Interview With A Buriram Utd Fan: 2016

Jamie Pinder: Buriram Utd
14th April, 2016

Prologue
In the eight years I have been doing this website, I have been privileged to interview many different people connected to Thai football and beyond. Numerous chairmen, coaches, players, journalists, fans and many others have always been so helpful, willing and kind enough to take time out of their busy schedules to spare a few minutes to answer questions for my site, and for which I’ve always been extremely grateful. So, imagine my surprise - and it has to be said, disappointment - when the following, curt e mail exchange took place with a Buriram Utd fan and “journalist”, in the run up to Friday’s match:

My initial e mail:

Hi XXXXXX,

Do you know any Buriram Utd fans who would be interested in being interviewed - via e mail - for my website, ahead of the match against Chonburi on the 15th?

Here is a link to previous opposition fan interviews I've done http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/chonburifc/113109/CustomPages/view/19059

Thanks

Dale




The reply:

Hi Dale,

Sorry I really don't know anyone who'd be interested in those questions. We're not too bothered about what goes on elsewhere. Just what concerns us. Good luck, hope you enjoy the game. You will get a warm welcome, that is for sure.  

Regards,

XXXXXX

Thankfully - and in total contradiction to XXXXXX’s rather presumptuous claim that no Buriram Utd fan would be “interested in those questions” -  I did find someone who was more than happy to answer them. You can read my interview with the ever accommodating Jamie Pinder below.

Q - Please can you introduce yourself
Firstly, my name is Jamie Pinder and I've been living in Buriram for 8 years, following the team for the last 5 years. Currently, I spend 6 months of the year watching football as I am a language and skills trainer and work every other month overseas. I try to plan my schedule to arrive home on a Saturday and catch a game immediately!


Q - What were your expectations going into the season?
At the beginning of every season Buriram expect to be winning trophies. It's difficult to improve on 2015 domestically but the PLT is the main objective, of course. A good run in the AFC Champions League was a possibility but we got a tough draw and have really not performed.

Q - And what are our expectations now?
Diogo has been a big loss as has Korawit, the centre back partner to Tunez. Putting 5 past Bangkok United gave up all hope but we look fragile at the back and it's just about being held together now. If any PLT coaches watch us regularly it's easy to see where we're vulnerable (but I'm not going to tell you).


Q - What have been your impressions of Buriram Utd’s performances this season?
The team's form has been mediocre in the PLT but only by their own high standards. In the AFC, I think a tough draw and a lack of an off season didn't help. It's something that comes with being so successful. There was also the farce of players coming and going (especially the strikers) and so the coach still is struggling to find a settled team. The team will get stronger as the season progresses as they do every year.

Q - If you could give your coach one piece of advice, what would it be?
I do have one bit of advice for our coach. In the warm up, tell the players to practice hitting the target. Too often they try to practice clever shots and 9/10 miss the goal. Sadly, once the game starts the players shoot high and wide. It's 8 yards wide and 8 foot high...it's not that difficult to hit.

Q - What is the best thing about the way your club is run?
The best thing about our club is the passion of the owner and his full backing for the whole project. His aim is AFC glory in 10 years. If anyone can make it happen, then we trust that he can.

Q - And what would you like to change?
I would like to see more involvement with the fans. Rather than being told what to do, elicit fans' opinions. There is a slightly dictatorial approach sometimes. (Don't tell him I said that!)

Q - Buriram Utd seem to have everything - great stadium, great facilities, well stocked club shop, racetrack etc - but what one thing would you like to add?
If I were too add something to our product, I'd expand the merchandising to include replica old shirts and improve the match day experience both before the game and at half time. The new Buriram Castle brings people in but I'd like some entertainment, some geeing up of the crowd before the game. Also, for the midweek and AFC games, run promotions to get more people coming. Nobody likes a half full ground.

Q - And if you could change one thing, what would it be?
If I could change one thing it would be the awful kit we’ve been wearing, the pink shirts with dark shorts. It looks like we took our home kit to a game, realized it clashed with the opposition and something suggested we wear pink shirts. It just doesn't match. Even all pink would look better! That said, I do like the shirts but not as part of this kit!

Q - What do other clubs need to do in order to catch up with Buriram Utd both on and off the pitch?
The money that Buriram have makes it difficult for other teams to catch up but it's a cycle and another wealthy owner will come along and boost another team. In reality, to catch Buriram you need to see their weaknesses and play to them. Off the field, the marketing team do an amazing job. Selling so many pink shirts is quite amazing. The income that they generate is staggering. Does any other team promote itself quite so well?

Q - Be honest - Is it boring winning everything every year?
As to whether it's boring or not winning everything, I thought it might be, but it's not. For the future of Thai league football it would be good to have more competition as long as we still win! The big problem for Buriram Utd will be when they don't win. The local fans enjoy a winning team but I'm not sure how they'd react to a losing one. If one or two players move to Japan/ Korea next year, things could get interesting.

