Yasothon FC is a professional football club representing the province of the same name in northeast Thailand. Originally formed as Yasothon United in 2010, they were placed in the third tier Regional League Division 2 North Eastern Region as an expansion club.
Playing home games at Yasothon Province Stadium, the side ended in a credible third place, which was backed up by fourth position in 2011. A midtable and then lowly position ensued before the club dropped out of the league at the end of the 2013 season.
They returned, minus the United moniker, after a two-year break and ended the 2016 season in eleventh place. Restructuring of the Thai League saw ‘The Rockets’ placed in Thai League 4 Northeast in 2017, ending in ninth spot.
Attendances were encouraging as supporters cheered the goals of Ousmanou Mohamadou. The Cameroon forward was replaced at the top of the scoring chart by Guinea forward Diop Badara Aly for a couple of seasons, as Yasothon finished third and then eleventh in the table.
Thai football was once again remodelled to follow the European calendar for the 2020-21 season with changes to the league structure following. Phakhawat Poonachang ended as leading scorer for the Rockets, as they ended third in T3 Northeast under head coach Jakkapob Kattiwong.
Ninth and then tenth place finishes followed as first Pongsak Boontos led the goals chart in 2021-22 and then Amronphun Homduang twelve months later. Tanut Pattaramanee took over as head coach for the 2023-24 season. He, and then Prachumpong Kongchandee, led the side to another lowly finish as Sutthipong Duangthungsa put away the chances.
Jakkapob returned to the role of head coach at the start of the 2024-25 season.
Yasothon FC will play in Thai League 3 Northeast in the 2024-25 season.
My visits
Yasothon 2 Rasisalai United 1 (Sunday 1st October 2023) Thai League 3 Northeastern (att:400)
This was a proper explorer’s day out without the aid of the safety belt, diving into the semi-unknown for which I was rewarded with a cracking finish to a game not particularly high in standards of quality on a gluepot of a pitch in deepest the northeast Isan region of Thailand.
I’d done a little research relating to the game, as I do videos as things unfold for our weekly Thai football podcast, and noticed gates at Yasothon had dropped off a cliff since Covid, which perhaps explained the free admission to try and entice fans back, as well as selling club shirts for just 399 Baht (8.90)
Judging by the noise at full-time, most may well return. Their team, ‘The Rockets’ named as this is the area home to the annual big-money rocket festivals, were second best for long periods in thought and pace.
Before kick-off, the King’s Anthem sounded like it was being played by a brass band from West Yorkshire, which immediately gave me a boost. The gent on the PA did his bit throughout to build the atmosphere in a voice making his sound like a Thai Michael O’Hehir.
Visiting skipper Thitiphong Photumptha put his side ahead after twenty-four minutes when keeper Surakiad Kratumkhan flapped at and missed a corner. The initial header came back off the post before the rebound was headed home by the same player.
The legs of Surakiad denied Nattapon Yongsakool who really should have doubled the advantage. Rasisalai, who must have thought I was stalking them as this was the fourth week in succession I’d watched them, were made to pay in first-half stoppage time.
Ratthaphum Sophasing glanced home a header from a free kick to send both teams level down the tunnel. I went for a walk hopeful of spotting some kind of transport back to the bus station while exchanging smiles with lots of new friends.
The away side again dominated attacking possession after the restart on what really was a poor playing surface, which again would probably have seen a postponement elsewhere around the world.
It was a relief to see a huge storm skirt around town in the distance, as the lightning flashed. Yasothon were forced to change keepers owing to injury. The replacement Jetsada Bunrueng was stocky and short, but surprisingly hardly tested.
The pitch inevitably aided poorly timed challenges often caused by mis-control of the ball, which some players made the most of, leaving referee Rutratchapoom Moolpong to try and decipher a huge game of Call my Bluff. Players really don’t help themselves, but it appears to be seen as an occupational hazard out here if it means getting an opponent into bother.
It generally ends in one side being depleted. This time it was Jumnong Pitchayang of Yasothon who left his mates in the lurch, receiving his second yellow card midway through the second half. However, home coach Saranuwat Nasartsang had an ace up his sleeve when introducing forward Jetsada Artyatha just before the dismissal.
Jetsada was like a bull in a China shop. He was slow but he put his body on the line and most importantly, he got the crowd going and enthused his teammates as he got stuck into opponents and started to make things happen. Fans are the same around the world. They love a trier, especially one that engages with them, and this fella immediately got them on his side.
The away side was still more likely to grab a winner, but the home side was forcing them back. I didn’t think that they had the wherewithal or pace to create a clear chance. I’d moved around behind the goal for the last few minutes, as time was tight at full-time.
Jetsada made a smart run to stay onside and collect a good pass. Keeper Banhan Thubthong advanced and tried to make a diving block, but the ball was dinked over him and crawled over the line in the final of the six additional minutes.
The place went berserk, including those maybe unaware of the free admission who watched from behind the perimeter railings, with some enjoying a boozy tailgate party. Seconds later it was all over.
