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Showing posts with label Amateur Football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amateur Football. Show all posts

Tuesday, 14 April 2026

Old Blood

Old Blood FC is an amateur football club, based in the Sam Wa district of northeast Bangkok, that was formed in 2020 as an academy. The club introduced an open-age side that entered the Thonburi League in 2026, being placed in Group D. 

They also entered the Semipro League for 2026, with hopes of being promoted to the Thai League 3, with home games being played at Ratchakram Stadium, where PTU Pathumthani plied their trade.

My visit

Old Blood 3 CNT Anubis 1 
Sunday 5th April 2026
Thonburi League Group D 
👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 c25 ðŸŽŸ️ Free

My wife and I had flown back to the capital in a rather dishevelled condition, following a long drink with friends following the completion of the Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes. I’d also been to Chiangmai United v Rasisalai United to round off a very long day.

Despite nursing a horrific hangover, I wasn’t going to refuse an opportunity to get out and about when back at Hat Hai Rat. My luck was in. Just one match was being played in the league all weekend, and it was at a ground I’d not previously visited. Even better, it was just a ten-minute cab ride away.

I’d arrived by taxi with soft drinks and snacks at Old Blood Stadium and academy, focused on serving its local community in northwest Bangkok. They seemed to have got it right on this showing, with their senior team going top of their group in the amateur competition, playing good football against a decent away side.

The away keeper made a good stop from Old Blood’s number 20 in the opening exchanges before Phonput put his side ahead, tricking the goalie at his near post after ten minutes. The lead was doubled in the twenty-fifth minute when Prachya scored a superb goal, bending his effort into the top corner from distance. 

Anubis had older players on show. Their 21 was tall, skilful and rangy. The keeper was a bit too smart for his own good with his feet, leading to some frantic defending on a hot afternoon, with an occasional pleasant breeze, as planes descended into Suvarnabhumi in the distance.

After an hour, Anubis pulled a goal back, before the hosts extended their lead again when Jack’s saved shot was followed up by Phonput. The away side continued to press but found themselves exposed at the back. Harry’s sublime skills set up Peath, who was denied by some brave goalkeeping.

The excitable Harry, who picked up a yellow card for a daft challenge, continued to torment his opponents, while what seemed like an endless supply of volunteers ran around carrying out tasks, at the properly organised club, which went top of their group with the win.

It was a wonderful experience as a visitor. Small covered seating areas to watch from, a warm welcome, a pitch-side open-fronted restaurant and bar, a TV showing the previous night’s FA Cup, plus it has changing rooms at a venue close to the people it serves. I would most certainly return. 

At full time, I went for a short walk back along Thanon Thai Raman from the ground back to Hat Hai Rat before catching a taxi back towards home. I alighted at the 7/11 at the end of our village to buy khao moo daeng for tea from an excellent outdoor stall. Unbelievably, two Old Blood players were already sitting down and getting stuck into their meal!

My brief report from the match and my reflection on the experience that fans will encounter can be heard on the episode of A Thai Football Podcast.



Bangkok AFC

Bangkok AFC is an amateur league team that originated from the Bangkok Football Academy (BFA), which is currently a member of the Thonburi League. In the 2026 season, they used the MRTA Football Field on Rama IX. 

The side reached the quarter finals of the Thonburi Champions League in 2024, where their hopes of honours ended against Thonburi University, before being defeated by Kratoomrai Academy in 2025 after a fine campaign in Zone C.

My visit

Bangkok AFC 3 Minburi City 1
Sunday 22nd March 2026 
Thonburi League Group C 
👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 c25 ðŸŽŸ️ Free

My latest delve into the Thonburi League during a visit to Bangkok saw me enjoy a very pleasant couple of hours watching an amateur game near the city centre, where Minburi City, a team I used to go and see, were in action. A good game too in the searing heat with goalmouth action and plenty of skill.

The Thonburi League is a competition, nominally at level 5 in Thailand, along with a couple of other self-run regional leagues. Some teams use the competition to prepare for the regional Semi-pro League, from which the winners are promoted into the regional Thai League 3. Thai Leagues 1 and 2 are national.

It is a well-run competition, with plenty of teams on each of its five equal sections, divided according to location. Admission is free at games, and all the venues are of reasonable quality, with every game having a full team of officials. 

Rolling subs are permitted until the final ten minutes of the game, which protects against the heat and ensures everyone gets a decent game. Something for the English FA to ponder so that players don't continually move from club to club in the quest for a regular run. It certainly gave me plenty to report on for my updates to A Thai Football Podcast.

