Showing posts with label 2005. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2005. Show all posts
Sunday, 21 February 2021
Friday, 26 June 2020
Pro League Final Table: 2005
26th June, 2005: Pro League Final Table
Final League Placings
1. Chonburi
2. Suphanburi
3. Nakhon Pathom
4. Nakhon Sawan
5. Nakhon Ratchasima
6. Sisaket
7. Satun
8. Bangkok Bravo
9. Surat Thani
10. Chantaburi
11. Phang Nga
12. Phatthalung
Friday, 22 May 2020
NEW!! Late For The Match by Dale Farrington: 2005
Late For The Match
by Dale Farrington
During 2004 and 2005, my Sundays were sacred. At least every other Sunday was. I would follow a familiar routine that I felt as comfortable in as my own skin. After a relaxing morning, I would ride my motorcycle the short distance from home, to the little shop opposite the main entrance to Assumption College in SriRacha. Here I would wait for my friend, Ian to arrive on the bus from Pattaya. We would then buy some refreshments, cross the road and join the few dozen others in the main stand of the Princess Srindhorn Stadium to watch Chonburi take on all comers in the Thailand Pro League.
It was a much simpler time and a very enjoyable way to spend the afternoon and early evening. Finding information was difficult - even in Thai - but admission was free and the atmosphere was akin to a midweek English county cricket match. The football too was entertaining. We realised it wasn’t the most technical we’d ever seen (being lifelong Oldham and Southampton fans!) but the players put the effort in and we never saw any of the “gamesmanship” that now blights the local game.
On one particular Sunday, midway through our promotion season in 2005, we pitched up at our usual time and headed to the ground. It seemed a little quieter than usual, but we didn’t think anything of it. It was - and still is - quite common for Thai fans to arrive after kick off so no alarm bells were ringing. However, as we got to the car park behind our usual vantage point, we did begin to suspect that something was amiss. There was absolutely no-one around and no sign that a football match was about to take place.
Undeterred, and feeling wildly optimistic, we entered the empty ground and took our usual seats. Our thinking being that maybe the match would start at 5:00pm instead of the usual 4:00pm. A few minutes, and a couple of beers later, we saw a man walk through one of the gates next to where we sitting.
“Hello,” I shouted in my best Thai. “What time is kick off today?”
“They played yesterday,” he said, and disappeared back the way that he had come in, leaving two bewildered and disappointed Englishmen staring at an empty field with only a crate of ale for company. Needless to say, we made the most of the situation.
Tuesday, 21 April 2020
Chonburi v Unknown - Photos: 2005
These two photographs were taken at a Srindhorn Stadium home match during the first few weeks of the 2005 Pro League title winning season. I'm not sure who our opponents are, or the exact date, but my guess would be Sisaket Steel Rock on Sunday 20th February. Other possibilities include Phattalung Swallow (30th January), Satun Exorcist (27th February) or Nakhon Sawan Lion (13th March).
Monday, 27 January 2020
Thursday, 16 January 2020
Thursday, 9 January 2020
Chonburi v Phang Nga Programme: 2005
Pro League
Chonburi 8-1 Phang Nga
Princess Srindhorn Stadium, SriRacha
19th June, 2005
Programme from the match Chonburi won promotion to the TPL
Saturday, 14 December 2019
Korat Stingray v Chonburi - Programme: 2005
Pro League
Korat Stingray v Chonburi
Toa Suranaree Sports Stadium, Nakorn Ratchasima
26th June, 2005
The final day of the 2005 season when Chonburi won the Pro League title.
Friday, 29 November 2019
FA Premier League Asia Trophy Ticket: 2005
FA Premier League Asia Trophy
3rd & 4th place play off: Everton 1-1 Man City (2-4 pens)
Final: Thailand 0-1 Bolton Wanderers
Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok
23rd July, 2005
Monday, 18 November 2019
Chonburi Are Champions - Siam Gila Headline: 2005
Siam Gila headline from Monday 27th June, 2005, the day after Chonburi clinched the Pro League title with a 3-1 win in Nakorn Ratchasima.
Saturday, 16 November 2019
Chonburi v Suphanburi Programme: 2005
Pro League
Chonburi v Suphanburi
Princess Srindhorn Stadium
8th May, 2005
Chonburi's first ever match day programme.
Friday, 25 October 2019
Pro League Memories by Ian Alexander: 2004-2005
PRO LEAGUE MEMORIES
by Ian Alexander
It was midway through the 2004 season that I was finally persuaded to visit the Princess Srindhorn Stadium for my first ever Thai League match and an introduction to the mighty Chonburi Sharks. Kick off in those days was always at 4pm on a Sunday and, after a particularly heavy night in town, I nearly managed to talk myself out of the twenty mile bus journey to Sri Racha. I also had to contend with the disdainful comments of my (English) girlfriend of the time, who could not understand why I would want to watch Thai football.
