Port fan, Marco sent me a few questions ahead of tomorrow's match. Here are my replies.
We've done OK. However, I wouldn't call Chonburi Stadium "a fortress". We've been beaten by Buriram Utd and Bangkok Utd, and dropped points in a disppointing draw with Sukhothai. However, our last home game saw us see off Lampang 4-0 so we should be going into this match with our tails up.
Current Chonburi manager Sasom Pobpasert was the most successful manager in Port's recent history, how is he faring during his time with Chonburi?
It took me a while to warm to Sasom, but his methods - and the club's faith in him - seem to be paying off. Some of his team selections are questionable - last week's starting XI at Nakhon Ratchasima was particularly bizarre - however, I think he's doing a good job overall. The team (usually!) has a good mix of youth and experience, and you can't really complain with our first leg performance. At the start of the season, if you would have offered me a top four place at the halfway stage, I would have bitten your hand off. If we can get a win on Friday he can waltz off to his World Cup TV punditry job in good spirits and we can all feel quite happy with our progress under him.
Another man to have managed both sides (not to mention Wada and Zico) is Jadet Meelarp aka 'The Spherical Supremo' ©PortSandpit. He is well-liked by Port fans, on a scale of 1-10 how highly is he regarded at Chonburi?
If I'm allowed to riff on Spinal Tap here, he's an 11. He's the most successful manager in our history and a lovely bloke too, who still lives locally. My wife often bumps into him at the market. He has a long standing relationship with the club - going back to the Assumption SriRacha beginnings - and is responsible for nurturing a lot of players who won things with us and then went on to achieve further triumphs with other teams. I'm sure Chonburi will look after him once he finishes coaching and it would be lovely if they could honour him in some way. Maybe name a stand after him.
One player to have played for both clubs who certainly divides opinion is Thiago Cunha. He was superb for Chonburi and dreadful for Port - even in T2 (I think he scored 5 in 21). He was clearly a complex character, why do you think he thrived at Chonburi but failed to perform at Port?
No idea. I think some players just click at certain clubs and not at others. He also had problems with injuries so this might have been a factor during his time with you. When you talk to Chonburi fans about Thiago, there is nothing but affection. He had his moments - hello Ratchaburi! - but without this side to his character he wouldn't have been the player he was. He is without doubt one of the greatest players to pull on a blue and blue shirt and I'd have a fit - or even half-fit - Thiago Cunha back here in a heartbeat.
I think the only current Port player to have played for Chonburi is Nurul Sriyankem. He's being frozen out at the moment and will probably move on in the transfer window. Would you have him back at Chonburi given that he's only 30 and still has a lot to offer - or has his time as a Shark been and gone?
That's so sad to hear. What a waste. Nurul came through the ranks at Chonburi and was (is) well loved here. He's a very good player who deserves to be playing regularly. And I'm sure he would still do a job in the top flight. Would we have him back? Yes. And by the sounds of it, I think he'd jump at the chance to return home.
The bond between Port and Chonburi fans has been strong for as long as I can remember. What was the genesis of the friendship? Was it the fact Port used to play in Chonburi, a shared dislike of the Muangthong/Siamsport cabal or other factors?
That's a good question. And I'm not really sure of the reason. It could be that some Chonburi fans would choose to watch Port Authority of Thailand when they were playing in the city and we were away. People often tried to persuade me to go to the IPE on these occasions. However, as most road trips only involved a drive up to Bangkok back then, I'd always prefer to follow the Sharks. It's more likely to have evolved from a shared dislike of Muang Thong Utd and Siam Sport. As you know yourself, it used to get pretty unbearable in those early days of MTU's tenure in the TPL and the bias was off the scale. And - rightly or wrongly - it felt like our two clubs were the ones who suffered the most.
We were talking on Twitter a few weeks ago about Port being the closest current T1 team to Chonburi in terms of travel time. There have been several T1 teams down the Eastern Seaboard over the years, what has been your favourite T1 'derby' fixture for Chonburi?