This match started with Minburi looking far better than I remembered previously, with an African coach at the helm. However, fielding three 15-year-olds from their academy owing to absence would prove to be their undoing.

The first of which, a goalie was completely out of his depth, something the BAFC players quickly sussed after what looked like a harmless shot from outside the box from the number 9 found the net. 

Chaos ensued when the second goal crossed the line despite the best attempts of a defender and the woodwork to keep it out after another goalkeeping fumble. I had a good view of proceedings from one of the raised open bleachers, after being invited to sit there by Bee, the Minburi City club manager. 

When the club was formed, I’d bought a team shirt. When I attended a game in the old Amateur League, the club presented me with a cap and all kinds of souvenirs. Therefore, on this occasion, it was lovely to be remembered and welcomed by Bee, who was surprised by my appearance. 

He was filming the game, which featured a team predominantly made up of Africans, and asked me why I wasn’t wearing my shirt. I explained I was now living in Sisaket but was staying at our Minburi condo, when the fixture caught my attention and fitted perfectly into my plans. 

Back on the pitch, the amiable, larger-than-life coach, who looked to me for support and some kind of suggestion in exasperation at his team’s failings, had replaced the goalie. The new one was more experienced, but not great. I empathised greatly with my new friend!

After the drinks break, it was 3-0 when a Bangkok player went clean through. They should have added to their tally, but too many players started showing off their range of tricks rather than getting the job done, as can often occur if a team senses they have an easy win on their hands.

After the break, a mixture of luck, desperate defending, unorthodox goalkeeping, and some clever forward play saw Minburi perform much better. They got a goal back and then saw the BAFC make a couple of good saves, while another shot thundered back off the bar. 

A player arrived with fifteen minutes to go, got changed and went on. If he had been there earlier, it could have made a big difference. Overall, I really enjoyed myself in excellent company, as well as ticking off a new ground for me in the MRTA Fitness Park, which carried the fitting title of the ‘Stadium of Spirit’. 

It was nicely set out with a huge lake behind one goal and the backdrop of the city at the other end. Post-match, I headed off to my second game of the day, which turned out to be an amazing occasion as Police Tero took on Sisaket United, while I was among the incredible away support.

My YouTube video captures my experience from the game


Thursday, 19 March 2026

SK 46 Stadium

SK46 Football Field, as the name suggests, is a football venue in the Sai Mai district of North Bangkok, located at the bottom of Soi 46 off Sai Mai Road. Any club can hire the ground, as was the case when I visited for the first time.  It sometimes hosts games in the Thonburi League as well as countless friendlies.

Two-storey buildings on two sides containing academy classrooms, VIP rooms, changing rooms, a fitness centre and even a cold tub, gave it an enclosed feel. It is home to the Prataungtip FC academy, in collaboration with Pratuangthip Wittaya School, as well as being the base of Chiang Rai United in the capital. 

It has floodlights atop concrete telegraph poles, with high netting hanging from them all the way around the pitch. This is a common feature at Thai amateur venues, and while it can be like watching a game through a chip pan, lots of time is saved, and balls don’t go missing. There is also a 7-a-side real grass field in situ.


Other facilities include an air-conditioned clubhouse for supporters to wait, work, and eat comfortably, along with Wi-Fi and private and shared restrooms, making it one of the better grounds for teams wanting to hire somewhere.

My visit

Poma FC 1 Pathumthani FC 7 
Wednesday 18th March 2026
Friendly 
👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 c15 ðŸŽŸ️ Free

This game provided an unexpected opportunity to see a game at a venue in Sai Mai, not too far from our Minburi condo, which I’ve never previously visited after it appeared on the Twitter account of @FutbologyThai, who’s well worth a follow, especially if you are thinking of attending games in the Land of Smiles.

It was a good standard too, especially with no admission charge, with Poma currently leading their section in the Thonburi League, playing some good stuff, taking the lead before Pathumthani, gearing up for their Semi-Pro League campaign in the hope of joining the professional ranks, tore them apart.


The opening goal came via a fine shot from the Poma 22 from outside the box before Pathumthani levelled things up and then failed to take a backward step. They wore maroon and black without numbers on their shirts, while Poma were in a fetching orange, blue and white stripe kit.

It was a hot late afternoon, which saw a linesman facing the sun donning a baseball cap, with a cooling break being taken midway through the first half. I took advantage of sitting in the shade behind the goal with a fan blowing cool air. The splendid SK 46 Stadium ticked all the boxes for football at this level.


