. It’s a query I’ve only addressed cursorily in the past, so here’s my attempt at a better answer.
Comparing Thai football to its English parent is tough because it’s almost like comparing Rugby Union to Rugby League. At the very top level - say the top ten TPL teams - the game is very often quick and has many moments of skill. At lower levels the pace and standard drops off accordingly but even at Division 2 level there are moments of excitement.
So why then, is it hard to make a comparison? And since the Thai national team have achieved nothing, isn’t that a good indicator of the low league standard? Those might seem straightforward questions, but they aren’t. The game is different in several ways.
Thai footie is far less physical than in Blightly, even in the modern days of protective refs in the UK. In Siam, players can often be penalised even for making innocuous physical contact with an opponent. This all makes for a lot of “stop, start’ officiating.
Perhaps part of the reason for this difference is the physical makeup of the players. Thai players of the current generation are still slightly smaller than your typical Italian or German player and play the style of football to suit their stature, with teams employing a quota of foreigners - most of them African - to bring a different dimension to the game. Perhaps the lower average weight of Thai players helps their stamina, because many games are played in temperatures not far from those nations will face in the Qatar World Cup, and look how much concern that's causing already! It’s a great credit to players in Thailand that they usually keep the games fast-paced throughout, even in the searing hot-season.
Tactics are different, too. Thai teams in general play a slightly more attacking style of football which is exciting, though sometimes the amount of golden chances that go begging would tempt most EPL managers to smash a teacup or three. Sadly these tactics also include a level of time wasting, back-chatting and reaction that probably would not be tolerated in European leagues, so once again, the symmetry is not perfect.
All these reasons should partly explain why it’s not fair to use the national team as a measuring stick for the Thai league: Thai players have different types of experience and expectations.
There are other factors on top. While the Thai league has seen a lot of investment, growth and publicity - creating fast change which is yet another reason why the comparison is a difficult one - the national side have not really seen much knock-on effect. Lack of organisation (this is also an internal problem but almost every team suffers equally), lack of infrastructure and other factors have also been a burden. In short, don’t be fooled into thinking the league and the national team are identical.
Enough excuses, the big question is: how far down the English league would we need to go to find a team that Muangthong, Chonburi or PEA could give a run for their money? Solving that riddle is the only way to clearly answer our main question.
I recently attempted to find an answer by attending two games involving my local sides back home: Southampton Vs Bristol Rovers in League 1 and Eastleigh Town Vs Hampton and Richmond in the Blue Square South League.
Southampton are one of the better teams in League One and players such as Jose Fonte, Rahdi Jaidi, Ricky Lambert and goalie Kelvin Davies would probably be a little too much for most Thai teams to bear, particularly when Jose and co. (League One’s better defenders) denied them the glut of goal-scoring openings they are used to. Even in a game played with a Thai style ref, I think they would be edged out, even by Bristol Rovers.
Eastleigh Town play a similar standard of football to most Thai teams but the one-two’s and triangle passing from the Hampshire side is not quite as quick and crisp, and players don’t have quite the same level of pace. However, both BSS sides were allowed to perform fair and well-timed physical challenges that would have TPL players hurling themselves to the turf as though they had been executed, probably earning the offender a red card. If Eastleigh were to play Chonburi or Bangkok Glass with an English ref, the physical battle may result in a win for the ‘Spitfires’, but if played to Thai rules, I’d bet on a two goal win for the Thai side.
So going on intuition, experience and a little research I’d say the level of the TPL is somewhere between League one and Blue Square regional leagues. Let’s conclude by saying it’s probably League Two level, and moves down accordingly for lower league teams. Phew!
Thursday, 21 January 2021
Interview With A BEC Tero Fan: 2016
My interview with BEC Tero fan, Martyn, from August, 2016
Please can you introduce yourself
My name is Martyn and I am originally from England, I have been in Thailand for 4 years and I am a teacher here.
How long have you been following BEC Tero and what first got you interested?
This is my 3rd year supporting Tero, but only really my second year of going regularly. The reason I started going was me and my friends really missed watching live football (in England) so we decided to start going to watch our local team . . . then we got hooked!
It now looks as if you've done enough to stay in the PLT, so what are your targets for the rest of the season?
My mate thinks that we should aim for a top 6 finish now the pressure is off, but I think that's a bit ambitious. After last season i'll be happy with a top half finish.
And next season?
Maybe that will be the top 6 finish . . . or just happy to stay up again! Basically with the ownership situation it's impossible to say.
There was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the club last close season, how did you cope with that?
Haha, it was an interesting time, one week we were relegated, the next we weren't. Then we didn't know if there would even be a club there or not. In the end I just kinda accepted what will be will be, I was pretty happy just to have a club at all, then being in the Premier League was just an added bonus!
BEC Tero seem to get through quite a lot of head coaches, why do you think this is?
I think it's just mainly been out of frustration, I think after winning the League Cup a couple of seasons ago we felt we could push for the title. Then as last season was a disaster it has just seemed like a quick fix approach to sack the head coach, it happens in all leagues I guess.
What would you like to see happen with the head coach role?
I think we should see how we finish this season, if we can finish in the top half then stick with what we have got.
The club has a great history, do you think the glory days will ever return to BEC Tero?
Right now I can't see it, with the whole ownership situation with Muang Thong United if we ever put together a title contending side the top players would likely be 'sold' or 'loaned' to them. Until this changes then Tero's success is limited.
If you could give your chairman one piece of advice, what would it be?
Just remember what a great history the club has, we should not be anyone's feeder club.
Please sum up BEC Tero in a song or movie title?
Hello, Goodbye -by the Beatles after last seasons up, down, up down relegation situation
What are your overall impressions of the PLT this season?
It has been a very exciting season, and looking to get even more exciting at the top. I think the Muang Thong United/Bangkok United battle will go to the wire. It will also be interesting at the bottom, with Chainat starting to put up a fight it could spell trouble for the Swat Cats.
What are your expectations for Saturday's match?
I think it's safe to say it depends on which Tero turn up and which Chonburi turn up. If it's the same Tero that lost to Bangkok Glass a few weeks ago we would be lucky to keep it below 5. However, I'm going to be confident and say 2-1 Tero, I think with the pressure is off and and with an in form striker I think we can nick it
Which Tero players should we be wary of and why?
Well Lukasz has come in from Ratchaburi and and made a great start, him and Milan seem to be working well together, so hopefully it's the start of something good!
What are your impressions of Chonburi this season?
I have only caught a few games, but it seems it depends which Chonburi turn up. I was expecting Chonburi pushing for top 3 or 4 again, so I've been a little surprised.
Can you close by giving us one interesting fact about your club or stadium that we may not know.
They sell the tastiest chicken and rice dish (the flavour changes every week) I've ever had in Thailand. 40 baht near the the Zone D turnstiles.
BEC Tero 1-3 Chonburi - Away Days Photos: 2016
TPL
BEC Tero 1-3 Chonburi
72nd Anniversary Stadium, Minburi
6th August, 2016
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