BEC-Tero Sasana

 

BEC-Tero Sasana FC 

Ground: Boonyachinda Stadium

Capacity: 3,550

Club Founded: 1979

Club Dissolved: 2017 - Merged with Police United to become Police Tero FC in 2018

BEC-Tero Sasana was one of Thailand's most successful football clubs for a while, before a change in ownership and losing their home ground led to their merger with Police United to become Police Tero FC.

BEC-Tero Sasana Club History

Early Years

After a few years of playing cup football, while known as Sasana Witthaya School, the club joined the Thai League in 1996. It was at that point that the club's founder, Mr Worawi Makudi, came to a deal with the Managing Director of BEC-TERO Entertainment Co Ltd, Mr Brian Marcar, with the club being renamed FC Tero Sasana. 

The following year, BEC-World Public Company Limited got involved with the club, with them changing their title once again to acknowledge the fact. The 'Fire Dragons' reached the FA Cup Final and entered the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Champions League after finishing third in the league. 

Nong Chok Stadium

Champions of Thailand

Jason Withe, son of former Aston Villa and England striker Peter Withe, took over the coaching reins and led Tero Sasana to the TPL title in 2000. He moved aside, and Thai, Pichai Pituwong's side retained the title. The club finished TPL runners-up for the following two seasons and then appointed Englishman David Booth as coach.

He was followed by two Frenchmen, Regis Laguesse and Christophe Larrouilh. Around this time, the club played at their Nong Chok Stadium, 5km northwest of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Links with Arsenal FC were also developed, with their famous traditional shirts adopted for the first team.

Stadium Moves

In 2010, the club moved its home games to the Thephasadin Stadium in central Bangkok. At the same time, they appointed Peter Butler, the former West Ham and Southend United midfielder. 

A few runner-up places in the league were accumulated before Payong Khunnaen was made head coach. At the same time, Yorkshireman Andrew Ord was running the junior second string. Following a takeover of RBAC Mittraphap FC based at Rattana Bundit University, that club became known as RBAC BEC Tero Sasana or R-BEC for short. 

Thephasadin Stadium

This side fielded young up-and-coming players for the first team. Ord carried out a good job, while Khunnaen was judged to have underachieved, so they swapped positions for the start of the 2012 season. Sven-Göran Eriksson had a spell at Tero in an advisory position.

The club moved out of Thephasadin Stadium at the end of the 2013 season, taking up residence at 72nd Anniversary Stadium in Minburi in the east of Bangkok, as new coach Stephane Demol was appointed.

72nd Anniversary Stadium in Minburi

Decline in Fortunes

The 2015 season kicked off with the Portuguese, Manuel Cajuda, as head coach at Tero before Božidar Bandović tried his best to get something out of the team as the side struggled and eventually finished in the final relegation spot.

However, owing to the financial situation at Saraburi FC, who ultimately folded, Tero stayed up, Tero were reprieved. Uthai Boonmoh was given the job as head coach before being replaced by former Manchester United youth player Mike Mulvey. 

In 2017, the club were taken over by the Royal Thai Police, who merged them with their own club, Police United. The club name change was not recognised that season, but in 2018, the club changed their name to Police Tero Football Club.

My visit

At 72nd Anniversary Stadium, Minburi

BEC Tero Sasana 1 Bangkok Glass 1

Thai Premier League - Sunday 1st November 2015

👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 4,066 🎟️ 100 THB (£2.40)

My holiday was coming to a close with just two days remaining. I’d had a brilliant time, but I was still eager for more. I had a great chance to tick off a difficult ground to get to, and I wasn’t going to miss the chance.

After a nice, relaxing morning, I waited to take a bus at a stop on Sukhumvit near Soi Cowboy, out to Fashion Island to meet my mate Steve. Many buses came past, but not the 501. In later years, I would also come to realise that it is an irregular service on a Sunday.

It was time to use my ingenuity and local knowledge. I walked the mile or so up Soi 23, through Prasanmit University, to the pier on the Saen Saep Boat Service up the main canal of the city. My boarding onto the boat got a few looks from the locals, but I was on. The conductor came around and gave me my 16 THB ticket.