Q - What have been your impressions of the opening few rounds of the PLT?
The opening 6 games have thrown up one or two surprises. I'm sure the fans of Bangkok Glass are ecstatic right now and Chiang Rai Utd must be pretty happy too. Away to Chiang Rai Utd is always a difficult game. Hopefully these will continue and, along with Bangkok Utd and Muang Thong Utd should make it an exciting season. I'm disappointed with Suphanbri so far. They came to Buriram and played well but have been inconsistent so far. Personally, I like to see all the non-Bangkok clubs do well and am particularly pleased to see Sukhotai in the top half (John Baggio is the new superstar.) Shame we won't be going to their stadium this year. Message for PLT. Why enforce a ban on Sukhotai when Buriram Utd are coming to town? It's their biggest earning weekend!

Q - What have been your impressions of Chonburi this season?
I watched the Chonburi v Sukhotai game from the away end and that's the only time I've seen you play. Chonburi created a pile of chances but couldn't finish. I think your team has improved since then but I cannot really comment too much. Sorry.

Q - What are your expectations for Friday’s match?
I expect the game to be quite open with lots of chances but the home team will win by a couple of goals; maybe 4-2. In the Chonburi team, the centre back (Anderson dos Santos) who scored against Sukhotai looked good and dangerous at set plays. In the Buriram Utd team I think you know who is dangerous. Vamos Tunez.

Q - You missed out on our recent Tap Room discussion, so here's your chance - Where do you think the PLT/TPL will be in ten years time?
Where will we be in 10 years time. Well, the Thailand League of Premier (as it's now called) is based in Issan as all the teams in Bangkok have quit because their fan bases disappeared when gold was discovered in Kalasin making this the richest place in the world.

The Udon Down Unders are the new guys on the block, with a complete team of players with one Thai parent and one Australian parent. Each team has become a representative of their local population with the Buriam Brits still the team to beat, although they are now being run by the next generation of the Chidchob dynasty from their safe house in Kensington, London.

The Khon Kaen Canadians reflect their heritage and are still trying to convince people that playing on ice is more fun and practical in the summer. The Sakon Nakorn Swiss are climbing the mountain that is success at the newly sponsored Chang Ice Cream Cup. Finally, the Nakon Nowhere boys are still trying to locate their fathers!

Back in Bangkok and there is an attempt to bring football back but since Thai Port's PAT stadium was over taken by the rising waters of the Chao Praya River and Chonburi had to move their ground further inland, all the way to Poipet (they are now the Poipet Porpoises) there seems little chance of a revival happening.

In the real world, Buriram United have completed their 15th consecutive treble season but have not yet managed to get out of their AFC Champions League group, despite being drawn against teams from Borneo, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands.

Q - Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Finally, the away support that Buriram Utd have is as good as any English team. One advantage of being a fan is that just about every stadium is full when we play so the atmosphere is fabulous. The hardcore fans are brilliant but, I do wish we had some better songs! I guess being a Buriram Utd fan is very similar to following Man Utd back home (in years gone by). You expect to win every game and are sad when you don't. There will be a time in the near future when things change but for now, we are GU12. Buriram United til we die.

NEW!! Don’t Look Back Into The Sun 2017 - 2020 by Jimmy: 2020

Don’t Look Back Into The Sun: 2017 - 2020
by Jimmy

Still having a taste of it and not looking back into the sun I retired from the Bangkok Casual League (stopped going) and ventured forth looking for new football opportunities.

I’d dipped my toe into the Vets* football scene in 2017, while still playing for Yellow Team (who were on about their 6th name change due to sponsorship).  I loved playing with the Vets.  It was competitive, but friendly.  Old, funny, bastards who were good at football.  The only problem was, it was dying a slow death, and there were no teams to play with or against regularly.  But fear not gentle reader, for I had a cunning plan.

As luck would have it, a friend of a friend was organising a charity football tournament and I decided it would be a great opportunity to organise a team filled with the type of players I wanted to play with. Drunks, mostly. Stickboy of Stickboy Bangkok fame offered to sponsor us and we were off!

My first team! Then Bangkok got involved.  A coup or flood or something very Bangkokish happened and the event was cancelled. There I was, stuck with 12 football shirts and some sponsorship with nothing to show for it.  I felt like I had no choice but to arrange a team and Stickboy FC were born in May 2018.  We proceeded to get absolutely, 100%, rip your pants off and spank your bum hammered in our first international tournament, but by god, it was a laugh.

I like to think that our brand of care free, happy-to-take-part football encouraged others to join in with the vets, or maybe they just fancied their chances against us, but soon enough we had monthly tournaments with 8+ teams in the Vets League and we got happily spanked a couple of weekends a month.

For 12 custom football shirts to be printed costs about 13,000THB.  The two big Veteran international tournaments in Bangkok are 19,000 THB and 16,000 THB respectively.  The monthly tournaments are 4,000THB, not including the beer we drink.

