TPL
Chonburi 1-1 Army Utd
Chonburi Stadium
Attendance: 3,837
Wednesday 27th April, 2016
Match report
by Peter Reeves
Matchday evening.
I’ve always liked midweek matches under the lights. Always something very atmospheric about them so tonight I am looking forward to it. 6pm kick off so make sure all my ‘chores’ are done by 5, then I can have a shower and settle down with a glass of red for an evening’s football. It has to be better than last Sunday in Korat I convince myself. 4.30pm the other half announces she needs to go the market. “Take the car” I tell her. “I’m not driving there, too dangerous” she replies. I ask why I put her through her driving test. “I drive to 7-11” she replies. You can bloody walk there from here. It’s not even off the estate we live on.
Off we go and dark clouds are looming. “Storm” I ask, “Don’t think so” she answers as we arrive at the market. In she goes and I sit in the car watching it all get very gloomy. Few spots, actually very large spots, of rain and then a bang and a big flash. No storm eh I ask myself. Back she comes, running, having bought nothing because the thunder and lightning scared the hell out of her. Home we go. It is now raining very heavily and the wind is getting up. By the time we get home it is pouring down. And day has turned into night. “Good” I tell her “there are a lot of people that need this.” What is not so good is that I have to now go to 7-11 because there is something she needs she didn’t get at the market. Big puddles on the roads already, it is lashing it down and I am soaked. Again. Get to 7-11, shut! “Sod it, I’m going to have a coffee at Amazon”. Shut!
Hang on has the world ended and no one told me? I suddenly realize nothing is open. Everything in darkness. Power cut. Home I go. House and the street in darkness. Another soaking getting the car up the drive and locking the gates. Dog looks at me and seems to say “I am not going out in this!” Don’t worry mate, you’re not. Out come the candles.
Now 5.30, better get ready for the match, and the penny drops. Why am I sitting in the dark? No electricity. What needs electricity? Internet and TV. Oh bloody hell! No match tonight unless they get it fixed. We hear that at least four trees have been torn down in different parts of the city which in turn have brought down power lines. They are trying to fix them. It’s going to take a while. It is 10 to 6. The Thai guys here are really very good. They work through the storm attempting to fix it. Not like the UK, or the south of it anyway, where they would all go home and have tea until it stops raining and then make an attempt. On double time no doubt!
I set up alerts on my phone so I can at least keep track of the score from Chonburi. Should be a straightforward home win and a chance to play well against a struggling team. Sitting with my glass of red I decide I am not going to miss my anticipated evening’s football entertainment and switch on the Ajax channel on my phone to watch the highlights of the ‘ruud et vit’ walloping PSV in Eindhoven a few weeks ago. It is now really coming down hard as I sit on the verandah outside and the garden is flooded as is the road outside. Flashes and bangs everywhere. It is biblical. I love it, apart from the fact I am missing ‘live’ football. My other half is hiding in the bedroom. Are all Thai ladies scared of storms or just mine? The rice farmers are happy. Good luck to them.
It’s been a disappointing evening so far but it will get better. Maybe they’ll fix it in time for the second half. My disappointment is compounded. My phone is flashing, battery low! “Oh bloody hell, what else can go wrong?” Ok only one way to charge the phone. Sit in the car. Another soaking getting there. At least the rain is warm. Something I still cannot get used to. Get in, turn on the engine, and the aircon-blessed relief- and phone is charging. Phone beeps. Alert! Sharks have scored I think. About time. Errr no! Chonburi 0 Army 1! What on earth are they doing? Half time still 0-1. Surely they will beat this lot.
Still charging the phone a warning light flashes on the dashboard. Petrol low. I take on Victor Meldrew pose. “I do not believe it!” 48% on the phone, that’s enough, turn off the engine and get another soaking getting back to the house whilst avoiding a frog in the driveway the size of a small pick up truck. I am certain it growled at me. Quick look around the grounds, Buriram losing at home 0-2. Has Newin or his wife or both suffered internal human combustion? Twitter message from Tommie, Port not doing so well and he’s about to assassinate the coach. I am missing my live football tempered only by Davy Klaassen cracking one in from 20 yards that bent three metres through the air and sent the PSV goalkeeper into a rubber band impersonation trying to keep it out. He shouldn’t have bothered. When Klaassen hits them they stay hit!
Rain stopped, but no electric (or aircon) yet. Alert! 1-1. That’s better. They can go on and win now. But no. 1-1 finish. Must be very disappointed with that. Buriram 0-3. Newin has definitely combusted now. Perhaps it was the team that disappeared on their recent trip. Maybe they are not so good as they like to think they are.
8.30, on it comes. Three cheers for the Thai electricians. Determined to see a bit of live action I turn on to watch Noah for Swatcat at Sisaket just in time to see another defensive shambles, gift Sisaket a goal straight from a corner. Some things never change. Some things never will.
I go out on the drive to sweep the water away onto the road and am confronted by the frog version of King Kong. My rather large dog comes to investigate and doesn’t fancy it either and goes back to the verandah. I retreat with him. Sometimes you have to know when you are beaten. It’s been an interesting night if a little disappointing.
So that was my matchday evening, Hope yours was better. (It wasn't - ed).
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