The club participated in the FA Cup in the 2022-23 season, defeating Phachi City 1-0 in the first round at Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University Stadium before going out 4-1 away to Ratchaburi under the watchful eye of head coach Jirayoo Suwandee.
In 2024-25, the team went out in the cup in the Round of 64, 2-1 away to Lampang, before competing in the Semipro League, playing their home games at Ubon Ratchathani University Stadium in their home district. In the semi-pro league, the side finished way short of the title but attracted decent attendances.
FA Cup and Buriram United
The football gods were shining on Warin for the 2025-26 FA Cup. They received a bye in the qualification round before being drawn out of the hat to play away to Buriram United. While the game ended in a 12-0 defeat, the club were given the gate receipts in a wonderful gesture from Newin Chidchob. A crowd of 11,413 attended.
For the 2026 semi-pro league season, the club chose to play their home games at the Ubon Ratchathani Provincial Sports School in the centre of the city, which was a former home of Ubon Kruanapat FC before the side coached by Jetsadakorn Hemdaeng moved to the UBRU Stadium.
My visit
at Ubon Ratchthani University Stadium
My pal, John, and I had seen the visitors in action a fortnight earlier away to Ubon Kids City, when after a reasonable start, they ended up getting pumped 6-0. The following week, their home game ended in a 7-1 defeat to Mahasarakhan Siwilai. We pondered what they might produce this time.
Our day out began relatively early, before this 4 pm kick-off, with John collecting me at home before we headed to Ubon to play golf at the Suppasit Prasong Military Golf Course. Fun was had playing a proper course with caddies, and certainly an upgrade on the smaller facility we had been using in Sisaket.
One thing about playing proper golf when not used to it was the fact that it was a lot more tiring than I remembered. We needed refreshing and energy stocks replenishing. We eventually sat down inside the air-conditioned Tree Cafe Rim Moon that I’d visited a couple of times previously.
It was a Thai holiday weekend, which was reflected by the busy establishment, where excellent local snacks and a bottle of Heineken Zero were enjoyed, with me on a month of abstinence from alcohol to try and shed a bit of timber.
It was further than we thought to Ubon Ratchathani University, if a simple enough route. The pair of us were surprised by just what a spread-out city it is, with Warin being a continuation of it these days. Many eating and drinking establishments told a tale of a large population south of the River Mun.
The area near the entrance to the campus had quite a collection of businesses, while inside the grounds, we found things to be a little dated and neglected in parts. I’d contemplated going to a game there a couple of years earlier. I would most certainly have needed a driver to the stadium, as the area was huge.
We arrived at the same time as a bus load of military cadets, while another bus for youngsters would come later. The club had put up signage at the front entrance and along the long route inside the campus to direct those wanting to find the stadium, which impressed me.
As did the setting up of a souvenir stall selling replica shirts at a knockdown price, with the season nearing its end. Everyone seemed very friendly. The obligatory man on the mic talked incessantly while playing modern Thai tunes, creating the semblance of an occasion.
We sat in the quieter of the two blocks in the main stand, separated by the usual media and officials’ area. Three away supporters who had made the five-hour journey from Nakhon Ratchasima were behind us. My attention was drawn to something quite unusual as the teams warmed up.
I was certain that the goal to the left was taller than the one on the right. Maybe an optical illusion, or the pitch sloping, I wasn’t sure, but it simply didn’t look right. It wasn’t alcohol playing a part, of that much I was certain.
In the early stages, it quickly became apparent that the pitch was in awful condition, with bumps all over it making control difficult. That wasn’t to say that some of the players on display couldn’t be to blame as well, as what materialised was a quite frankly shocking game of football, yet entertaining at the same time, if that makes sense.
Referee Rutratchapoom Moolpong played his part in this, as in the first half an hour, he hardly gave a foul. Players were lying down injured as he simply waved play on, leaving anyone in little doubt that he wasn’t going to be fooled by those play acting. Sometimes he let things go too far.
By the time he signalled for the drinks break after thirty minutes, Warin looked alright going forward but hadn’t forced the VU goalkeeper, Phumin Prokkaew, into a save. Home forward Winai Jarukan seemed to know what he wanted to do in terms of chesting the ball down and retaining possession without knowing how.
The University side had gone ahead after nineteen minutes. Their left-sided defender Chayathat Thupmongkhon tried a speculative shot from thirty yards, which caught goalie, Pattarawut Saengsanoh, off his line and out of position and went into the top corner of the net.
VU came close to doubling the lead shortly after. A low cross flashed across the six-yard line, but there was no away team forward able to get on the end of it. They then decided that they would hang on to what they had, to the frustration of the home team players and supporters.
The ref completely changed tack after the restart before halftime as he blew his whistle so regularly, I was half expecting him to play the national anthem on it. Once the teams went down the tunnel, a free raffle was held to win team shirts, another nice touch.
Play got worse, if anything, after the restart, as dark clouds began to build in the distance, with occasional flashes of lightning. VU were using all the dark arts they could think of to keep the hosts at bay, putting in a desperate display trying to please their coach Therdtoon Kahkai.
Home coach, Jirayoo Suwandee was apoplectic at the performance of the officials as his team still failed to have a meaningful shot on target despite having plenty of the ball and putting on pressure. One had to admire the doggedness of the Vongchavalitkul rearguard.
Warin defender Chakrit Champasrl lost his rag and got booked for an X-rated foul on Adison Budken, who in turn had been fouling his way through the second half. He hobbled off in agony to be replaced by Chatchawan Chonphakdi, much to our delight in the stands.
The robust defender kicked whatever was near him in the direction he was facing, much in the same way as the last time we had watched him. A player of no discernible talent, but someone committed to the cause, he refused to waver, much like many Sunday League players back home.
Warin mounted a couple of attacks and added pressure in the box, but the VU rearguard put their collective bodies on the line and stood firm until full-time, much to the delight of the trio sitting behind us. A terrible game of football, but enjoyable in its own way.
We stopped a
couple of times on the way back towards home so that I could grab some
groceries, since our car was at the repair shop. A good day out.
at UBRU Stadium
A cracking local derby in the fourth tier of Thai football, with both sides giving everything in a blood-and-thunder encounter that was excellently refereed. The occasion was handled superbly by Warin at the UBRU Stadium in Ubon Ratchathani city centre.
A win was vital if either team wanted to continue their hopes of lifting the title to gain promotion to Thai League 3, while a runners-up berth may suffice. The game was decided by another brilliant goal from Sisaket’s star player, Wanattanan Jhantasorn, with a shot from outside the box.
There was little to choose between the sides, with City perhaps looking slightly more threatening on the break. Their defence was resilient, keeping Warin to a few half-chances, with goalie Peerapath A-Sarast putting in some wonderful acrobatic dives for the cameras.
Free admission and a passionate crowd, including the smart use of a megaphone on the far side, alerting that an ambulance was required for someone taken ill. All licensed football in Thailand must have an ambulance on site. Light years ahead of certain other countries.
A fine day all round, with my wife dropping me in Kanthararom to meet with my pal John. 9 holes of golf at a military course in Ubon provided better value than the performance we put in. A beer and food at Pepper’s American Diner, then a stop at Wrong Way Café for more libation, which was topped up at the stadium. Home for the bore that was the FA Cup Final.