SriRacha away. It only took me five minutes to get there! That said, we did used to make a day of it. And we'd treat it as a proper away day; strolling along the sea front, going to local bars and restaurants, getting to the ground early to soak up the atmosphere etc. It's quite an interesting experience being a visiting fan in your own town. Also, I will always regret that our away fixture against Bang Phra didn't take place at their "stadium". They moved it to Princess Srindhorn. I understand why, but four thousand Chonburi fans sitting around the perimeter of that farmer's field pitch would have been quite a sight to behold.
I mentioned the defunct Company and State Enterprise teams during my answers in 'Interview with a Port fan'. Which of the those teams would you most like to see resurrected?
It's funny, but at the time I saw these clubs - which included Port Authority of Thailand - as standing in the way of progress and wanted rid. However, like you, I do now have a feeling of nostalgia towards them. There was something quite innocent about these entities and I retain a certain amount of affection for them all. Thai Honda, ToT, Osotspa, Krung Thai Bank etc etc The names give me a warm glow and I miss them. But to answer your question - I'd like to see Provincial Electricity Authority resurrected. They should return to Ayutthya immediately and the last twelve years should be struck from the records.
As a long-time follower of Thai football, you have been to plenty of grounds in the Kingdom. Any particular away grounds you have an affection for and why?
I have enjoyed going to all the grounds I've visited over the years. Each one has its own unique identity - even the SAT carbon copies that many clubs use or have used. There's something beautiful about them all. But strangely, I do have a particular fondness for BEC Tero's old home out at Nong Jork. It only had one - rather large - stand, that was exposed to the elements, but there was something about the place that I found appealing. Maybe it was because we had a good record there and always took a big following. Or it could be related to the time they played the entire 'Summer Holiday' soundtrack over the pa, before kick off. That truly was a magical moment.
Speaking of grounds, Chonburi have moved about locally since being formed. What's your favourite ground in the Chonburi area? (I personally like Sirindhorn Stadium).
That's like asking a parent to choose their favourite child. I love all the grounds we've used, for different reasons. They all hold happy memories for me. However, if I was forced to make a choice, I would have to pick the Chonburi Municipal Stadium. It was the first place I watched us play - back in 2002 - and where I saw us win the league on that most memorable night in 2007. It can also lay claim to being the birthplace of Thai football fan culture. When our fan base started growing in 2006/2007 the atmosphere definitely changed and was the genesis for what we see at most Thai grounds as a matter of course these days. However, back then there was only one set of fans like it and I'm proud to say I was a part of it.
You are based in the Sri Racha area, any sign of competitive football returning there any time soon? It's such a shame Sri Racha FC fell by the wayside. Good little club, nice ground.
Sadly not. I mourn the passing of SriRacha FC. Like you say, they were a good club with a nice ground. And in a lovely location. I'd love to see someone come in and establish a new club here. But I honestly can't see it happening. Certainly not in the immediate future.
Oldham, your other team, are currently struggling in the National League - do you think Chonburi could beat The Latics over two-legs (first leg at Chonburi, secong leg at Boundary Park)?
I could pick eleven lads off our local waste ground here in SriRacha to beat the current Oldham Athletic team. They are, without question, the worst side we have ever had. The last few years have been an absolute nightmare. The previous owners weren't fit for purpose and thankfully have now gone, to be replaced by a local businessman and a senior management team helmed by the legendary Joe Royle and his son, Darren. Off the field, things are certainly moving in the right direction and there is a lot of optimism around the club. So, hopefully, it won't be too long before we see improvements on the pitch. As for the two legged match, I'm going for an entertaining 4-4 draw on aggregate.
Chang, Leo or Singha?
Chang. All day long. Surely this isn't even up for debate?
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Thank you so much for answering my questions and submitting these. I really appreciate it. It's been a bit of a throwback to those halcyon days of our - and others - fledgling blogs and websites, when we did this all the time They were such great days. And I miss them. So it has been a lot of fun recreating them here. I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, mate. Stay safe.
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