The football club of Sisaket Rajabhat University represents the learning establishment of the same name. It is one of thirty-eight Rajabhat Universities located around Thailand which were originally set up for teacher training purposes.
Like all the others, the campus has magnificent facilities for their students to enjoy, which is like a large village. Included in it is the stadium, where Sisaket City FC played their home games in the Thai Semipro League.
SKKRU, to use their condensed title, play friendlies and compete in university football.
My visit
Sisaket Rajabhat University 1 Sisaket United 1 (Friday 28th June 2024) Friendly (att: c220)
It was somewhat of a surprise that this fixture appeared on sans pages of Sisaket United as well as that of the university side but not on that of the visiting club. It was quickly apparent on arrival that it would be no more than a glorified training exercise.
The pitch, that was in good condition when we visited around six weeks previously, hadn’t been cut or been given markings. The touchlines were indicated by occasional training cones with the linesmen helping the ref.
United wore their numbered training kit while the hosts players wore anything that they could find that was a predominantly yellow shirt. It didn’t look much of a spectacle, but it attracted quite a gathering, including mostly students who’d finished for the week around the 4pm kickoff time.
Some regular faces from Sisaket games were there, to witness a game played in three periods of thirty minutes to give everyone a run. The pros fielded what we guessed would be trialists, youth players, and some regulars. New Korean defender Jeong Ja-in played but looked bored.
United scored a simple goal in the first period, with the football being of a very average standard. We departed after an hour, missing the equaliser for SKKRU, as we’d seen enough. It was pretty underwhelming stuff, if truth be told.
Not that it spoiled the afternoon out in any way, which included the usual meet at Hong Kong Garden for a late lunch and drinks, followed by Leo’s after the match from where my regular driver took me home for extended drinks on the veranda with my good lady. I’d endured many worse starts to a weekend over the years.