This is not a cheap hobby, we needed sponsorship.  Have you ever tried to convince someone to give money to a bunch of old blokes just so that they can continue to play football together?  If you own a business in Bangkok there is a good chance I have emailed you.  Sorry about that.

I am not sure why she did, but Laura of NEM Thailand took a punt and gave us our first proper sponsorship.  In some weird crossover-collaboration, we wore the NEM shirts as Stickboy FC in the highly competitive Far East Tournament in April 2019.  Managing to lose every game and only not finishing last because the team we were due to play had a plane to catch.  However, we excelled off the field and all had an enjoyable weekend.   We repaid Laura and NEM’s faith, if not her money, by winning the Plate in June 2019 in one of the biggest Vets tournaments in Thailand.  Still not sure how we did it!

Bangkok Old Boys: 2020 
With the Vets League attracting 10 teams a month into its tournaments; Bangkok Old Boys (as my team were now known) were consistent in their enjoyment, if not the results.  We had a few trophy victories when everything clicked together and a few better-be-forgotten last places.   Our NEM Thailand sponsorship had finished and we were looking to welcome our new sponsors of ‘The Old English Pub’ and ‘Hanoi Beer’.

Then *that* happened and here we are.  All the gear and no idea when it will end.

Both international tournaments look to be cancelled for 2020 so we are all just sat at home getting fat and waiting for this to end.

I can’t fucking wait for the first tournament back.

Until then, follow us on Twitter @BangkokOldBoys or on Facebook @BangkokVets

*A ‘Vet’, in Bangkok footballing terms is a player over 35 years old

"The C-Team" Promotional Poster: 2010

An official Chonburi FC promotional poster for the league match at Army Utd on 18th July, 2010.

Ratchaburi 1-1 Chonburi - Away Days Photos: 2018

TPL

Ratchaburi 1-1 Chonburi

Mitr Phol Stadium, Ratchaburi

14th July, 2018

Dear Sir/Madam...Yours, A Disgruntled Fan: 2014

DEAR SIR/MADAM...YOURS, A DISGRUNTLED FAN
by Rob Bernard
7th October, 2014

London based football fan, Rob Bernard, had planned to take in a couple of TPL matches during his 2014 visit to Thailand - including our match against Bangkok Utd on October 22nd. However, all his carefully mapped out plans were thrown into disarray when the powers that be decided to completely rearrange the entire programme for the last six weeks of the season. Feeling slightly disappointed about this, he decided to contact the FAT/TPL. With Rob's permission, I have posted his e mail below. As far as I'm aware, he is still waiting for a reply...

Sawasdee Sir/Madam

I am a football supporter who lives in London. I usually visit Thailand twice a year. I have made this visit for the last ten years to play in cricket tournaments and to enjoy a holiday.

I have also become a big fan of the Thai football leagues. Through the internet and kind assistance of people with similar interests I have managed to attend around 20 matches right through from the Regional League to Thai Premier League. Sometimes I have seen two matches in a day. I always look forward to the football as one of the highlights of my stay.

I am visiting Thailand once again in a few weeks time. On this occasion I am bringing seven friends with me to play cricket in Bangkok as well as enjoying a couple of nights in Pattaya. All of them are football fans and were most eager to attend the game between Chonburi and Bangkok United scheduled for Wednesday 22nd October.

Plans were put in place. We were helpfully assisted by a fan of many years who hosts the English version website at Chonburi, who was obviously very proud that he could showcase the Thai Premier League and his own club to visitors from the other side of the world as he aided in organising our travel to the game and match tickets.

With this in mind I’m sure that you can feel all our disappointment that the remaining fixture list was abandoned and replaced with something very different at ridiculously short notice.

Can I please urge you in future seasons to treat your valued customers with a little more respect? I appreciate the difficulties and complexities of organising such things as I am an administrator with my own club in England; Scarborough Athletic FC. I also help to run sporting events across Asia.

However, I suggest that you consider the damage that late changes to the itinerary could do to the growing reputation of the Thai Premier League. I love the product on show. Match day experiences are something to behold, but it’s very difficult to attend games when you need time to arrange a trip when the fixture list becomes something of a lottery.

Indeed, because of the changes the league and clubs have not just lost monies from my party once, but twice as we’ve arranged to head to Singapore from the 28th October for a few days to catch S-League football action. Since we booked that trip, the TPL have scheduled a full fixture list for the 29th October. That is more money that would have gone into the Thai football economy that has been lost.

Perhaps worst of all, my friends who haven’t been to Thai football before and have been let down this time, may be reluctant to go in the future if the administration cannot be relied upon. That is more money that Thai football could lose. If they had attended their scheduled game, they would be likely to encourage future visitors to also make the effort to attend a match.