Steve and I had previously used this service from Bangkapi to the Mahattai stop to go to a Thailand Under 21 match at Rajamangala Stadium. This ride was much longer and more enjoyable. It’s a relaxing, cheap way to beat the traffic while seeing some interesting sights.

Bangkapi Mall was as busy as ever. I walked through the shops and over the bridge in readiness to take a bus when Steve rang. He was already at Fashion, so I jumped in a cab for the rest of the way.

We enjoyed a coffee and a bit of shopping before we went to his house in Minburi to relax. Sean and Tracey arrived as they were staying with Steve and Fah before moving into their nearby new home. After a nap, it was time to head to the game.

We walked through the village to Sam Wa. My pals told me that there wasn’t much in the way of food at the stadium, so I topped up at the 7/11. The taxi driver knew the way to the 72nd Anniversary Stadium, which included going up the main Suwinthanong Road and doing a U-turn to reach Khum Klao Road. The driver dropped us at the back of the Main Stand.

From the outside, the white walls of the stand gave a very good first impression. The two club mascots were greeting fans. The junior Tero fans were giving the Glass rabbit some real stick, and he couldn’t get away. Stands were giving out gifts and advertising sponsors' products, and there was lots of food on offer. Much to the amusement of my friends! 

We wandered around the stand to the far side, giving me some great views of the two large stands through the fence. A free programme with the match ticket was a nice touch. More catering stands were located just before the entrances. 

The popular choice seemed to be the beer that came in a club bucket. I stuck to a Coke. The facilities inside were the norm for a Thai stadium. We found seats around two-thirds up and level with the penalty area to take in the view. The Main Stand opposite us had a roof like a racing car spoiler over the central section and red seats. 

Our large open bank was made up of the usual wide and steep steps, which were perfect for sitting on. The Glass visiting supporters were further down the touchline. Neither end had any spectator accommodation, with the pitch surrounded by a running track.

The teams came out to a good ovation. Before kick off, the Tero players came across to their massed support. I had been told in advance to wait for the club song. The fans sang a dirge that lasted far too long to the tune of ‘I am Sailing’. I suppose it could have been worse if Rod Stewart had turned up to sing it, but each to their own.

The home side was struggling towards the wrong end of the table and really needed something from the game. Glass were placed comfortably in fourth place, but without a chance of lifting the title. Tero’s fans certainly knew how to get behind their side, but they were silenced after just six minutes when BG’s Japanese forward Goshi Okubo finished well. 

Glass’s number 11, the Spaniard Toti, was running things with his skill and clever passing. Fodé Diakité was doing his best to stem the flow at the back for Tero. BEC were in the game but didn’t really look like scoring as the game reached the interval. Some young females, a few rows down from us, were giving the referee and opposing players plenty of abuse. 

Manuel Cajuda, the Tero manager, obviously had words with his team at the break. They came out brighter, and within five minutes, they were level, thanks to a strike from the edge of the box from Rangsan Viwatchaichock. The place went berserk. Glass looked dangerous on the break, but it was Tero who looked the most likely to grab a winner. 

They pressed on until the end, but it was not to come. A draw was probably the right result. Before we went, the home fans gave an encore to their team, who stood respectfully, and quite probably bored stiff. Both teams, as customary, applauded their opposing set of supporters.

It was now time to try to get back to Minburi. The massed crowds wandered round to the narrow, long street that led up to Khum Klao Road. A small van took fans back to Minburi, but it was already packed. There was no sign of any taxis.

We started to walk up the main road when an open-back van with a couple of Tero fans sitting in the back stopped for us. All four of us jumped in with the tipsy fans. We held on tight over the speed bumps. It was an interesting way to leave a match. We jumped out at the junction with Suwinthanong Road.

Before too long, we managed to hail a cab. The driver was a bit grumpy about taking four of us, but on he went. My pals dropped me off in Minburi, on the main Sihaburanukit Road. I was in two minds whether to go for a beer at my favourite local bar or head back into town. 

I thought about taking a bus straight to the end of the road where I was staying, but in the end I plumped for a cab ride straight down to Asoke to have a relaxing final drink of the evening and fish and chips on the way home. It seemed a perfect way to end a long day, and I needed some energy for the boy’s day out in town to follow on the final day of my holiday!