Showing posts with label Minburi United. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Minburi United. Show all posts

Sunday 20 October 2024

Five Regions Stadium (Bangkok)

Five Regions Stadium is a football venue across the Chaophya River in the district of Nonthaburi in the Thai capital of Bangkok.

VRN Muangnont, formerly carried the prefix of STK, opening the venue as their academy with two full sized pitches, along with a couple with artificial surfaces, changing rooms, accommodation and social facilities. Five Regions Stadium was an impressive venue.

My visit

Bangkapi FC 4 Minburi United 1 (Saturday 7th May 2022) Thailand Amateur League Bangkok Group B (att: c70)


The 2022 Thailand Amateur League group stages some games played on consecutive weekends. This game, paired with the earlier encounter between Bangkok Football Academy and Navaminda Kasatriyadhiraj Royal Air Force Academy FC were scheduled for Thonburi Stadium.

Thankfully, I checked social media on Saturday morning before setting out. I can only presume the original venue was waterlogged in the horrible deluge I got caught in at the Muang Thong United Training Ground Stadium on Friday afternoon.

I’d dipped out of heading to Five Regions Stadium earlier in the tournament. It looked difficult by public transport. That was until I had discovered I could catch a minivan from near home direct to Pak Kret over the other side of the Chao Phraya River.

Another huge storm dropped on us as the van progressed along Ram Inthra. I was tempted to bail out and head home, but the forecast showed signs of improvement and the game was enticing as it would see Minburi United progress with a draw. Bangkapi needed a win.

I walked over Rama IV Bridge and continued to what turned out to be a busy industrial road. Fortunately, a taxi driver was sat on his break at the roadside and made himself available. Google Maps did the trick directing us up narrow lanes.

My driver risked his suspension on the bumpy approach to the ground before depositing me. The venue had two pitches, the second one of which was severely waterlogged. I headed for the covered spectator accommodation, which was not unlike the structure at Airport Stadium in Sam Wa.

A long low cover had a balcony with cover above it in the centre section. There were decent facilities with food and drink available. Over the other side were three small sided artificial pitches with the STK Muangmont Academy buildings at the other side.

A man who along with his wife sported a Port FC training top chatted to me in good English. They lived in Samut Prakan, while his son Suwijak Tipsana was playing for Minburi United. Other members of the family joined them, and they all seemed very pleasant.

I hadn’t even heard of United, despite living in Minburi until the start of the competition as they didn’t appear to play in any league that I was aware of. This put me in a spot. Two local teams. Who to go for? The family won me over, but it wouldn’t end my world either way.

The game kicked off, with it soon apparent that the pitch was verging on unplayable as you can see from this video. Fair dos to both clubs, the officials and groundstaff for wanting to get it on.

It was a decent standard in comparison to other games I’d attended at the same stage. United looked the better of the two sides. The game would change in dramatic circumstances seven minutes before the interval.

Bangkapi left back Kiadtisuk Seenunejan took what looked like a harmless free kick just inside his own half by the touchline. He launched the ball forward. Despite it being boggy in parts, it was firm in others. The ball skipped viciously and proved too strong for keeper Udomchok Sitthimanee.

Seenunejan opens the scoring as Bangkapi's photographer 
Pon Boomdaddy catches me on camera

I was caught on camera behind the happy scorer by the excellent Bangkapi photographer. The goal seemed to galvanise the leading team. A half volley was also shot just wide before the interval.

I’d nibbled on some deep fried fritters which I coated with a bit too much chili sauce. I’m not sure what was in them, but they did the job, before I returned upstairs for the start of the second period. The Muangmont academy players provided entertainment over the back. I have to say they were being trained very well.

The first action of the second half saw a low skidding shot from Bangkapi’s sub Thanakorn Pheuansopa was turned round the post by Sitthimanee. A couple of efforts also went close as the team adopted a shoot on sight policy in the difficult conditions.

Bangkapi were also adept in game management. Their skipper Pramual Sriboon was constantly in the ear of referee Boonsong Prachumrak, who ideally could have been stronger, especially as the game progressed.

Bangkapi thought they’d doubled their lead when a parry was followed up and put away, but the linesman had his flag up for offside. Sitthimanee then pulled off a good save to deny half time sub Phutaress Chantasom as the female fans screamed for their favourites.

It was then the turn of Prachaya Somboondee of Bangkapi to be denied by another save. United seemed to take heart from their keeper and began to launch some attacks of their own before they drew level.

Ra-Chan Pomfhang went on a fine run down the right wing on sixty-four minutes before crossing to the far post by Tipsana who volleyed home past keeper Ruangyot Noppakaow, much to the delight of his family.

For a few minutes I thought that the Minburi side could go on and win. The Bangkapi goal had a close escape before they elder more experienced side regathered their poise going on to retake the lead midway through the half.

Sarayut Trongdee wriggled to the byline. He delivered a hard cross which Seenunejan forced over the line with his body at the back post. It was a classic game. Poor conditions with real jeopardy depending on the result. It remained that way with just two minutes of normal time remaining.

Bangkapi’s players had a habit of falling over to get the physio on. Finally, the ref instructed players to leave the pitch on a stretcher to get on with things. Minburi were chasing the game and their desperation led to the decisive moment.