It was a dry day for me, but the venue also had a café selling snacks and beer, with a nice restaurant just over the fence behind the far goal. Some walking and a couple of taxi rides did the job to get me there and back, with the Hawksbee & Jacobs podcasts entertaining me along the way.

It was 2-1 at the break and 3-1 pretty soon after, this after a 30-yard free kick cannoned back off a post. I’ll be interested to see how Pathumthani go in their quest to play Thai League 3 football. Poma are no mugs, but they were put to the sword by a talented outfit. The third goal was a back-post volley after the skipper delivered a delicious Liam Brady-esque chip to the unmarked man.


4-1 came about after a corner was not cleared, with a low shot that was out of reach of the goalie. Multiple subs followed. Poma seemed to give everyone a run, including a pint-sized goalie, whereas the victors had a much stronger squad who made hay while the sun continued to shine in the last twenty minutes.

Shots pinged off the metal frame of the goal at regular intervals, with the replacement skipper for Pathumthani skilfully beating the defence to set up a colleague in the middle who smashed the ball home. The sixth was a shot too high for the keeper to reach, with the seventh a low shot that squirmed under him after he and the defence tried to emulate PSG, but as slowly as an HGV. They were inevitably caught out.


A grand, long day out after setting off from our overnight stop near Buriram at 6am. Some shopping for cheddar and a bottle of red will ensure that the missus can enjoy a relaxing Thursday night. Unless, of course, a match appears on Twitter.




Monday, 29 September 2025

Kanthararom United

Kanthararom United FC is an amateur football club, formed in 2017, that hails from the small town of the same name on the road between Sisaket and Ubon Ratchathani. 

In 2017 and 2018, the team entered the Thailand Amateur League without any success, as well as the Thai FA Cup in 2018, when known as NBN Kanthararom United, they lost 3-0 to JL Chiangmai United, with the tie being played at SAT Sisaket Stadium in front of 240 fans.

The side returned to the FA Cup in 2022-23, going out 2-1 away to Khon Kaen in the first round with Jeerawat Thonglue in charge of the team. Fellow amateur club, Mahanakon Khon Kaen ended any hopes of progression in the competition in 2023-24 with a 3-1 victory in the Qualifying Round.

Kanthararom did not enter the following season, but returned in 2025-26, going out once again 4-1 to Khon Kaen in FA Cup qualifying, with the game being switched to Sisaket Rajabhat University Stadium, as Jeerawat remained in charge of the team.

Despite playing in the national cup, Kanthararom do not play regular league football, with much of their activity centred around the small-sided NBN Arena pitch, on the main 226 Road, where local competition takes place.

My visit

Sisaket Rajabhat University Stadium

Kanthararom United 1 Khon Kaen 4 (Wednesday 24th September 2025) Thai FA Cup Qualifying Round (att: 200)

As the amateur team from my nearest town doesn’t have a suitable venue in Kanthararom, they switched the match to the Sisaket Rajabhat University Stadium, a few miles up the road.

They gave it a good go, too, against the pros from Thai League 3 Northeast. Quality and fitness were decisive factors in the end of an entertaining game played on a glue pot pitch in good spirits, which was sensibly refereed.

Khon Kaen went into a two-goal lead with efforts from the impressive Sakunchai Saenthopho in the second minute and then the excellent Charin Boodhad on the half-hour mark after he had earlier missed a penalty, as the rain teemed down before clearing near half-time. It looked like a large score was on the horizon.

However, the hosts gradually got back into the game and missed two easy chances, playing enterprising football at times despite being porous at the back. The second missed chance took some believing as a forward sliding in at the back post cleared the ball from a yard out.

The visiting coach brought on Brazilian forward Caio when Kanthararom looked like they might sneak a goal back. He was excellent, helping Charin to a second. The home team did score when a low cross was put away at the back post by Arnon Thongphanya, before the final kick of the match saw Caio put away a penalty. 

I’d met my mate John before the game for food and drink at Leo’s town, as we knew there should have only been half an hour before the second part of our extravaganza got underway. The weather certainly played a part in the Sisaket United v Padriew City game.

My Roving Report for A Thai Football Podcast


Monday, 27 January 2025

APD United


All About APD United

APD United is an amateur or non-league football club based in the eastern Bangkok suburb of Minburi that was formed in 2016. Since then, the club has mainly competed in local competitions and established a partnership with Triamundomsuksa Suwinthawong School.