But I put all these doubts aside and took the first step on the road to a beautiful and lasting friendship. On arrival at Robinsons I met Dale and we purchased the necessary supplies of beer and crisps. We made our way to the ground on foot and I was filled in with a few important details such as players to look out for, where we were in the league, who the opponents were and what colour we played in. Inside the stadium we found two seats, without too much trouble, and settled down for a fantastic afternoon’s entertainment.
I remember the football to be exciting, if a little naïve, and the result of the first match I saw was a comfortable 3-2 victory over Suphanburi. Being a life time Southampton supporter, this was a new and happy experience for me. The bug was caught and I became a Srindhorn regular. In those days, the average crowd must have been about 80-100 people, mostly students and teachers from the college, with the odd member of the public thrown in for good measure.
One of my abiding memories of those early days is of the old lady who used to sit behind us shouting 'bang born' throughout the match - the only person who was at all vocal in their support, the rest just sat around applauding politely at various intervals. I saw three or four more games that season and thoroughly enjoyed them all. The following season was my first full season as a bona fide Sharks fan and it was also the year that Chonburi won the Thai Provincial League.
We won most of our matches that season, as we vied for the top spot with the reigning champions, Suphanburi, right up until the last game, when we were sitting in second place. Dale and I were among the twenty or so Chonburi fans who made the long journey to Nakorn Rachisima for the deciding match of the season. Although this was more in hope than expectation until we found out that Suphanburi had had points deducted during the preceding week. Neither of us were really sure why but we now knew that a win would guarantee us the title.
The team duly obliged and we celebrated with a very swift pint before starting out on the long trek home. Another lasting memory from the 2005 season was when we turned up at the usual time on the Sunday, only to find an empty stadium. The match had been played the day before, seemingly without telling anyone about this change of date. Following Thai football was never dull. I now live and work in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, but still consider myself a supporter of Chonburi and usually make it to 2 or 3 matches a season whenever I am able to get back to Thailand.
The difference in the crowd, size, atmosphere and the much more professional approach is a world away from those early days when we would joke about such things, whilst sitting on the terraces with a few enthusiastic Thais, a few Changs and many opinions. Oh, and I still have my original red Chonburi home shirt from the championship winning season.
by Ian Alexander
It was midway through the 2004 season that I was finally persuaded to visit the Princess Srindhorn Stadium for my first ever Thai League match and an introduction to the mighty Chonburi Sharks. Kick off in those days was always at 4pm on a Sunday and, after a particularly heavy night in town, I nearly managed to talk myself out of the twenty mile bus journey to Sri Racha. I also had to contend with the disdainful comments of my (English) girlfriend of the time, who could not understand why I would want to watch Thai football.
But I put all these doubts aside and took the first step on the road to a beautiful and lasting friendship. On arrival at Robinsons I met Dale and we purchased the necessary supplies of beer and crisps. We made our way to the ground on foot and I was filled in with a few important details such as players to look out for, where we were in the league, who the opponents were and what colour we played in. Inside the stadium we found two seats, without too much trouble, and settled down for a fantastic afternoon’s entertainment.
I remember the football to be exciting, if a little naïve, and the result of the first match I saw was a comfortable 3-2 victory over Suphanburi. Being a life time Southampton supporter, this was a new and happy experience for me. The bug was caught and I became a Srindhorn regular. In those days, the average crowd must have been about 80-100 people, mostly students and teachers from the college, with the odd member of the public thrown in for good measure.
One of my abiding memories of those early days is of the old lady who used to sit behind us shouting 'bang born' throughout the match - the only person who was at all vocal in their support, the rest just sat around applauding politely at various intervals. I saw three or four more games that season and thoroughly enjoyed them all. The following season was my first full season as a bona fide Sharks fan and it was also the year that Chonburi won the Thai Provincial League.
We won most of our matches that season, as we vied for the top spot with the reigning champions, Suphanburi, right up until the last game, when we were sitting in second place. Dale and I were among the twenty or so Chonburi fans who made the long journey to Nakorn Rachisima for the deciding match of the season. Although this was more in hope than expectation until we found out that Suphanburi had had points deducted during the preceding week. Neither of us were really sure why but we now knew that a win would guarantee us the title.
The team duly obliged and we celebrated with a very swift pint before starting out on the long trek home. Another lasting memory from the 2005 season was when we turned up at the usual time on the Sunday, only to find an empty stadium. The match had been played the day before, seemingly without telling anyone about this change of date. Following Thai football was never dull. I now live and work in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, but still consider myself a supporter of Chonburi and usually make it to 2 or 3 matches a season whenever I am able to get back to Thailand.