I urge you to make the fixtures for the 2015 with my observations in mind. Perhaps even schedule one Friday night match each round for TV coverage and to attract visitors to football before enjoying the rest of their evening’s while not having to vie with coverage of leagues around the world may be a good idea?

Kindest regards,

Rob Bernard

Ten (In)Famous Runners Up: 2014

Between 2008 and 2014, Chonburi finished second five times (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 &2014). Here's an article I wrote in November, 2014, celebrating other (in)famous runners up.

TEN (IN)FAMOUS RUNNERS UP
24th November, 2014

Now the dust has finally settled and I'm over my initial disappointment of missing out on both the TPL and the FA Cup titles, I feel it is time to celebrate ten of the world's greatest ever second bests. Ladies and gentleman I give you...Ten (In)Famous Runners Up:

1. Sex Pistols: God Save the Queen
In spite of a nationwide ban in the high street stores and virtually no airplay, the Sex Pistols second single was reportedly still outselling its nearest rival by 2 copies to 1. However, the UK authorities felt that such an anti-monarchy statement shouldn’t be top of the Hit Parade during the Queen’s Jubilee Week in 1977 and stepped in to ensure that it was kept off the top spot. Therefore, its official highest chart placing was number 2, with Rod Stewart’s double A side I Don’t Want To Talk About It/First Cut is the Deepest claiming the coveted number one.

2. Orvil Newton (Stuart Whitman): Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
Stuart Whitman’s character looks all set to win the inaugural London to Paris flying race in Ken Annakin’s 1965 film. However, he loses time when he stops to rescue his Italian rival Count Emilio Ponticelli from a burning plane. This show of heroism allows dastardly Englishman Richard Mays (James Fox) to claim first place. However, there’s a happy ending for the penniless cowboy, as Mays insists he shares the prize money with him and he also gets the girl (Sarah Miles).

3. Cliff Richard: Congratulations
In the sixties, Cliff Richard was already a huge star and an incredibly popular figure, with a string of hits under his belt. When he entered the Eurovision Song Contest held at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 1968, he was a big favourite with his song "Congratulations". In fact there was so much hype around his entry that he himself was convinced that he would win. However, the Spanish entry by someone rejoicing in the name Massiel, came out on top, one point ahead of the Bachelor Boy. Cliff himself has since revealed that he was so nervous during the voting process, he had to go and hide in the toilets.

4. Jean van de Velde: The 1999 Open Championship, Carnoustie
The Frenchman was the clear leader was the clear leader when he arrived at the 18th tee, needing only a double bogey six to win the tournament. He had played error-free golf for much of the week and had birdied the 18th hole in the two previous rounds. Despite holding a comfortable three-shot lead, Van de Velde chose to use his driver off the tee, and proceeded to drive the ball to the right of the burn. Rather than laying up and hitting the green with his third, he decided to go for the green with his second shot. His shot drifted right, ricocheted backwards off the railings of the grandstands, landed on top of the stone wall of the Barry Burn and then bounced fifty yards backwards into knee-deep rough.

On his third shot, Van de Velde's club got tangled in the rough on his downswing, and his ball flew into the aforementioned burn. Undeterred, he took off his shoes and socks and stepped through shin-deep water to try to hit his ball out. Ultimately, he took a drop and proceeded to hit his fifth shot into the greenside bunker. Van de Velde blasted his bunker shot to within six feet from the hole, and made the putt for a triple-bogey seven, dropping him into a three-way playoff with Justin Leonard and Paul Lawrie. Lawrie would eventually triumph in the playoff, leaving Van de Velde as joint runner up.

5. Niki Lauda: 1976 Formula One Championship
In spite of suffering horrific injuries following a crash in the West German Grand Prix, the Austrian driver was back behind the wheel only six weeks later to resume his battle with Britain’s James Hunt for the title. Amazingly, Lauda missed out on the championship by just one point, after being forced to retire in the final race in Japan. I can still hear Radio 2 co-commentator Barry Sheene shouting "It's Lauda. It's Lauda" as he identified the driver pulling out of the race and I listened beneath the bed sheets in the middle of the night.

6. Steve Davis: 1985 World Snooker Championship
Davis whitewashed Irishman Denis Taylor in the first session and won the first of the second session to lead 8–0, before his opponent won the ninth frame on the pink. Taylor then won six of the seven remaining frames to trail only 7–9 overnight. Going into the final session, Davis won two of the first three frames to lead 11–8, before Taylor levelled the match at 11–11. Davis won the next two frames on the final black to lead 13–11, before Taylor again drew level at 15–15. Davis then won the next two frames to lead 17–15,  only for Taylor to once again achieve parity at 17–17 and force the deciding frame.

The 35th and final frame lasted 68 minutes. At one stage, Davis led 62–44, with only the last four colours on the table. Taylor stayed in contention by potting the brown, the blue and the pink.This meant that the title would be decided on the very last ball, the black. After a few safety shots and near misses, Taylor left Davis a fairly easy pot. To everyone's surprise, Davis missed, leaving Taylor a fairly straightforward pot on into the same pocket. This time the man in the funny looking spectacles made no mistake and sunk the black ball to go ahead for the first time in the final and win the championship.

