The fourth interview in our series. Sukhothai fan, Bill Greaves, sums up his club's first leg performance and looks forward to the rest of the season.
Q - Overall, how satisfied are you with your team’s performance over the first half of the season?
Winston Churchill said it best when he described the Sukhothai football team as a riddle, wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Unprepared for the season, we were first crushed, 3 – 0 by Prachuap at home. Then we gaily marched on to Buriram where we were lucky to escape only 6 – 1 down. The highlight of that trip was getting my picture taken with the Euro Custard Cake girls.
A home draw with Konkaen Utd was followed by a 2 – 0 loss at Muangtong. At a point in the season when we were 11 – 1 down on goals scored, you may think that finding something positive to say might be a bit of a challenge. Not so. The Firebat Hardcore group of supporters, based in Bangkok, sang and cheered as the goals went in and the rain came down and down and down. The pitch was transformed into a mud puddle into a swamp and still we sang. That was the best atmosphere I have been in since I saw Aberdeen beat Real Madrid in the final of the European Cup Winners Cup many moons ago.
The next home game saw Bangkok United arrive at Talay Luang. They were 11 – 0 up on goals, we were 1 – 11 down. Not looking good. After 90 heroic minutes of football we drew 0 – 0 and could justifiably go home moaning that ‘we wuz robbed’. We should have won. On to Lampang where we finally won a game. Ecstatic for a victory? Not as ecstatic as I was for clambering up to a front row seat. An effort that won me a well-deserved roar of applause. I like Lampang but they do have the worst seating for away supporters on Planet Earth.
A draw in Chiang Rai and a home win over Ratchaburi and another draw in Nakhon Rachasima and we had transformed from being relegation challenged into a respectable mid table team. Then came Port and a 1 – 3 home defeat and we were again nervously peering at the teams behind us. Away to Chonburi, a courageous 1 – 1 draw and a home win over Police Tero. We were again a respectable mid-table team.
Off we set for Bangkok Glass. Sukhothai city can be described as many things but being on the cutting edge of modern technology is not one of them. Arriving at a stadium where money is verboten can only be described as chaotic confusion. Cameras, codes, passwords and patient stadium staff were all necessities in buying tickets, beer and snacks. Was it all worth it? A 1 – 0 win and ecstasy was overwhelmed by rapturous delirium. It was mad! Who would dare to challenge us in Asia next year? A mid-table team looking eagerly at the acme of Thai success.
Home to face last placed Nong Bua who got a draw and on to Lamphun who, thanks to Nong Bua’s efforts, were now last placed and they beat us 3 – 1.
We started terribly, improved, began thinking grandiose thoughts and then returned to the mud. A team that has achieved a 9th position in the league by scoring 10 goals in 15 games (and letting in 20). A riddle, wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma barely begins to describe the Sukhothai Firebats.
Q - What has been the highlight of your season so far?
Winning 1-0 at Bangkok Glass.
Q - And the low point?
Losing 3-1 against Lamphun.
Q - Apart from your own, which is the best team you've seen so far this season?
Port
Q – And the worst?
Nong Bua
Q - What are your hopes for the rest of the season for
a) your club?
Sukhothai have re-signed John Baggio which has created a lot of renewed interest in the club. A Nong Bua attacking midfielder and a Filipino striker make up the new Firebat squad. I hope that they will help us to score more than 1 goal in a game; a challenge that we were unable to meet in the first half of the season.
b) the league in general?
As a supporter I feel that it is my duty to complain about the referees. However, having said that, I feel that Thai referees, in general, do a pretty good job. I would like to see attendance at all games increase and it should, because the television coverage is awful. I like Bangkok United but cheer against them strictly because they are sponsored by True. I do not understand AIS. A phone company that wants to televise football? I can’t complain because you are replacing the horrible True but you need work.
I am not sure about VAR. I am old-school and football is a game between 2 teams of 11 men with another 3 men controlling it. All 25 of them are liable to make mistakes and that is all part of the game. A referee who insists on stopping the game to catch up on his favourite Thai series is no friend of mine.
Q - Please sum up your season so far with song lyrics or by song title
A Whiter Shade of Pale.
Pale is the colour of a body that is not healthy. White is the skin colour that all Thai ladies aspire to. The Sukhothai Firebats have been pretty sickly at times but they have also glowed like a Euro Custard Cake lady.
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