The difference in the crowd, size, atmosphere and the much more professional approach is a world away from those early days when we would joke about such things, whilst sitting on the terraces with a few enthusiastic Thais, a few Changs and many opinions. Oh, and I still have my original red Chonburi home shirt from the championship winning season.
Sunday, 20 October 2019
Five Memorable Matches: 2005-2007
1. Korat 1-3 Chonburi
Thailand Pro League 26th June, 2005
Having already sealed promotion by thrashing Pang Ga 8-1 at Srinthorn the week before, we journeyed to the north east knowing that a win would see us crowned Pro League champions. Having taken the lead midway through the first half, Chonburi were pegged back 4 minutes later when the home side equalised. However, Nikorn Anuwarn eased a few jangling nerves right on the stroke of half time by restoring our one goal advantage.
As the second half progressed the travelling army of 15 were becoming more and more anxious, as the orange shirted home team poured forward in search of the goal that would deny us the title. Fortunately, a strike by Panawut Janta seven minutes from time eased our fears and we could start celebrating our first major trophy win and look forward to life among Thailand's elite.
2. Chonburi 1-3 Thai Port Authority
Thailand Premier League 28th January, 2006
After a wait of seven months we finally got to taste life in the newly structured Thailand Premier League. And how sweet it was. Five minutes into the brand new season, Piopob On-mo had put us in front. We were going to walk this league. Unfortunately two hours later, life wasn't so good. We had been beaten 3-1 by a much better team and learned a few harsh lessons about how tough life was going to be among the big boys.
TPL Record P1 W0 D0 L1 F1 A3 Pts 0
3. Tampines Rovers 3-2 Chonburi (AET)
Singapore Cup Final 26th November, 2006
We were the first overseas club to reach the final of the Singapore Cup. And we twice came within a few seconds of being the first to win it. Goals on 74 minutes by Pipob On-Mo and 76 minutes by Arthit Sunthornphit had sent the 20 visiting fans, plus a few thousand ex-pat Thais into raptures. 2-0 up and looking comfortable. What could possibly go wrong? Whether it was inexperience, nerves or sheer exhaustion Chonburi seemed to stop playing in the last quarter of an hour and this allowed Tampines back into the game. A strike by Aliff Shfaein on 84 minutes was followed by a Santi Chaiyaphuak goal in the dying seconds and the game went into extra time.
Reduced to nine men after the sendings off of Kafoumba and Adul Lahso, we hung on until deep into injury time only to concede a heart-breaking third goal when penalties seemed the likliest outcome. It was a bitter pill to swallow but even this cruellest of defeats can't take away the fact that it had been a memorable weekend. I'll tell you all about Palmy's half time concert and the second half being delayed by 15 minutes due to goalkeeper, Badra Ali's, visit to the toilet another time!
4. Chonburi 3-2 Thai Honda
Thailand Premier League 5th May, 2007
A reasonable start to the season saw Chonburi sitting in 3rd place after 7 games when mid table Thai Honda came to visit. The decent run had seen crowds grow to about the 1,000 mark but the atmosphere at the Chonburi Municipal Stadium was still more like an English county cricket match than top flight football. But that was all to change thanks to a stunning comeback and a downpour.
We were 2-0 down and staring defeat in the face when it started to rain. Everyone in the main stand moved to the back of the terraces to seek shelter. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. All being crushed together created a sense of solidarity. The chanting and singing started and, on the field, the players responded. From what had seemed a hopeless situation we were now level and looking for the winner. Roared on by the fans, the team launched wave after wave of attack. When the third goal came it was greeted as if we'd just won the World Cup. A great match and terrace culture had arrived in Chonburi. It took the rest of the country a while to catch up.
5. Chonburi 3-2 Krung Thai Bank
Thailand Premier League 21st November, 2007
This was to be a remarkable occasion and will live long in the memory of those lucky enough to have been there to witness it. ESPN/Star Sports along with all the Thai news and sports channels had despatched film crews to record the event for prosperity. They weren't to be disappointed. Over 10,000 people, double our regular attendance, had somehow squeezed into the Chonburi Municipal Stadium and the atmosphere was (oh, go on) electric.
The match certainly lived up to its billing. In spite of missing an early penalty Chonburi had surged into a two goal lead by the break and were looking good to make history as the first provincial club to win Thai football's biggest domestic honour. Our chances were further increased when the visitors were reduced to ten men. It was within our grasp now. Of course, it wasn't to be that simple. Feeling that they had nothing to lose, KTB threw everybody forward in an effort to salvage something from the game and keep alive their own faint hopes of lifting the trophy.
This new bold attacking policy paid off, and soon not only were they level but they were looking the likelier side to go on and win it. With my nerves, and those of 10,000 other Chonburians, in tatters the coolest man in the ground, Pipob On-Mo took it upon himself to put us all out of our misery by firing home a late winner. The crowd erupted and the celebrations began in earnest with firecrackers and flares being let off in every part of the ground. The final whistle prompted a good natured pitch invasion and we had done it. CHAMPIONS!!! A fitting end to what had been a wonderful season.
