Suphanburi

 

Suphanburi FC
Ground: Suphan Buri Provincial Stadium
Capacity: 15,000
Club Founded: 1997
League: Thai League 3 West (current level)
 
Suphanburi FC had a spell as one of Thailand’s football big hitters before investment ran out and the club was left to rebuild, relying on its loyal fan base.

 
Suphanburi FC Club History
 
The Early Years
 
Formed in 1997, the War Elephants joined the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) run Thailand Provincial League the following year. They finished as runners-up in their debut season before becoming champions twice, which saw the club progress from the regional competition to play in the Thai Premier League (TPL) in 2006.
 
Despite being reprieved from relegation in their debut season, Suphanburi went down twelve months later. The team competed in the second tier, Thailand League Division 1, for four mediocre seasons before winning promotion in 2012 after Worrawoot Srimaka was appointed head coach and Pipat Thonkanya top-scored.

 
The Glory Years
 
Phayong Khunnaen led the team to fourth place in the TPL in 2013. Dragan Boškovic led the scoring in a talented side that defied the odds. They improved on that performance by finishing third a couple of seasons later under head coach Worrawoot Srimaka, when Sergio van Dijk finished as top scorer.
 
That meant that Suphanburi qualified for the 2016 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off rounds. However, because of AFC club-licensing requirements, the club was prevented from taking their place, as Suphan Buri Provincial Stadium failed to meet the criteria.

The Decline
 
Dellatorre scored regularly for a couple of seasons, as Suphanburi finished just below mid-table following the disappointment. Rômulo, Cleiton Silva, and Leandro Assumpção were the next forwards to excite the home crowd, while head coaches came and went regularly.
 
In 2021-22, the War Elephants lost in the FA Cup semi-final against Buriram United. Their cup form didn’t translate to the league, as the team was relegated despite Danilo Alves’s goals under Adebayo Gbadebo, who spent many years in various roles with the club.

Down to the Third Tier
 
Douglas Tardin’s goals helped the team reach the playoffs the following season in Thai League 2, but Uthai Thani proved too strong. Oege-Sietse van Lingen was outstanding when joining in the second leg of the 2024-25 season, but his efforts weren’t enough to save Suphanburi from relegation.
 
Bamrung Boonprom was appointed to coach the team in Thai League 3 West.

My visit

Suphanburi 0 Hua Hin City 0

Thai League 3 West 

👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 3,275 🎟️ Free

Suphanburi was somewhere I'd wanted to visit for some time. I knew about its football history, and the town had a tower, ticking two boxes for me. I grabbed my chance to visit as part of a 6-day solo tour using public transport and to attend one of my five matches.

I'd already been to matches in Chainat and Chanthaburi before arriving in Ayutthaya for their match against Uthai Thani the night before. The fixtures were perfect, allowing me to visit venues where I hadn't seen games before. 

I caught a minibus on Naresuan Road in Ayutthaya. The rather convoluted route took nearly two hours and cost me 100 THB. I noticed that the driver charged Thais 20 baht less. Once we reached the Bus Terminal, it was too early to check into my hotel, so I left my backpack. 

This gave me a chance to explore the town on foot, with the tower being the main attraction. I was impressed with the immaculate gardens and the views from the top, which cost 30 THB. I continued through the market to the Tha Chin River and ate noodles after checking out Wat Phra Rup.

Despite being jaded, I walked back to the hotel, where the kind young fella at reception had already turned on my air con. After a siesta, I booked a Grab taxi to drop me at Suphanburi Stadium, several kilometres out of town. I was surprised at the size of the crowd outside.

The club was offering free admission, which was a welcome surprise. They had a big kit launch a few days earlier at a store in town. At least two-thirds of those at the game were wearing the replica shirt. It looked to me like the club was making a big effort to get Suphanburi back on the football map. 

I found a seat in the busy main stand next to a friendly chap who spoke a bit of English. The game was a damp squib; literally, as it went on. Suphanburi's Iranian centre forward, Mohammad Ousani, was involved in a battle royal with Hua Hin's Nigerian defender Richest Abuzor.

At half-time I walked around the far side to see if there were any other food stalls. Because of the large crowds, the vendors where I was were overrun. The kind couple sitting behind me kept an eye on my day bag, which I placed on my seat so no one sat in it before I came back. While I was away, it had begun to pour down.

Our seats weren't protected. The wind blew the rain in and the roof leaked. The couple, who were now sheltering at the back, had my bag. Within a few minutes, the ref took the teams off after thunder and lightning. A tragedy a few months earlier in southern Thailand had seen a player killed by lightning, so stricter regulations were now in force.

The weather brought out the mosquitoes. I was not alone scratching having come out without any repellent. It really became uncomfortable, and I considered leaving. Play resumed after nearly an hour's delay. Nothing much changed. Hua Hin defended well and used gamesmanship to see out the draw.

I couldn't get a Grab taxi. Fortunately, a Bolt driver came to the rescue. I went outside the complex to the main road where he was waiting. Lo and behold, it was the same man who also drove for Grab. He had changed apps to pick up a more expensive fare. I couldn't fault him.

While I always like to explore a new town after dark, I knew that I was up before 7am the next day. Instead of looking for a bar or restaurant, I bought snacks from 7-Eleven and went home to watch the superb Newcastle United v Hull City match on my Amazon Fire in my comfortable room.

The decision paid dividends in the morning. I woke up fresh and ready for the penultimate leg of my tour to Bangkok and Samut Sakhon.

You can listen to an account of my 2,200km tour on an episode of A Thai Football Podcast.