7. John Hurt: The Elephant Man
An astonishing performance by Derbyshire born actor John Hurt in David Lynch’s remarkable film about Victorian “human curiosity” John Merrick, would surely have won him the Best Actor award at the Oscars any other year. However, he was up against the mighty Robert DeNiro – who had reportedly gained and shed 60 pounds to play another real life figure, boxer Jake LaMotta. The good people at the Academy Awards decided the New Yorker had done enough to claim top prize and Hurt was left disappointed.

8. Su Pollard: Opportunity Knocks
The Nottingham born actress became of the UK’s best known and best loved TV stars when she found fame as Peggy Ollerenshaw in the 1980’s BBC1 sit-com Hi-De-Hi. However, her first on screen appearance in 1974 ended in disappointment. After a lovely rendition of I'm Just A Girl Who Cain't Say No, she was beaten into second place on the Hughie Green hosted talent show Opportunity Knocks by a singing Jack Russell Terrier! What's he doing these days?

9. The Beatles: Decca Records
On the 1st of January, 1962, The Beatles (with Pete Best on drums) were auditioned by Decca record producer Mike Smith at their London recording studio. After the session, Smith informed them that he would discuss the tapes with label executive Dick Rowe and would let the group know of their decision in "a few weeks". Eventually, Decca Records rejected the Liverpool based Beatles and chose Brian Poole and the Tremeloes - who had auditioned on the same day - because they were local and would require lower travel expenses. This is quite possibly the biggest mistake in the history of popular music. Or even the biggest mistake anyone has made...ever! Oh, Mike! Oh, Dick!

10. Colin Smith (Tom Courtney): The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner 
In Tony Richardson’s 1962 film adaptation of Alan Sillitoe’s book, Colin Smith is a young offender from Nottingham who ends up in borstal. His only release from the “World’s Troubles” is to run. This talent leads to the prison governer taking Colin under his wing and training him up for the big cross country race against Ranley – a local public school. On the day of the race, Colin quickly identifies Ranley's star runner ( James Fox – again!) as the proud Governor looks on. Colin soon has a comfortable lead but – after a series of flashbacks highlighting how grim his life really is - he stops running a few yards short of the finish line. He looks directly at the onlooking Governor with a rebellious sneer as Fox’s character passes to cross the finish line as the winner. The Governor is intensely angry but Colin has proved his point; it's better to finish second and keep your principles, than to win and have none.

Interview With A Thai Port Fan: 2015

My interview with Port FC fan, Dominick Cartwright, from 19th September, 2015.

Q - What do you think are the main reasons for Port's poor form this season?   
Essentially no continuity.

Q - Would you welcome relegation if it gave you the chance to rebuild away from the glare of the TPL and have the opportunity to win a trophy?
That’s a very big if, I don’t think relegation would give us a chance to rebuild. Port’s first relegation in 2012 was a tragedy grown men cried, small children bought Muangthong shirts essentially the worst day in Port’s history. We are “a TPL side” another relegation would massively dent that. That happens everyone starts saying, are we going to turn into a yoyo club like Navy or BBCU? It’s the kind of thing that can only hurt any real long term rebuilding. If a majority of players stayed at the club for 3 or 4 years it could being an easier way to rebuild but we all know they don’t. Each year 80% of clubs see 80% of their players switch sides it is a massive merry go round that only pleases agents and just leaves everyone else confused pre-season. If we were in Division One again I can’t see any real positives for the club the only thing to look forward to would be some new grounds to go to.

Q - What are your thoughts on Madam Pang's takeover and her reign so far?
Long story Madam Pang bought control of the club in a 5 year rent a club deal when Port were ready to sell. The Port Authority Board put together a team at the beginning of the season aiming not to get relegated and that never works. They saw an opportunity to offload responsibility of the club and grabbed it with both hands. I’m not a massive fan our glorious leader but I think if the PAT board were still in charge we’d be bottom of the table with a thinner squad and we’d be booking our early bird flights to Krabi away. This being said if our budget is so big why did we buy a third rate keeper from ailing TOT?

Some of the mid-season buys were good Rochela and Wuttichai have both impressed.  Vincent just played his first TPL game after getting injured in his second outing in the FA Cup. After some great games Siwakorn is out with a fairly serious injury. Siwikorn and Vincent are good TPL level players their injuries have seriously hurt Port.  Jirawat has had some good games, Sompong is not as good as he was and he wasn’t that good even then. Apart from Rochela and Wuttichai these aren’t the big names you’d expect from a Multimillionaire wanting to stamp her name all over the club. We have a giant Billboard of her peering over the ground with the successful Thai Women’s squad. It just makes me think where’s our successful squad? Like our very own chairman Mao the biggest change she has brought to the club is her own photo everywhere.