Thailand Pro League 26th June, 2005
Having already sealed promotion by thrashing Pang Ga 8-1 at Srinthorn the week before, we journeyed to the north east knowing that a win would see us crowned Pro League champions. Having taken the lead midway through the first half, Chonburi were pegged back 4 minutes later when the home side equalised. However, Nikorn Anuwarn eased a few jangling nerves right on the stroke of half time by restoring our one goal advantage.
As the second half progressed the travelling army of 15 were becoming more and more anxious, as the orange shirted home team poured forward in search of the goal that would deny us the title. Fortunately, a strike by Panawut Janta seven minutes from time eased our fears and we could start celebrating our first major trophy win and look forward to life among Thailand's elite.
2. Chonburi 1-3 Thai Port Authority
Thailand Premier League 28th January, 2006
TPL Record P1 W0 D0 L1 F1 A3 Pts 0
3. Tampines Rovers 3-2 Chonburi (AET)
Singapore Cup Final 26th November, 2006
We were the first overseas club to reach the final of the Singapore Cup. And we twice came within a few seconds of being the first to win it. Goals on 74 minutes by Pipob On-Mo and 76 minutes by Arthit Sunthornphit had sent the 20 visiting fans, plus a few thousand ex-pat Thais into raptures. 2-0 up and looking comfortable. What could possibly go wrong? Whether it was inexperience, nerves or sheer exhaustion Chonburi seemed to stop playing in the last quarter of an hour and this allowed Tampines back into the game. A strike by Aliff Shfaein on 84 minutes was followed by a Santi Chaiyaphuak goal in the dying seconds and the game went into extra time.
Reduced to nine men after the sendings off of Kafoumba and Adul Lahso, we hung on until deep into injury time only to concede a heart-breaking third goal when penalties seemed the likliest outcome. It was a bitter pill to swallow but even this cruellest of defeats can't take away the fact that it had been a memorable weekend. I'll tell you all about Palmy's half time concert and the second half being delayed by 15 minutes due to goalkeeper, Badra Ali's, visit to the toilet another time!
4. Chonburi 3-2 Thai Honda
Thailand Premier League 5th May, 2007
A reasonable start to the season saw Chonburi sitting in 3rd place after 7 games when mid table Thai Honda came to visit. The decent run had seen crowds grow to about the 1,000 mark but the atmosphere at the Chonburi Municipal Stadium was still more like an English county cricket match than top flight football. But that was all to change thanks to a stunning comeback and a downpour.
We were 2-0 down and staring defeat in the face when it started to rain. Everyone in the main stand moved to the back of the terraces to seek shelter. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. All being crushed together created a sense of solidarity. The chanting and singing started and, on the field, the players responded. From what had seemed a hopeless situation we were now level and looking for the winner. Roared on by the fans, the team launched wave after wave of attack. When the third goal came it was greeted as if we'd just won the World Cup. A great match and terrace culture had arrived in Chonburi. It took the rest of the country a while to catch up.
5. Chonburi 3-2 Krung Thai Bank
Thailand Premier League 21st November, 2007
This was to be a remarkable occasion and will live long in the memory of those lucky enough to have been there to witness it. ESPN/Star Sports along with all the Thai news and sports channels had despatched film crews to record the event for prosperity. They weren't to be disappointed. Over 10,000 people, double our regular attendance, had somehow squeezed into the Chonburi Municipal Stadium and the atmosphere was (oh, go on) electric.
The match certainly lived up to its billing. In spite of missing an early penalty Chonburi had surged into a two goal lead by the break and were looking good to make history as the first provincial club to win Thai football's biggest domestic honour. Our chances were further increased when the visitors were reduced to ten men. It was within our grasp now. Of course, it wasn't to be that simple. Feeling that they had nothing to lose, KTB threw everybody forward in an effort to salvage something from the game and keep alive their own faint hopes of lifting the trophy.
This new bold attacking policy paid off, and soon not only were they level but they were looking the likelier side to go on and win it. With my nerves, and those of 10,000 other Chonburians, in tatters the coolest man in the ground, Pipob On-Mo took it upon himself to put us all out of our misery by firing home a late winner. The crowd erupted and the celebrations began in earnest with firecrackers and flares being let off in every part of the ground. The final whistle prompted a good natured pitch invasion and we had done it. CHAMPIONS!!! A fitting end to what had been a wonderful season.
Wednesday, 2 October 2019
Tuesday, 1 October 2019
Friday, 27 September 2019
Football Siam Thai League Review: 2004/2005
The Football Siam Thai League review magazine and free VCD of all the goals from 2004/2005.
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