By the 2020-21 season, the clubs' first team was members of Division 1 of the Bangkok Premier League, playing games at Nong Chok Stadium, which was the former home of BEC Tero Sasana in the Thai Premier League.

Chasing a Place in Thai League 3

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.

They also transferred, like many clubs, to the Thonburi League for the 2025 season, where they were placed in Zone D.

APD United will play in the Thonburi League Zone D in the 2026 season.

My visit

APD United 2 BSL United 2 (Sunday 26th January 2025) Thonburi League Zone D (att: c25)

Still at our Minburi condo following an extensive tour of Thailand, I wanted some football further down the food chain after attending Port v Ratchaburi on Friday night to start the weekend in fine style.

If truth be known, I had a bee in my bonnet about a video on YouTube that I’d been alerted to, proclaiming that Thai League 3 was non-league, and had started setting about making a video to offer a true account of the state of things.

Ideally, I would find a non-league game and do some filming at it, covering the whole experience. In a perfect world, at a venue I hadn’t previously visited. When APD replied to my message and sent me a location of their ground, my mind was set.

I was slightly disappointed to an extent that they didn’t tell me they were still playing at the old Nong Chok stadium with its big stand that I was still to tick off my ground list, but naturally happy that they had a venue that would allow them to develop as a club.

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, that I wandered down the wrong lane.

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. 

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.

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.

They went ahead after around seventeen minutes when what seemed like a run-of-the-mill free kick was put towards the six-yard box, where young goalie Nattawup came out, misjudged its flight and allowed it to go over his head into an empty net.

It’s as well that the pilots up above had better flight judgment, as a plane every minute or so began to descend above us on its way to landing at Suvarnabhumi. APD defender Suradet dropped a massive clanger, trying to get past visiting forward 24, who dispossessed him before advancing to score.

The young lads who had been enthusiastic and had earlier banged their drum had the wind taken out of their sails before their side regrouped. As the interval approached, they grabbed a goal back in what was becoming an increasingly feisty encounter.

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.

My Roving Report for A Thai Football Podcast

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.

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.


Friday, 8 November 2024

Vichupa Football Field (Bangkok)

 


A Hub of Amateur Football

Vichupa Football Field, which hosts amateur football in Bangkok, is primarily located on Soi Ram Intra 46/1. It has five full-sized pitches, with another smaller pitch for training and age group football. Teams rent the venue to play for a full season in their respective competitions.

It is also booked for singular requirements for those looking for a neutral venue for other local football, such as the Bangkok Premier League or the Thonburi League. Or sometimes for one-off recreational football or staging the matches of professional youth sides.


All the pitches have high netting surrounding them to prevent footballs from disappearing into the wild or adjoining houses. They have changing facilities, with each pitch having its own set of floodlights. In all, an excellent set of facilities.

My visits

My first Experiences of the Vichupa Fields

V 5


Minburi City 3 Pivo V Revolution 0 (Wednesday 19th January) Friendly (att: c25)

An account of my first venture can be read here, for a midweek game under the lights down the road, which was played on Pitch 5, on Soi Amon Wiwat.

V 5


SG FC 0 FC Bangsaotong 0 (Sunday 6th March 2022) Bangkok Premier League Division 2 (att: c15)

I returned to the same venue through an unexpected opportunity that raised its head and can be read about here.

A Later Visit to Watch a Match with Plenty at Stake

V 3

Siam FC 3 Kasem Bundit University 0 (Sunday 12th February 2023) Thonburi League Champions League semi-final (att: c15)


My football adventures were less intense in 2023, usually meaning that I headed to one game a week and looked forward to it. This was rather than packing in some games when, on reflection, it had sometimes been a box-ticking exercise.

However, I still loved visiting new venues whenever possible. Muang Thong United v Buriram United was undoubtedly the best game in Bangkok all weekend, but a 7pm Sunday kick-off and then the scramble to try and find a taxi deterred me from heading that way.


It was time for me to revisit some local stuff, with a choice of two matches. Linping, formerly AC Tuttocuoio, against Nonthaburi City at Airport Stadium, was one, but the other, with jeopardy involved in the result at a venue I’d yet to see a game at, won the day, but only just.

I was tired. Life was fantastic and every day brought joy, but along with it lots of mind and sometimes legwork. The temperatures were rising, making walking a more exhausting hobby. And I’d had a fantastic Saturday with my beautiful lady, as we looked after two friends from Hull with a trip to Chachoengsao.