I had tried to convince a young fella to drive me back to the bus station in his tuk-tuk, but it turned out it was a company vehicle rather than being for hire. It meant a second fifty-five-minute walk of the day avoiding several ratty soi dogs as I proceeded.
And that’s where the exploring part comes into the equation. Thailand and public transport is something of a lottery, especially out in the provinces. I waited for ninety minutes in Kanthararom in the morning for a van service to Ubon Ratchathani.
The first was full and the fella at the ticket desk just shrugged his shoulders when I asked when the next one was due. It certainly makes me smile when I think back to customers haranguing me on the tube if the next train was fifteen minutes away.
From Ubon, I had a forty-five-minute wait for the bus to Yasothon. Thankfully, things are more organised at the bigger bus terminals. The fare was 116 Baht for the 100km journey. However, now lagging time-wise meant I had to forego a visit to a museum on a lake I wanted to see.
The only form of public transport was a motorbike taxi which I’m petrified of. No conventional taxis, buses or tuk-tuks. Grab and Bolt had not yet heard of in the province. It is your own transport or Shanks’s Pony time.
I managed to walk back after the game just in time if the 18.20 service had been punctual. Of course, it was not, which left things tight at Ubon to get across town to catch the last 20.30 train as all buses towards Sisaket stop at 18.00.
Google Maps said it was a nineteen-minute journey to the station. The train left in sixteen minutes. I got on board with two to spare, which offered an indication as to how fast my taxi driver went. Then on reaching Kanthararom, I discovered my good lady had crashed out at home with no Grab available. She rose from her slumbers and brought me a beer.
A day that I’m unlikely to forget in a hurry. It was magical to encounter met with smiles and genuine curiosity throughout and watching a red full moon rise as I watched the Ryder Cup on my phone in the middle of nowhere. What an incredible world we live in.
Yasothon 0 Sisaket United 1 (Saturday 6th January 2024) Thai League 3 Northeast (att: 300)
An away trip to kick off 2024, as my friend John offered to drive us the 120km north for the match, which pitted the side sitting third from the bottom of the table against the leaders who were backed by around fifty visiting fans. What we got was a shocker of a match on a terribly hard bumpy pitch.
Both sides overplayed passes continually with play scrappy and disjointed, and quite often tetchy. Damian of Sisaket continually played the aggressor, often for no reason apart from wanting to try and show off how hard he was. It gets dull week after week. As does the one-paced build of play his side continually produced.
If there is a less entertaining side in the country, then I dread to see them, but despite this, they don’t let goals in. I can only imagine coach Narongthanaphorn must get some kind of guilty pleasure in collecting clean sheets and hanging onto narrow victories against sides that other teams simply batter to one side.
Make no mistake, Yasothon were awful, and surely only the free admittance sees them attract any support. They are a club going through the motions. You can’t get a beer and there is no sign of any souvenir stall, which is rare. It’s a shame as they have potential and a great catchment area.
Danilo missed a free header from five yards for United while Matias Panigazzi saw his headed effort superbly turned around by the otherwise erratic home keeper Suriya Singkhubit. The only goal came four minutes before the break. An overhit pass hit a bump and stood up for Danilo.
The keeper was on the edge of his box assuming the ball would reach him. The big Brazilian lobbed him, but the bounce saw his effort come back off the bottom of the bar. Pazigazzi followed up to stoop and head home.
The Argentinian was the best player at Sisaket by a country mile and put in everything he had week after week. His fellow overseas players should have bought his meals after matches because they are frankly getting away with it. Without him, they would have been even more inept.
The second half was awful. Ineptitude was in evidence all around. There were more petty arguments, mainly involving the two African home forwards and Sisaket’s Brazilian duo. The half was probably best summed up in stoppage time as the visitors invited more pressure towards their own goal.
The hosts were awarded a free kick just outside the box. They took an age to take it, with the effort eventually being fired twenty yards over the bar. Still, the table says it was three more points for the table toppers.
We had arrived just short of a couple of hours before the 3.30pm kick-off and settled for pre-match food at Hug Restaurant in the old town. What a find it was too, with excellent Italian food made by the Thai owner who had probably served me pizza near Asoke station in Bangkok in the past.
He and his wife spoke great English and were most amiable. He had a reasonable beer selection and an amazing wine cellar. He told us he would show us his distillery if we called again, which might be in May.
Yasothon hosts an annual rocket festival which is extremely popular in that part of NE Thailand and sees huge crowds as well as illegal gambling around lots of eating and drinking, two of my favourite hobbies. I might treat my good lady to an overnight stop.
On our return to Sisaket we headed to Hong Kong Garden for food and drinks, and to watch the Sunderland v Newcastle Cup tie. A fine day out meeting nice people, which included a Russian and his Thai girlfriend who had ridden 90km on the motorbike to Yasothon for the match.
John as ever was excellent company along with Peter at his fine establishment before my regular Grab taxi arrived to take me home at 10pm.
