The Futera is Bright in North Bangkok
I guess I’m the sort of bloke for whom the phrase, more clubs than Jack Nicklaus was invented. The truth is, I love football and go out of my way to have a good day when going to a match. Over the years, I’ve grown fond of many clubs, whether just passing through for the day or going to watch them regularly.
This might be because the locals have gone out of their way to give me a warm welcome, or the atmosphere at a game has been superb. Sometimes it’s the quality of the nearby pubs or a town that has captured my heartstrings. On other occasions, it might be because a mate supports a particular team, and I don’t like seeing them sad.
In my later years, I cannot understand the mentality behind the pleasure that some derive from baiting others over a football result or things going wrong. As for anyone who describes this as being "only banter", well, I would ban them from social media or stadiums for a year. Those, along with any wronguns who I cross paths with, are welcome to suffer at full time every week.
As a traditionalist, Futera United are everything that I should dislike. They are a club run on the 3Web, digitally, and they embrace cryptocurrency and NFTs, which are tokens purchased by those wishing to become holders, or members, in old money. Essentially, Futera is fan-owned, but in a modern way that can lead to old-school football fans screaming. They have a huge following online and sell a ridiculous amount of merchandise, appealing to the younger generation, rather than crusties who turn their hog out if a club doesn't issue a programme.
The club appeared on Talksport’s Hawksbee & Jacobs afternoon show on a feature about trading cards, as Futera is a company that produces them, and is the finance behind the football club. Their holders can have their say on tactics, selection, formations, kits, and lots of other things. There are Futera NFT holders all around the world who watch their matches live on different streaming services. How far the club can go remains to be seen.
I first met founder Mark Watson at a game in March 2013, when the original club, Futera Seeker, played in the old third-tier Thai Regional League Central West Region. I went to an away game, and Mark let me in behind the scenes to see how matchdays operated. I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing.
Back then, holders could vote and offer their input during a game. Mark monitored it all on a laptop in the press area and then contacted the coach on the bench by walkie-talkie to implement changes while the match was in progress. Unbelievable if I hadn’t experienced it with my own eyes.
Seeker went alone, before Futera United was reborn, starting in the lower divisions of the amateur Bangkok Premier League. They entered the FA Cup, losing 3-0 away to Sisaket United in 2022-23, which was a credible result against a side that would reach the Thai League 3 playoffs a few months later.
The club entered the Thai Semipro League the following season, and again in 2024-25, which is where they were the beneficiaries of extra promotion places being available. As Futera is run well, they went up in third place, despite finishing below less organised outfits, making the Bangkok University Stadium their home ground as they re-entered professional football.
The story was one that I loved, with the sheer positivity and having the confidence to think outside the box, especially in Thailand, a country notorious for being stuck in its ways. It led me to make a video about it all for my YouTube channel.
The start of the 2025-26 season was tough, despite scoring plenty of goals, owing to a leaky defence, poor game management, and some goalkeeping best forgotten about. It’s fair to say that some refereeing decisions not awarded were also a reason for their indifferent results. It would be their fifth match before they picked up a point, going on to draw twice more. The most recent of which was against the only side below them on goal difference, Singburi Warriors, despite dominating much of the game.
The reason that I can describe much of the above is that the Thai League, through the telecom company AIS, shows every single game live free of charge on TV through a box which is cheap to get hold of, or on their App. I generally watch the afternoon Futera game in our local pre-match pub of choice, before heading off to watch Sisaket United or Rasisalai United. It’s a magnificent service.
Anyway, with me heading to Bangkok with my wife to meet up with friends before flying to Chiang Mai to celebrate my sixtieth birthday over a cricket weekend, I decided it was time for Futera to get my support in the flesh, joined by my good mate Jarvo, over from the UK and going to his first Thai football game.
What we experienced was one of the more bizarre games of football I've seen in Thailand, and there have been plenty to choose from. Three sending-offs in the first half, eight goals, and the woodwork being struck six or seven times, in a game that both sides were desperate not to lose.
The visiting goalie, Rungarun Sumala, was shown a red card in the second minute, after he handled outside the box to deny a goalscoring opportunity. He stood motionless, not quite believing what was happening. How ironic, when attending a game featuring the most modern of clubs, that we were about to be treated to something that took me back to when I think football was better.
Chaos reigned, as Saraburi didn’t have a goalkeeper on the bench. In the end, it was decided that the captain and defender, Yuttapong Srilakon, would go between the sticks after a delay of over ten minutes, as he added to the indignity of Rungarun by changing into his pink shorts and socks. Bureaucracy gone mad, especially when he then donned a yellow shirt that clashed with the colour worn by the match officials. A shout of “get on with it” was aired, which meant that another expat was in attendance, or a Thai had spent the summer at Headingley.
Whatever Yuttapong’s respective qualities are in defence remained to be seen, but it's fair to say that he wasn't great as a goalkeeper. He fumbled the weak resulting free kick, allowing Pharanyou Sawatpakdee to tap in from close range. The stand-in tipped a shot over the bar, before it was 2-0 once the corner was swung in as Nattawut Jandit pounced at the back post. We purred with delight at what we were about to receive.
There have been great memories of makeshift goalies being heroes over the years. Vinnie Jones for Wimbledon at Newcastle, Bobby Moore for West Ham against Stoke, saving a penalty from some bloke called Bernard, and of course Mitch Cook’s heroic performance replacing broken leg victim Kevon Blackwell for Scarborough away at Scunthorpe. This was not to be another to add to the list.
Play meanwhile in Bangkok’s northernmost suburbs was getting tetchy. Referee Dassakhon Hokla wasn’t particularly covering himself in glory, with his weak match management. He sent off home player Songkhun Khongsukko and away man Nitibodin Makot for a set-to, which involved nearly everyone on the pitch. There were fifteen minutes of additional time at the end of the half. Sarankrit Artwichien extended the lead in the third, with a fine low finish.
I was certainly not short of material for my Roving Report for A Thai Football Podcast. The one dampener was that owner Mark was away on business and missed the match. I’m sure he would have enjoyed sitting in relaxed mode in the stand. It was great fun, with ice-cold Leo’s lubricating the larynx regularly.
The second half was wide open as the match ball collected splinters coming back repeatedly off the post and bar, with the keepers at both ends well beaten. Sarankrit made it 4-0 seven minutes in, before a fifth was added by substitute, Kawee Deesawat, with around twenty-five minutes remaining.
Credit to Saraburi, who were cheered on without much restraint by a healthy turnout, despite requests to respect the passing of Queen Sirikit. They continued to plug away and had a couple of decent efforts saved before the break, before they got one back through Nattapoom Naya three minutes from time. He added another four minutes into stoppage time, with one wondering what might have been if they had penetrated the often-unreliable Futera defence earlier.
It was excellent entertainment all told, albeit not a great advert for a professional league at times, as time seemed not to matter. A vital win for Futera, in a battle to secure safety, which would mark a decent return and something to build on, while their association with the PSW Academy continues to flourish.
A Grab taxi arrived to take us away, as one had delivered us at the splendid Bangkok University Stadium and campus earlier. More enjoyment followed after a ride on the BTS Skytrain with a proper catch-up and plenty more beers at a couple of bars at Lat Phrao.
Pretty much
the perfect day out until Mark messaged me with the desperately sad news that
the father of Futera player, Sarawin Sungkhao, had been killed in a road
accident, while thought to be on the way to the match, being a supporter who rarely missed a game. This
article is dedicated to the players, families, and all at Futera United.
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