The most significant problem at Port is 4 managers in 22 games. This is never going to help any team. What’s even more worrying is the type of manager she has brought in. Apart from Gary Stevens the other two have been poor Paiboon was a stop gap solution who didn’t seem to know what first 11 to choose. Paiboon and Somchai are clearly there because they are grateful for the opportunity and are ready to follow exactly what Madam Pang wants. The current manager has made some poor selection choices. If they were Madam Pang’s ideas then he will stay but at this rate we are about due another manager. I think we will see another one they will be heralded as the great hope to save us from relegation and build for next year then they will be sacked 3 weeks after the end of the season whatever happens. 

Q - What are your thoughts on Gary Stevens' brief reign and sacking?
I think Gary summed it up well in Paul Murphy’s article for ESPN, he was told he would be judged on the results with the new players then was sacked before he got a chance to play them. I would have still backed him he made the right choices with a poor squad to choose from.  He should have been given a chance to build some continuity. I don’t think he or anyone else could have done any better with that squad. Gary’s running on the pitch with a Port Shirt and standing shoulder to shoulder with the players at the end of match sing song meant he was a real Port favourite.

He’s got to be in a very exclusive club being one of the few  ex-managers to be cheered by both of his ex clubs at the same game. At Army v Port he was signing shirts at both ends of the ground. Nice bloke, wish him all the best. He was in Zone B at Port on Wednesday good to see him back at the PAT.

Q - What five items would you put into a Port FC Museum?
That’s a great question I’ll try to limit my answer. I’m assuming Trophies are already there in cabinets. And there’s a massive photo of the man who started it all Major Prachuap Suntranakul. The founder of the club who decided that any decent Port Authority needs is a football club.

1) Tor’s Thai Port Lion costume. The massive furry Lion costume and a few photos with Tor running about at PAT. “Tor” the man behind the furry faced Lion lives and breathes Port he loved being the Thai Port Lion. I think wandering around the ground with this week’s Thai Port pretties and being on the pitch getting the crowd fired up really made it his dream job. He was steward at the Muangthong game on Wednesday really hope to see him back in the suit next season.

2) The Scarf with all the Port badges. I bought this fan made scarf with 6 badges on it 2 months ago it shows the acceptance of all the changes at Port, there is a picture of fans on the other side very fitting showing somethings change only the fans are a constant.

3) Sarawut’s boots that scored the winning goal against Air Force to put us back in the TPL. Sarawut had a tough time of it under Dusit he didn’t get that many games but he never lost his spirit everyone saw that. You always knew in Sarawut there was a player who would run himself into the ground for Port. For him to get the winning goal that promoted us was the Hollywood ending to that game.

4) In one corner of the Museum there should be the Thai Port Importz badge that Frostie desgined ages ago. I like to think slowly the Thai Port fans have come round to the fact we are here to stay not just a few random tourists and we have become a part of the club.

5) Finally in the Museum as you wander around a museum assistant should at random moments hand you a small glass of Oat’s home brewed Yaa Dong which you have to down in one. Random friendly gestures as standard, welcome to the Thai Port experience.

Q - Port Authority of Thailand, Thai Port, Taa Rua, Singhtarua, Port FC, or one of your own?
Either “Thai Port” or “Taa Rua” for me. The club has been loved and disowned by different people at the Port Authority each new group that has come in has tried to stamp it’s name and brand on the club.

Q - Many fans consider PAT Stadium to be an intimidating place to visit, is this true or a myth put around by mischief makers trying to introduce a bit of spice into Thai fan culture?
It is intimidating but this only goes so far, if it’s not backed up by some decent play on the pitch the atmosphere loses its bite. With the up and down form of the last 5 years I’ve seen it affect away teams but only when the game is still in the balance. At the beginning of the 2014 season when we were top of the league and Leandro was banging in the goals the ground was buzzing. It still has that buzz for some games Muangthong Wednesday had it but as form slips away some of the atmosphere is lost.

Q - Which teams do you most look forward to hosting at the PAT and why?
Munagthong is obviously the biggest grudge match it will be a nice contrast this week to have seen Muagthong Wednesday and host Chonburi Sunday. Chonburi is a different atmosphere fans mix more than any other game and all the shouting is left on the pitch. Like playing footy against your brother’s team. Of course the stadium is always packed out for Buriram too. Buriram visit Port last game of the season this year I just hope both teams don’t need points from that game and we can both enjoy it.

Q - What are you expecting from Sunday's match?
I’m expecting a loss hoping for a point.

Q - Who do we most need to look out for?
Kanye Vincent is back and looking to prove he is worth a starting place he will be going the extra yard on Sunday. Wuttichai is scoring regularly but both are not getting enough service with Siwakorn out of the team and Ekkapoom having a poor year. Look out for Saruta skipping past players on the right wing and Vincent running into the box as if his life depends on it.

Q - What are your thoughts on Chonburi's season so far?
The poor form early doors surprised me but after talking to yourself and other Chonburi fans no one was positive about how things were going to turn out this season. 4th place isn’t a poor show but I know Chonburi fans were hoping to challenge for the top spot again so this is no consolation. Last year was great but it showed Chonburi need to just push on that little bit further and make an effort to finish games off and remember to bribe every linesman. Something significant will have to change if Chonburi want to challenge Buriram again. Not just a new manager but real investment at all levels from the youth team to the Tea lady or Som Tam lady. Unfortunately this season it looks like the club is heading in the other direction.

Q - Which Chonburi players are you most wary of and why?
Thiago is always a threat but as a Chonburi fan I would be most wary of him too his leaving could see things fall apart. Be wary of agents sitting in the stands pricing him up and wondering which club wants to buy him most.  Dos Santos is a great player solid at the back and adds options going forward. But I’m most wary of him because he managed to annoy Lee Sang Ho so much that he got him banned and made me lose my temper more than any other incident at Port.

As I was leaning over the railings questioning his parentage and Thai fans in Zone B were saying “jai yen yen Dom” you know you’ve lost it when Zone B fans are telling you to calm down. If he got our new star defender Rochela sent off I think it might spark a one man pitch invasion. Fortunately Rochela is a class act and is more likely to be busy looking after Thaigo.

Q - Do you have a message for the visiting Chonburi fans?
Welcome to PAT lets watch footy, drink and sing songs about how much we hate Muangthong.

Senate's Sports Committee Food Donation Project: 2011

Senate's Sports Committee Food Donation Project
3rd November, 2011

In late 2011, Thailand suffered from some very serious flooding. At the time, four Chonburi players were training with the national squad. Here's an e mail I received from Nin, a regular correspondent, who asked me to publicise how the quartet had been helping with the flood relief in Bangkok.

Dear Dale,
I've been working with the Senate's Sports Committee in Bangkok organizing a food donation for the 1,500 evacuees who are temporarily living at the Sports Authority of Thailand.

We have been doing so much work and it has just been so wonderful to help people in need. We've had support from many sides, as well as the national team players from Chonburi FC who devoted 2-3 hours of their own time preparing and cooking the noodles. They just volunteered to help out, which was very generous.

Therdsak's house has  been extremely flooded but he still insisted to help cook!

So I was wondering if you would be able to post these pics on your site as a way to publicize what these kind players (Therdsak, Pipob, Sinthaweechai and Ekaphan) have done for the public. Something short and simple would be more than perfect.

Regards,
Nin

On The Road - Bangkok FC: 2014

On The Road - Bangkok FC
30th April, 2014

Stadium
72 Years Anniversary Stadium, Bang Mod

Transport
Car from SriRacha

Cost
About B300 on petrol plus B250ish on tolls.

Travelling Time (total journey)
4 hours and 40 minutes (including a couple of stops)

Total Distance Travelled
245kms

Match Ticket
B100 - in the main stand. It was B150 in the away stand behind the goal.

Programme
Nope.

Club Shop
An area under the stand had been kitted out with a couple of shelves and tables. They were selling all the usual merchandise.

Away End
An open terrace behind one of the goals. As is usually the case at grounds with running tracks, the fans were a long way from the pitch. As none of us were wearing colours, we decided to sit in the main stand. It was B50 cheaper, you got a reasonably comfortable plastic seat, a roof over your head and a good view of the match. A much better option.

Staff
Didn't really have much contact with them but the two blokes who checked our tickets and stamped our arms seemed friendly enough.

Food
Plenty of stalls selling the usual fayre. We bought some sausages from the vendor outside the main stand. Sadly they were cold and not very appetising. I'm sure they were also responsible for my mad dash to the toilet a few hours later. Although I wouldn't swear to that in a court of law!

Beer
Big bottles of Leo cost B60. You could also take it into the ground, as long as it was in a plastic cup or bag. Now for the bad news...Alcohol wasn't on sale inside the stadium compound so you had to buy it from a stall on the road outside. This meant a long trek to and from our seats whenever we needed a top up  - which was quite often.

Highlight of the Day
Finding the ground and arriving in plenty of time for kick off. There's always a risk involved for these midweek games when you have to make a mad dash from work - especially when you hit Bangkok during rush hour.

Overall Experience
I enjoyed it. It's always fun going to a new ground. And, of course, we won.

Interview With The Blogger: 2017

My interview with Australian football writer, Pablo Bateson, from November, 2017.

What changes have you seen in Thai football over the two decades you have been living here?
I have seen so many, it's difficult to know where to begin. The most obvious one is the amount of coverage the local game gets now. Back then, it was extremely difficult to find any information about the league, even in Thai (language). Now we have so many people writing about every aspect of the sport. The crowds are up too. Even though 2017 has seen a drop in the overall average attendance figures, there is no comparison to when I first started going. You'd get a few dozen fans turning up and away travel was virtually unheard of. I'm proud to say that my club was largely responsible for introducing football fan culture to Thailand.

We started travelling in large numbers back in 2007 and our home gates of 1500-2000 were far and away the biggest in the country. The clubs are more professional now and merchandise is a big part of the game. This certainly wasn't the case up until fairly recently. I think another major difference is the number of foreigners attending league matches and writing about their experiences.

For my first few years, the only other foreigner I saw at matches, apart from my mate, Ian, was Robert Procureur. He was the man largely involved in the rise of Muangthong United and now involved at Ratchaburi. Robert was working as an agent back then and would often turn up with three or four hopefuls in tow. Now most Thai clubs have a reasonable ex-pat following, thanks largely to the 'boom' in 2009 and the aforementioned amount of coverage in the media.

How long have you been associated with Chonburi FC and what is your current role?
I've been supporting Chonburi since 2002, when we were a below average Pro League team, attracting crowds of a few dozen. I currently run an independent English language website www.clubwebsite.co.uk/chonburifc which I started in 2009.

What has been the biggest highlight for you at Chonburi?
In 2007, we became the first provincial team to win the Thai Premier League (TPL). This was pretty special and it was undoubtedly the catalyst for the big changes we've seen in the league over the past ten years. I will also mention the FA Cup win in 2010, the Pro League triumph in 2005, the 2006 Singapore Cup semi-final and final and the 3-1 rout of Melbourne Victory in the group stages of the AFC Champions League in 2008. All very memorable events. I hope I don't have to wait too long until the next one!

How satisfied have you been with the performances of the team this season?
Not at all. This is without doubt the weakest Chonburi squad in my 16 years supporting the club. There are many reasons for this, but it is sad to see. We'll need to improve rapidly if we don't want to face another season of mediocrity next year and lose even more fans. Unfortunately, I don't think the management has the nous and awareness to handle the current crisis and feel it will get worse, barring a minor miracle.

What is the relationship like between the fans and team?
The players are always available to chat to the fans and that is really appreciated. However, the relationship between the senior management and the supporters has soured somewhat recently.

We used to be a really tight knit club, but for some reason, the bond has been broken and this has led to many long-term followers turning their backs on the Sharks. In the present circumstances, it's difficult to see how they can be encouraged to return. Very sad.

Are you concerned that a gap has been created between the big two clubs of Buriram and Muangthong with the rest of the league in terms of ability to be champions?
I don't think it's healthy for any league to have the same two clubs dominating year in, year out so yes, I am concerned. However, it's up to the others to raise their game in order to match the so called 'Big Two'. Strangely, I do remember writing a letter to the Bangkok Post back in 2008 when it looked like Chonburi would dominate for a long time. That seems ridiculous now, so things do have the capacity to change. Let's hope it's sooner rather than later.

I think Bangkok United and Chiang Rai United are not that far behind and their appearances in this year's cup finals is a sign that the stranglehold may not last much longer. Fans of Buriram and Muangthong probably won't agree, but for the good of the domestic game, I hope that this is the case.

What are the greatest strengths and weaknesses of the Thai league?
The strengths include cheap ticket prices although the cost has gone up considerably in the past couple of seasons. For accessibility it's easy for the fans to get close to the players. There were lots of goals in 2017. You see very little trouble at Thai matches and generally the relationships between 'rival' fans are good. It's usually a good day out, regardless of what happens on the pitch!

The weaknesses include poor overall management and refereeing standards, and players time wasting and feigning injury.

How long before Thailand is a realistic chance to qualify for the World Cup finals?
Under the current qualification system, a long time. Even though they have made improvements in the past few years, they still fall short when it comes to being able to compete with the top Asian nations. I was lucky enough to have watched Peter Withe's national team back in the late 90s and I don't think the current lot is as good as they were. However, if FIFA goes ahead with its proposed plan of increasing the number of nations (to 48 teams) at the World Cup finals, then the Thais chances of qualifying will also improve.

What are the long-term aspirations for Chonburi FC? 
The club is very proud of its academy and the long-term goal now appears to be to build a squad that is made up of mainly of homegrown players. Whether we'll ever be good enough to seriously challenge for honours again, remains to be seen. Many fans accuse the management of lacking ambition and, whilst the youth policy is one to be applauded, their reluctance to invest in quality, proven players and especially foreign signings is worrying. I guess staying solvent is also another aspiration. The boom period in Thai football is well and truly over, so many clubs are finding themselves in a difficult situation financially. We are certainly one of these clubs.

Do you have long-term personal goals for your involvement in football?
I'd like to keep my website www.clubwebsite.co.uk/chonburifc going for as long as possible. This is my ninth year and I still enjoy it. However, coming up with fresh, interesting content is now a big challenge. Luckily, the vast majority of people involved in Thai football are always willing to give their time for interviews, opinions and so on. And for this, I am eternally grateful.