The ball was lost in midfield, Arthit Permsomboon scooped it forward to put Jettipat Wongyee through on goal, where he made no mistake in making the score 3-1. I headed round to enjoy the last few minutes on the banking behind the goal.

The scoring was rounded off in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Chantasom volleyed home at the far post despite the best efforts of Sitthimanee who apart from the first goal had a fine afternoon between the sticks.

The match was a great advert for local amateur football. I would think that all the players and officials would have been thoroughly worn out on Saturday night. I ordered a Bolt taxi as a kind local shopkeeper gave me a seat to wait on.

I was dropped off in Pak Kred and headed back home by van ready for a clean-up and some refreshments and music in my favourite bar.



Tuesday 8 October 2024

Bangkok Christian College

 

Bangkok Christian College is a football club who compete in the Thai Football League in the capital of Bangkok. The football club was formed in 1997, It forms part of a college with a fine tradition of athletes which was formed in 1852.

Within three seasons BCC had won the Ngor Royal Cup and triumphed in the Khǒr Royal Cup on a couple of occasions. In the league the team progressed to Division One by 1999. Two years later Bangkok Christian College won the title and were promoted to the Thai Premier League. However, they were relegated after just two seasons. 

Worse was to come as following further relegation and the instigation of professional football in Thailand, BCC found themselves outside the league set-up. This was eradicated following promotion back to Regional League Two in 2005.

BCC were placed in the Bangkok Area of Regional League Two in 2009 as more clubs were admitted into an enlarged third tier. Unfortunately for BCC, many other clubs were heavily funded while they remained amateur with a low supporter base as they moved into share Thephasadin Stadium with BEC Tero Sasana. 

After several seasons of disappointment, BCC finished in third place in the 2013 season, just missing a Championship Pool place as they decamped to the PAT season as tenants to Singhtarua for the year.

The 2014 saw a return to Thephasadin and a boost of sponsorship from the Tero entertainment conglomerate as the club became known as BCC Tero. The sponsorship ended in 2015 as the club reverted to their original title and moved back in as tenants with Port at PAT Stadium.

Two eighth places followed before the side was placed in Thai League 4 Bangkok Metropolitan Region after league restructuring playing at TOT Stadium and finishing fourth as Platel Remi topped the scoring charts.

BCC failed to pass the licensing process to play in the 2018 Thai League 4. The team was banned from pro football for two years but were permitted to enter the Thailand Amateur League upon appeal. They had unmemorable campaigns in the competition for two years before going into abeyance.

In September 2022, the college started offering places for applicants to enrol and join the football team, while the team competed in a youth tournament and started to play occasional friendlies.

My visit

At Vichupa Football Field V1

Bangkok Christian College 3 Minburi United 1 (Friday 28th July 2023) Friendly (att: c30) 

There were no amateur fixtures over the forthcoming weekend owing to a holiday for the King’s birthday, so two youthful sides got together at Vichupa Football Fields off Ram Inthra in Ram Inthra to the northeast of the capital.

This fine venue has five pitches all with small covers and high nets around them. I'd been to V3 for a game earlier in the year as well as seeing a couple of games on V5, one of two pitches belonging to the same group around half a mile south. 

This game was played on Pitch 1, which was a new one for me, and most convenient as I was up the road with my good lady having the car valeted when I spotted the game on Facebook. A bus dropped me on Nawamin Road before I undertook a ten-minute walk.

I guessed that there would be no catering at the ground, so I bought a toastie from 7/11 and later a passing motorcycle vendor sold me an ice cream while the match was in progress, as I looked on from the unoccupied fourth official's bench. 

The game consisted of three periods of thirty minutes. Everyone in both large youthful squads got a game. I presume this set-up might have been agreed because United had three keepers, giving them half an hour each to impress the coach.

Minburi were competing in the local Thonburi and Thailand Amateur Leagues, while BCC seems to have reassembled well on this evidence, with this being the under-18s team. I would be keeping an eye on their future progress. 

Several parents watched from fold-up chairs beside their cars outside the net. We were treated to a fast-paced encounter full of skill and attacking play. The coaches at both clubs certainly had their lads playing the right way.

There were very few fouls and absolutely no dissent either, which I enjoyed. Volunteers from BCC refereed and ran the line and even updated the scoreboard on the far side. They certainly looked to be a polite and disciplined bunch.

Minburi took an early lead in the early stages when a low free kick was turned in. The scores were levelled when a low cross was put away on sixteen minutes. Neither side had numbers on their shirts, so I had no chance of working out the scorers. Indeed, United wore their sleeveless training tops.

BCC broke quickly but a forward missed a sitter at the near post after receiving a square ball before the Minburi keeper pulled off a smart save. A low cross-shot was tapped in at the back post a couple of minutes before the first break to make it 2-1. 

The United goalie made a miraculous save not long after the restart. BCC saw a half-volley go just over and then another effort cleared off the line prior to the final turnaround. It became 3-1 when a good twist and turn in the box was followed by a low shot into the bottom corner.

A late effort across the goal clipped off the Minburi post before proceedings ended. It had been most watchable fare. Good fun, and an easy cheap bus ride home listening to TMS before watching the Test match action from the Oval with IPA from the local shop and a stunning meal cooked by my beautiful wife.