Sisaket

Sisaket FC was a professional football club from the town of the same name in Thailand’s northeastern region of Isan, that was formed in 1999.

The club was formed by the Sports Authority of Thailand to play in the Provincial League, which was the third tier of football at the time. SSKFC went on to become the inaugural champions.

By 2007 ‘The Dangerous Koupreys’; a kouprey being a wild bovine animal of the region, found themselves competing in the second tier Thai Division 1 League, from where they were relegated to the Regional League. Head coach Chartkla Subsongpol had been appointed the previous year. 

The club kept faith with him as he led the side to runners-up place in Group B and promotion back to the second level. Success continued for the fans at Sri Nakhon Lamduan Stadium as Sisaket finished the 2009 season in third place and won promoted to the Thai Premier League with Piroj Anantanarong finishing as the top scorer.

Somchart Yimsiri took over as team boss in what was to prove to be a rather turbulent season. SSKFC finished in the relegation play-off spots, with Freddy Marinho, Kim Kyung-Ju and Wisoot Wichaya all coming and going as head coach. The team came top of their relegation play-off to remain in the top flight thanks in part to the goals of Piyawat Thongman. 

Englishman Dave Booth was appointed to lead the side for the 2011 season, but he was replaced a few weeks in by the Brazilian, Royter Moreira. The club was known on records as Sisaket Muangthai FC as they finished safely in the twelfth spot with Wuttichai Tathong and Victor Amaro finishing as joint top scorers.

In 2012 the local Sisaket government decided to back the newly formed club Sisaket United FC in the third-tier Regional League North Eastern Region. Sisaket FC decamped to Ubon Ratchathani and changed their name to Esan United FC.

Moreira was replaced by Phayong Khunnaen and then Paniphon Kerdyam during the season, as the team finished in sixth place with Tana Chanabut banging in the goals after being signed from Police United. However, the joy at such a credible finish was to be short-lived.

It was found that fake documents had been used to legitimise the move to Ubon Ratchathani along with the name change. The club was suspended for the season and returned to Sisaket and their former title while retaining their Premier League place for the 2014 campaign.

Former Thai international midfielder Chalermwoot Sa-ngapol took charge of the team on their return home. International forward Sarayuth Chaikamdee scored the goals as SSKFC finished in twelfth place.

Ekkapan Jandakorn skippered the team in 2015, in a season which saw Adefolarin Durosinmi lead the scoring charts as the Sisaket finished in thirteenth spot. However, a fine run in the League Cup almost ended in glory.

Pattaya United and Police United were among the sides disposed of as Sisaket reached the final, where they were up against Isaan neighbours Buriram United. SSKFC went down to a solitary goal at Bangkok’s Suphachalasai Stadium.

The 2016 final league position mirrored that of the previous season. Božidar Bandović had started the campaign as head coach before he was replaced by Masahiro Wada with Anton Zemlianukhin finishing as top scorer.

Former Thai international defender Dusit Chalermsan took control of the team for the commencement of the 2017 campaign in the rebranded Thai League 1, before being replaced by Velizar Popov by March. The Bulgarian’s reign was also short lived as he had resigned by August.

Former English Premier League forward Leroy Lita spend the season at the club without really producing the goods. Mariano Berriex was leading scorer with Chalermwoot Sa-ngapol in charge of the team as they were relegated to League 2.

Robert Jose da Silva was charged with the task of trying to regain Sisaket’s top-tier status, but he was soon replaced by Somchai Chuayboonchum.

My visit

Sisaket 0 Nakhon Ratchasima 3 (Wednesday 13^th June 2018) League Cup Round One (att: 651)

My twelve day holiday to Thailand had been in the planning stage for a while when I arrived at work for early shift a couple of weeks before departure. I was like a little lad on Christmas morning as the draw for the Thai League Cup was about to be made.

I’d attended the 2017 final the previous November with Steve Walker, but this was to be different as I would be travelling up country alone to a town I’d never been to before. Dale down in Chonburi had been a help as ever in the build up.

He started sending me the translated draw through as it was made live on Facebook. I kept trying to grab a look, but I hadn’t a clue what was going on. Some cynics would say that I had plenty in common with those conducting proceedings.

My plans were to take in cities in Isaan for part of the trip, so I was overjoyed when the draw pitted together two sides from that region. The capacity of the stadium meant that tickets wouldn’t be an issue. It was time to start booking rooms and transport.

Forward to Wednesday 13^th. I’d arrived in Bangkok the previous morning in adventurous mood and spent the day sleeping, at the local snooker hall, eating and even having a game of bingo before a few beers in Minburi with Steve.

There was something about the Sudtong Club where we settled on the main drag. It didn’t have an extensive range of beers or luxurious facilities, but to me it was proper Thailand. Cheap prices, reasonable snacks, live music, friendly folk and set by a duel carriageway. I loved the place.

In fact, I loved it a bit too much, staying on after my pal and then awaking a bit the worse for wear at 5.30am. My flight wasn’t until 9am but traffic could be terrible during the Bangkok morning peak, so it was better to be safe than sorry.

The hold-ups could be worse than ever at the time as in many places a lane of traffic had disappeared while the sky train extension was in progress. It was some herculean job, but it would surely eventually ease the congestion a little?

I began to perk up after some comfort food. My flight was on time and I was very excited. As I noted at the time, I could be visiting places where little English was spoken, or indeed written. This merely added to the thrill.

My flight was to Ubon Ratchathani from where I decided on taking a taxi to the railway station. It was a choice between train or bus but being a railway worker meant that there could only one real option.

The fare to Sisaket, or Si Sa Ket as it was also listed, was about 30p in sterling. I had around an hour to wait, so I bought a bottle of water and watched the world go by on the platform. I was attracting some attention.

The transport police came over for a chat. One of their colleagues photographed us from across the tracks. They were most friendly and asked what I was doing and heading. When I said Sisaket, they said “why?”.

I explained I was going to the football which surprised them. They seemed to have trouble getting their heads around it. I don’t suppose that they’d come across many overweight backpacking fifty-plus-year-old Yorkshiremen going to watch Sisaket play?

As it turns out I noticed signs on the route and then between Sisaket and Surin the following day warning of people trafficking. Perhaps the police thought that was my game? The nearest I got to that was organising mini buses to watch Scarborough.

I’d also infamously helped form and lead the Beer Battered Seadogs Cricket Club on three brief tours of Bangkok, Pattaya and Hua Hin, for which I was still receiving counselling, but people trafficking? No thanks?

The welcome from everyone had taken me back. A young lady had been most helpful in the ticket hall. In fact, my one slight disappointment was that I was all geared up to use some very basic Thai when everyone spoke decent English.

The station at Ubon Ratchathani was in itself uplifting, at least to someone involved in the industry back home, where saving money comes above customer service. Here there was a ticket office, first class lounge, toilets, reasonably priced stalls, lots of staff and police.

I’d been told that my train was cheap as it was a local service, but I’d have smiled if they put me in an open truck. There’s something about Thailand that does that to me. Not everyone speaks English, but they smile. It’s only natural to reciprocate. How are we getting it so wrong in the UK?

Anyway, I digress. People packed all manners of items on board. Vendors went up and down the train. I opted for a bottle of water and a piece of barbecued chicken on a stick. It certainly beats paying £5 for a pastie!

The journey took an hour. It was stifling hot as I arrived in Sisaket; a town seemingly dominated by market stalls, at least on either side of the railway tracks. I walked the ten minutes or so to the Boonsiri Boutique Hotel, my place of rest for the night.

I’d read that taxis were rare in the town, so I inquired at reception as to whether it was possible to book me one to take me to the match, as the stadium was on the outskirts. The young lady said it was no problem and it would be there at 5pm.

After a siesta my room phone rang to tell me that my carriage was awaiting. What excellent service! I explained to the driver as well as I could where I wanted to go. He nodded and headed off in the correct direction according to my previous research.

It was normal to see scooters with fans wearing team shirts on the way to matches in Thailand. Therefore, I was a little concerned not to encounter any as the stadium floodlights appeared on the horizon.

I needn’t have worried. I was at the right place and the game was kicking off at 6pm. It was just that I was early. 100 Baht (£2.20) secured me a seat near the centre of the covered stand. There was time to have a look around before that.

I managed to gain access to the stand behind the goal to take some photos, where I came across a couple of local ultras taking their banners and drums upstairs. Again, broad smiles were the order of the day.

It was obvious that the early kick off time would affect the attendance. Many were still at work. I was slightly shocked that only 20 or so fans had made the journey from Korat to cheer on Nakhon Ratchasima. It was a case of choose any spot as the teams warmed up.

The Sri Nakhon Lamduan Stadium was a typical multi-purpose arena as seen around Thailand with an athletic track around the pitch. Stands formed a horseshoe shape on three sides, with the Main Stand a lone structure with a roof and seats over the centre section.

The home side were the underdogs but started well with their Brazilian number 10, Cristiano looking very talented on the ball. Two WAGS of Brazilian appearance came into the stand as the crowd gradually built.

Cristiano brought a good save out Swatcat keeper Todsaporn Sri-reung, who was on loan from Police-Tero in the second minute with a long-range shot. The main noise came from the far side and the few behind the goal as the sun quickly dropped.

The locals sang a song which had a resemblance to Belinda Carlisle’s, Heaven is a Place on Earth. While Cristiano was good with his feet, he missed an easy chance to score with his head midway through the half as he glanced at a perfect cross from Nattaphol Sukchai.

Nakhon Ratchasima put together their first meaningful attack when Phaitoon Nontadee went on an excellent run beating several players to pull back to Veerapong Korrayok, who contrived to hit the side netting with his shot.

Natthakit Insao also reached the byline for the hosts before teeing up Pongsak Boonthot, whose weak header was easily dealt with just past the half-hour mark. It was a similar story a few minutes later as Igor Luiz fluffed a headed chance from a Wongsaphat Silahirunrath free kick.

The visitors went 1-0 up a couple of minutes before the interval, when Nebojša Marinković went on a fine run that was nodded home by Phaitoon Nontadee to the joy of the gargantuan figure of Ratchasima’s Serbian coach Miloš Joksić.

Swatcats continued where they left off, as they were the better side for the fist ten minutes after the restart. Sisaket looked to get back into the game, with Cristiano missing another sitter with his head.

However, the hosts were offered a lifeline when the referee awarded them what looked like a very soft penalty after sixty-seven minutes. Justice was seemingly done as Cristiano blasted the spot kick at least ten yards over the bar.

The Koupreys had their danger extinguished a few minutes later as they were made to pay for their miss. A fine ball saw the defence go missing as Leandro Assumpção waltzed through to double the lead.

The Brazilian added another soon after with a fine run and beautiful chip over home custodian Pornchai Kasikonudompaisan which received well deserved applause from all around the stadium.

Confidence seemed to drain from the Sisaket players. Fortunately, the visitors realised that their job was done and didn’t inflict any greater damage. There was still time for the hosts to come close twice before full time.

An awful clearance from the Swatcat keeper saw the ball returned into the area, where Cristiano saw his effort blocked on the line. The same player hit the bar with the last action of the game after a Methanon Sutthasen was nodded into his path.

The match was certainly a tale of two Brazilians. Sisaket’s Cristiano could have been the hero, but instead it was Ratchasima’s Leandro who left with the plaudits. I’d thoroughly enjoyed it all. Click here to see a brief clip. Now it was time to find my way back.

I hadn’t risked asking the driver to return in case the match went to extra time. I mean how was I meant to explain the permutations to him in Thai when he’d dropped me off? With no taxis around and the crowd heading away, it was time to get my daily steps in.

It was still very warm as I walked south before taking the main drag back towards town. I was relieved to come across a 7/11 half way up Thanon Khu Khan to take on board a toastie and a Gatorade.

I’d read that there may have been a lively bar near the bus station, but I didn’t find it if there was. Instead, I stopped for a beer in a bar called Stand By, which had an indoor area which seemed to be popular with well-dressed locals.

I was tired and needed a shower, so I headed back to my hotel and started watching some of another England ODI victory over Australia. While this was naturally satisfying, I hadn’t planned for weeks in advance to sit in a hotel room when there was exploring to be done.

After a change of clothes, I headed along Ratchakan Rotfai 2, busy with people working on the night market stalls and past the station, where I’d read reviews for a bar called Cuckoo’s Nest. I walked all the way without locating it. Not to worry, as I had a plan B.

Hotel Prompiman was said to have a bar, club and snooker hall. It was time that I found out. Sure enough, this looked like the place to be in town. I took a seat at a vacant table and was soon enjoying a large bottle of Chang in an open-fronted place with I-Bar club across the yard.

The service was excellent with the waitresses filling the glass as it emptied. On reflection, it may well have been the not unattractive female staff wearing figure-hugging dresses advertising the popular brew that persuaded me to have another.

I settled my tab and was mulling over a visit to the nightclub when a couple of local fellas beckoned me over. They insisted I drank with them. Being the perfect diplomat and tourist, I concluded that it was the least I could do.

It transpired that one of the fellas was in the army as he showed me photos of him in full uniform and on parade, followed by images of his family. I was praying that his phone didn’t have too much storage as I made my excuses and went across the way.

It had been some time since I’d been clubbing, but my memory told me that the bouncer hadn’t smiled and welcomed me the same way as was in evidence here. Entry was free and drinks were sensibly priced.

People stood by tables and were served, but they seemed fine with me going straight to the hatch and paying. Again, I was getting smiles from everyone. A very decent local band had the place rocking, which can be seen below.

It was definitely bedtime a couple of large bottles later. A local had tried to strike up a conversation when I first tried to order a beer, but the music was too loud and I wanted to take everything in.

The same fella saw me as I was having a look at the food on the busy street stall. He seemed a friendly chap and insisted on giving me a lift back to my hotel, even waiting while I popped into 7/11 for snacks.

Somehow, I couldn’t imagine that happening in the UK? It summed up Sisaket and its wonderful smiling people. It wasn’t the most aesthetic of towns but the locals more than made up for it. I wouldn’t hesitate to return.

Incidentally, I later discovered that I was on the wrong side of the railway for my originally intended place of lubrication, so I would have to wait for a return trip. Maybe for a Sisaket United match? I wouldn’t need to have too many excuses to see so many smiles again!

I could not have possibly predicted living in the province as a married man within six years.