Their inaugural season was a disaster as they finished bottom of the table and winning only one game as well as going out in the qualifying round of the FA Cup.
Another name change came in 2011 as Thanyaburi United was adopted following the purchase of the club by a Korean national.
 |
| Me in my Looktabfah shirt outside the Grand Palace in 2013 |
The team ended in third place and qualified for the Champions League promotion play-offs where a win against Pattani meant that United qualified for the group stage, where any hopes of going up were extinguished.
The top scorer has been Krittanon Thanachotjaroenphon before Basam Radwan Mahmoud Mohamed Afify took over the mantle in the 2019 season as the side finished in sixth position. The Thai national football system was changed for the 2020-21 season as it moved to a European calendar.
The fourth tier was dispensed of as Grakcu were placed in League 3
Bangkok Perimeter, where they finished in ninth position with Ghanian Emmanuel
Kwame Akadom striker leading the scoring charts.
The 2021-22 campaign saw United, coached by Tewesh Kamonsin, end bottom of the table awaiting their fate regarding the structure of the league system for 2022-23.
Grakcu Sai Mai United FC will play in the Thai Amateur League in the 2022-23 season.
My visits
Grakcu Looktapfah Pathumthani 1 Futera Seeker 1 (Wednesday 27th March 2013) Thai Regional League Central West Region (att: c200)
I was in Bangkok with a spare day before my friends arrived ahead of the Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes, and I'd put it aside for my favourite hobby.
I'd already visited several stadiums for photos and to broaden my knowledge before arriving at Tupatemee Stadium well in time for the 5pm kick off. As with most lower league matches I'd seen in the country.
Futera Seeker, owned by Futera the card trading company, had gained a place in the Thai Regional League for the start of the 2013 season after trialling their project on a team in a London league. They became the first professional football club to be interactively managed live by an international Online Community. I wanted to find out more.
By now several members of the Air Force had marched by and were now going through regimented chants inside the stand. I paid my 50 Baht, had my hand stamped and went inside to take my seat in the only covered area of the arena.
The servicemen continued to chant, with a leader taking them through songs, while the vocalists read from the song sheets. The temperature was in the late thirties and the pitch appeared bobbly, so I didn't expect a classic.
I laughed as a local slugged away on his whisky, while his wife looked on at the action. Tapfah almost took the lead, but their number thirteen hit the outside of the post from a narrow angle. I decided to take up Mark's offer with around half an hour on the clock.
I saw the Seeker operation played out in front of my eyes. I must admit that I had to rub them in case I was seeing things. A cameraman was filming the game live, so that all subscribers around the world could watch, while commentary was offered in Thai and English.
Mark was on his laptop taking in the suggestions from the subscribers who could vote on such things as tactics, formation, playing style, substitutions and other decisions, with their instructions being passed to the players on the pitch.
Apparently the coach was happy with the situation and up to four hundred subscribers were enjoying the experience. In fairness, the team were playing quite well on the pitch; but it looked like a nightmare waiting to happen to me.
At half time I sped across the car park and was soon in a taxi heading to the Thammasat University Stadium for the evenings entertainment.
To see my amateur video of the occasion, included as part of my Tour Diary, click here and watch between 07:20 and 10:39. I still have to watch it again occasionally to confirm that it really did happen.
A chance to visit Grakcu in their new home and guise occurred a few weeks after I had relocated to the Bangkok district of Minburi. I was already getting out and about watching football after making valuable contacts.
This Wednesday afternoon fixture fitted in perfectly. I needed to extend my 30-day tourist visa by a month at the same side of the city. I eventually found the huge Immigration centre at Chaeng Wattana, only after a bit of communication to be redirected to a temporary office next to the Thunderdome home of Muang Thong United.
I’d had hassle with my bank back home stopping payments on my card and then arrived at the Muang Thong Thani office just as they were adjourning for an hour lunch break, a reminder of how things used to work in simpler more civilised times in the UK.
I made sure I was first in the queue upon resumption and felt confident I’d make it all the way to the match by public transport. My naivety and lack of local pronunciation was to put pay to that. A taxi driver took up the strain with the aid of my Google Maps App. The ground really would be difficult to find without the App.
It’s in a narrow road community a couple of miles from the nearest main road. However, the ride only cost the equivalent of a couple of quid, and I arrived ten minutes before kick-off. All good. There was even time to pop into the convenience store across the road from the ground for provisions before paying my THB50 admission and taking a few snaps.
Grackcu United Stadium was no thing of beauty, but it was homely. I’m not sure the floodlights were up to scratch for League 3 football. I guess they’re not alone in that department and that’s why games generally kick off in the afternoon.
There were two little covered enclosures down the side flanking a double decker building with the facilities for players, officials and media. A high net surrounded the pitch. There wasn’t really anything else in the way of spectator accommodation, save for a little structure of open bleachers.
I took up my place at the back of one of the covered areas with a steep rake for sitting where I met an Irish fella from Dublin called Adam who enjoyed this division’s football for its affordability and entertainment. We had a good chat throughout the game.
He too was trying to live like a local to integrate and save money. It certainly beat a shift on the tube as far as I was concerned. He was a proper connoisseur of this division and he recognised me from the previous Sunday’s game at Nonthaburi.
Adam encouraged me to buy a moped to get to games. Those who know my clumsiness would readily disagree, unless they were connoisseurs of dark comedy. His knowledge of the finer points of the game were impressive, whereas I go more for light entertainment.
Out on the pitch we were treated to a reasonable game, at least in my eyes. My new friend did not rate the visitors head coach Abdoul Coulibaly who he said didn’t coach at all. I must admit that he was found wanting in his previous game when Nonthaburi gave up a two goal lead.
A change from Nonthaburi’s previous game was that their Brazilian star Lima played a little deeper. It paid good effect as he set up Moussa Abakar to score on sixteen and thirty four minutes to put his side 2-0 up.
The visitors were missing their commanding centre back Sajja Sangsuwan from a few days earlier. It would nearly cost them their advantage for the second game running. His replacement Wakhim Churat was ponderous with the Grakcu players quickly working him out.
They fought their way back into the encounter, cheered on by a gaggle of locals drinking beer under a canopy beyond the netting behind the goal. A couple of efforts came close, while their defence caught the away side offside on several occasions.
Grakcu reduced the arrears five minutes before the break, through Sattanan Pomsaard after keeper Nattapon Meesaeng had saved an initial shot. The pressure continued, and one can imagine the half time whistle came as a bit of a relief to the Nonthaburi contingent.
The hosts continued to look for an equaliser after the resumption. For a time it looked like coming but Nonthaburi held firm for whom Padungsak Phothinak had a fine game. Woraphot Somsang hit the post as they looked to extend their lead.
We agreed in the stand that it should have been 3-1 when Jetsada Batchari had a goal chalked out for offside. It appeared a poor decision. As it happens his side deservedly saw out the game to take all three points.
Adam said goodbye and headed off on his scooter. I had my own plans after paying attention on my journey to the game. I waited at the top of the lane on the now vibrant road, where before long a songthaew turned up.
While I wasn’t sure exactly where it was going, I knew it was in the right direction for the main road and buses. A local seeing me looked confused came out with the re-assuring “to BTS”.
A kind lady helped me, pointing out BTS when we neared Saphan Mai station. Now I knew how everything worked I wouldn’t mid repeating the journey. It’s strange how much different and easier things are in real life rather than looking at a map!
The Green line extension was free at the time to encourage new
passengers to try it, which was a bonus. What with the 26 bus home from Wat
Phra Sri Mahathat, my return journey cost just THB29. A grand and cheap day
out. Just the sort I enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment