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Chasing Promotion
In 2022, APD competed in the Thailand Amateur League, failing to progress from their initial group. In 2023-24, the side went out at the first stage of the Thai FA Cup on penalties after a 1-1 draw with Romklao United, with the game being played at Thupatemi Stadium.
It was around this time that the club moved into the former CK Stadium east of Minburi and renamed it APD Football Arena, with its main pitch and a smaller one behind being ideal for developing players.
Recent Times
United, like many clubs, transferred to the Thonburi League for the 2025 season, where they were placed in Zone D.
My visit
I had done some filming towards the latest video for my YouTube Channel at the Port game, while the Sunday match offered me a chance to go to a place and competition that few others cover.
I was slightly disappointed that they weren't still playing at the old Nong Chok stadium with its big stand, as I still needed to tick off my ground list. It had previously been used by BEC Tero Sasana, and I had visited it after an AUU Dream Team home game on the pitches next to it.
Getting to ADP United
Setting off from home, I took a songthaew to Minburi Market, bought a selfie stick to help with my filming, found a nice location by the San Seap Canal, had a coffee and then caught the 526 bus towards the ground for the afternoon’s entertainment.
A lady already onboard told me I was on the right service, confused as I was when we went into the market and out again. She spoke good English and told me all about her job working at a hotel in the city, and how she wanted to retire.
We arrived at the stop I required, opposite Ploychompoo Village on Thanon Rat Uthit, on the road to Nong Chok, which required me to cross the footbridge over heavy traffic. I can only put it down to the hot sun and not being able to see my Google Maps screen clearly, which is why I wandered down the wrong lane.
A Kind Local
It would have been around ten to fifteen minutes down the correct road, but this error could mean that making kick-off time at 3pm would be tight. However, a local man driving to go fishing saw my predicament, stopped and told me to get into the back of his car.
He assumed I was looking for the indoor Bangkok Arena at Nong Chok, so he was somewhat surprised when I asked him to stop so I could walk back along Soi 56 to the ground, which was visible a couple of hundred metres up.
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Club Location
Flooded Road Mishap
It was complete negligence on my part to make such an error, as I had walked down Soi 56 previously with my mate Steve in the hope of seeing a game in the Bangkok Premier League at the then CK Stadium.
We were within the sound of the players who were warming up and the referee's whistle, but the road was badly flooded. My pal said under no circumstances was he taking his shoes and socks off to wade through, in fear of snakes from the open fields on either side. Some folks have no commitment whatsoever.
Fortunately, that day, Vaughan was also joining us in his car and could drive us elsewhere for our Sunday fix. Back to the present, on a scorching hot afternoon, I was immediately taken by the APD Arena.
Local Demographics
Sure, the pitch seemed extremely narrow, but there was a viewing balcony behind the far goal above the changing rooms, which would be ideal for watching the action from. Team dugouts and a camera gantry were squeezed along the side of the pitch by the road.
Nong Chok’s population is 90% Moslem, so it was no surprise that while the venue had a shop selling snacks and a small kitchen that was knocking out traditional Thai food, it did not sell beer. It ended up being a water and bags of crisps day.
The youngsters of the club, still too young for adult action, had turned up to cheer on ADP. The coach of the visiting side arrived late in a fluster and told his players not to enter the pitch on time, with there being just ten minutes before the appointed start.
He had “coach” emblazoned on his back just so everyone knew how important he was. As it transpired, the game started just a few minutes late. The BSL team had prepared better than their mentor and were in the ascendancy from the start.
It seemed a bit crazy for players to warm up at the interval in 35-degree temperatures, but that’s what some did, while a couple cooled down by entering the lake behind the far goal to retrieve the footballs put there with stray shots.
APD came back out with real intent, making a couple of notable changes in the form of two African forwards. 27 was big and menacing, suddenly causing the BSL rearguard some real issues. They were tested as much as the referee, who I thought handled proceedings pretty well.
Small pitches and big blokes, naturally, lead to more incidents in my experience. It was tense anyway in the heat, when Suradet and the visiting number 9 were involved in an altercation off the ball, which I didn’t see.
The coach was incandescent. He really was having a grumpy day, screaming at the ref to issue a red card and not the yellow, which he probably got right. Neither player looked for revenge, which is often the case if an injustice is served, so it seemed about right to me.
The other APD sub, A Wisdom, was tripped in the box. I thought it was a penalty, but the official waved away the claims, most likely sick of some players, particularly the many non-Tais on show, trying to referee the game themselves. A clear dive from the inappropriately named Wisdom, at least on this showing, was also ignored.
The home side had built up a head of steam and equalised
when a free kick wide on the edge of the box was headed in by 19, despite an
attempted clearance off the line. The home fans were jubilant, swinging on netting
high above the goal.
The game could have gone either way after that, as attempts went in on both goals. Perhaps the best chance was missed by 69 of BSL, who was played in but blazed his shot across the goal. In the end, 2-2 was about the right result.
Returning Home
An ice cream man arrived with perfect timing, offering cool refreshments to eat while walking along the lane, whose memories came flooding back to me, though not literally on this occasion, as I headed back to the main road.
My good lady wanted food to be bought on the way home, so I tried without luck to order a Grab taxi. A ridiculously packed songthaew took me to Minburi, where I jumped out on Ramkhamhaeng Road, spotting Chomran Boat Noodles Restaurant opposite.
A cold beer was in order while I finished filming the last bits for my video production before a Grab was finally secured, driven by a nice young chap from Surin. He dropped me off at Five Star Chicken near home, which was apt as he was applying for a job with the company.
A fine day indeed, including passing a snooker cue
factory in Minburi which supplies some of the world's stars, including Ronnie O’Sullivan,
a good game at a decent venue, and then top food with some EPL action on TV.
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