Another attraction of my selected match was that it ignited the excitement of a bus route I’d yet to try, and see what I would experience along the way. All was good, apart from the fact that the bus didn’t want to appear. It meant that I was close at one stage to reverting to the other game option.

I headed to 7/11 to break a large note, as I realised that I could still go to my first choice, but by taxi. As I came out of the shop, I was greeted with the sight of the lovely air-conditioned bus coming in my direction. There was just enough time to cross the road and frantically wave my arms.


Despite being fifty metres short of the stop, the driver saw my predicament, flashed his lights, and came right up to me. What a good man. The journey was indeed interesting, as we went past a previously undiscovered craft beer bar before I alighted from my 20 Baht ride. I noted the bar for future reference.

It was a further fifteen minutes' walk to the venue, where panic set in on arrival. No teams were warming up on the show pitch. In the distance, I could see a chap saving shots, and sure enough, the game was being played on V3 pitch, which could well have been the usual home ground of Siam FC.


It was not ideal, with no specific spectator facilities available. Both covered canopies with seating were being taken up by either team and their close allies. Neutrals weren’t really considered, not that many ever attended to watch. I sat in the shadows at the foot of a floodlight pylon, which worked out perfectly.

It was a sweltering afternoon, the sort you would take shelter from in the shade if watching cricket. Yet, the academy sides of the two professional teams would do battle in temperatures well into the thirties for a place in their league final, on a short pitch.


The playing surface was immaculate, leading to a fast-flowing game between two sides that I’d enjoyed watching over the previous few months. It was the team of the university that was on top in the early exchanges, as their number 23 was clean through but dragged wide from a great position.

At the other end, Siam's number 19 showed great footwork to round the Bundit keeper, but put it wide with the goal gaping. At this point, a man appeared who I adjudged to be the player of the match.


The sound of the bell being rung by a fella on a motorcycle, with a small frame attached to it, was music to my ears. I thought that 40 Baht for a tub of ice cream was a little on the expensive side, but it was a decent portion, it was cold, and tasted delicious. In hindsight, I’d have given him a 100 Baht note for the pleasure.

The weather was too much for the players as well, with the referee sensibly splitting each half into three-thirds to allow for lots of water to be drunk. Once refreshed, Siam’s number 19 was soon back in the thrust of the action.


He had an effort saved by the feet of the Kasem keeper after he beat the offside trap, although I thought the official may have slipped up and missed the offence. One thing I was sure of was that I wasn’t going to volunteer to do his job. Any mistakes by the far-side linesman were totally acceptable.

The man in the 19 shirt was at it again, once again springing the trap, but this time firing over. However, he was not to be denied as he scored from close range just past the half-hour mark after his colleague, number 20, rolled the ball square to him. The scorer looked too embarrassed to celebrate, acknowledging his earlier misses.


He would go on to complete his hat-trick before the interval, with two more predatory finishes before both sides earned a fully deserved few minutes to recover. I could have done with some water myself, though I was fortunate that the shadows were growing.

After the interval, the students in bright orange came out with the bit between their teeth and threatened to force a comeback. Their number 23 saw an effort scrambled off the line, and then the player wearing number 88 in the Siam goal saved a shot from the same Bundit attacker.


The pressure continued as number 10 saw his effort go narrowly over the bar. The second half was more intense, with the university side getting stuck in. It led to several feisty exchanges, which I’m not totally convinced the referee handled too well.

Siam defended resolutely and then began to look dangerous on the break. The Bundit keeper pulled off a fine double save in the closing stages, before I decided to walk around, ready to make my escape after seeing that my app was indicating that my bus home had departed Minburi.


I was immensely proud of myself as my Yorkshire upbringing kicked in on reaching the stop on Thanon Kubon. The 197 bus route had some new air-conditioned vehicles, costing passengers 20 Baht a ride, like the one I caught to go to the match.

The old ones, with wooden floors, were 8 Baht with the windows being wound down to create cool air. On this occasion, the posh one arrived one minute ahead of the other. I saved myself 12 Baht. Why spend more has always been my motto, and I wasn’t going to change now.


The thriftiness continued. I still had an unused KFC discount voucher. I purchased plenty of chicken, some of which we gave to our relatives in the condo opposite. It is one of the reasons I love Thailand. It's like England of old, with a community spirit.

A wonderful day was enjoyed, after I’d earlier shown my lovely lady how to make spaghetti Bolognese, and we later relaxed for the evening over a few drinks. A few classic episodes of Only Fools and Horses, followed by the Leeds United v Manchester United game, kept us royally entertained. A Super Sunday indeed.