My interview with SEA Globe journalist, Alistair McCready, from 16th February, 2018
I was very suprised to see very vocal, energetic and organised support at the Port FC game on Sunday. That kind of public 'rowdiness' (for lack of a better word) seems quite antithetical to everything I've witnessed in Thai culture so far, which (generally speaking) is more reserved. Therefore: When and how did this football fanatic culture develop? Is this a relatively new subculture or does it have established roots in young male Thai culture?
Football fan culture is a relatively new phenomenon in Thailand. It started at Chonburi when the club became the first provincial team to win the Thai League in 2007. The following two years saw a boom in popularity for the domestic game and more fan groups sprang up, inspired by what they saw at Chonburi. These groups were especially prominent at other provincial clubs, as owners tapped in to local pride. Now they are commonplace, but I'll always be proud of the fact that we started it.
You mentioned that Chonburi was where this all started. Can you tell me a bit more about that?
As I mentioned above, we were the first provincial club to win the Thai League and challenge the old order. After a steady debut campaign in the top flight (2006), we prepared well over the long break and made some good signings in readines or what was to be a history making 2007. As the season progressed, the crowds grew and so did the fanaticism. In an era when club merchandise didn't really exist, our fans started producing their own. We had t-shirts, scarves and banners and soon everyone was wearing Shark related clothing to the match. Eventually, the club cottoned on and opened a 'Club Shop' - actually a trestle table in the car park, but it was a start.
Our away support also rocketed during the year. Previously, away fans had been a rarity at games and those who did travel were usually in single figures. Our fans used to travel on the team bus to fixtures in the capital. However, with help from the club, the fans started arranging their own buses to away matches and we'd often take four figure followings to grounds - outnumbering the home support by about 5 to 1 everywhere we went. Soon we were attracting fans from all over the country, who wanted to be a part of his unique experience.
The media too was all over us. We were featured on news programmes, documentaries and even roped in to do a couple of commercials - the one for 'Birdy' being the most popular. People sensed something special was happening at our little club.
On the terraces and in the stands, we witnessed the fans becoming more vocal and enthusiastic. Flares and firecrackers were let off with regularity during games and chanting and singing was now common. I can even trace the birth of this movement to the moment it happened. We were trailing 2-0 at home against Thai Honda when it started to rain. Everybody who had been sitting at the front of the stand had to move back to get under cover. It was impossible to sit when everyone was cramped together so we all had to stand.
With the rain falling, a drop in temperature, the floodlights on and a large crowd of mainly men squashed together, I was transported back to my youth on the terraces at Oldham. I remember thinking at the time that this was just how it used to be in England but without the nastiness. The crowd too seemed to sense something was different and roared the Sharks on to a memorable 3-2 win. From that day on the atmosphere at Chonburi would be very special indeed and Thai football fan culture would change forever.
I noticed they were wearing clothing brands associated with British hooligans. Has British football culture been influential?
I guess there is an element of that, but I would say mainland European and Japanese fan culture has been more influential here - flags, drums, constant singing and dancing etc. After taking their initial lead from Chonburi, fans from other clubs have become more regimented and choreographed - a far cry from how it started out. It was never like that at Chonburi, where it was far more organic and spontaneous. However, as most of the old guard have drifted away, the new breed of Sharks fans tend to copy the supporters at other clubs. The true definition of irony!
I've heard Port FC described as the 'Millwall' of Bangkok, and that the club is dangerous. Obviously this idea seemed absurd once I got down there and saw how friendly it all was, but is there a genuine weariness for locals to go to Port FC/Khlong Toei area?
Like you say, the comparison is absurd. It is absolutely nothing like Millwall. This is just a lazy comparison some people have made and it has now become something of an accepted fact. There were a couple of incidents when their fans were involved in altercations - most notably the 2010 Kor Royal Cup match against Muang Thong Utd and later the same season at Bangkok Glass - when the reputation started, but by and large, they are a welcoming, friendly bunch - like most Thai football supporters.
Also, this idea of Thai Port being a club with its roots firmly in the working class area of Klong Toey has been somewhat exaggerated. The PAT Stadium - in its current form - has only been in existence since 2009. For the first few years that we were in the Thai Premier League, they moved around every season - IPE Chonburi Stadium, Thupadamee Stadium and the Thai - Japanese Stadium were all used for home games during this period.
Their crowds too haven't always been big and "intimidating", and their away support was virtually non-existent (in common with every other Thai club) before 2009. I think a lot of people like to believe the legend and are fond of repeating it, but it's way off the mark. This notion of a solid working class club with 50 years of strong links in the local community is a little bit misleading, but makes for a good story.
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