North Bangkok University FC is a football club that is based in Pathum Thani to the north of the Thai capital. Upon formation in 2006 the club played at Bangkok University Stadium, competing in local and college competition.
Home matches were split between playing at the Infantry Department 11 Royal Guard ground, Thanarom Village Football Field, Bangkok University Stadium and the 72nd Anniversary Stadium in Minburi.
North Bangkok went one better the following season as they ended up as runners up in the table having moved into the North Bangkok University Stadium. This led to qualification for the Champions League promotion play-offs, where hopes of going up ended.
The 2012 season ended in sixth place, followed by eighth place finishes in 2013 and 2014. In 2015 North Bangkok weighed in with a disappointing eleventh place spot before improving to seventh place in 2016 as Robert Ghansah topped the club scoring chart.
Thai league football was restructured for the 2017 season with the club being placed in the new fourth tier Thai League 4 (T4) Bangkok Metropolitan Region. Sirichai Lamphuttha and Poomipat Kantanet scored the goals as North Bangkok raced to the league title.
A second place in the Lower Group led to a further play off which was won 2-1 on aggregate against Muang Loei United to win promotion to the third tier for 2019. A fifth place finish ensued with Piyapong Homkhajohn putting away the goals.
After checking into the Asia Airport Hotel, I went downstairs into the Zeer shopping mall for some desperately needed food after feeling rather under the weather for the previous thirty six hours.
I found myself in the away section. Ironically, I had a Chamchuri United shirt from my visit in October, but it was with my mate Steve Walker as I’d dispatched unneeded luggage for the remainder of my stay.
The rest of the arena had no spectator facilities but was surrounded by wire fencing. The far side had a scoreboard on the halfway line. It had once been home to Bangkok United before they moved to the Thai Japanese Stadium nearer the city centre.
The Horsemen were made to pay for their wastefulness as Chamchuri took the lead a couple of minutes before the interval.Number 19 brought down a cross at the back post a fired home to the joy of the fifty or so visiting fans including a little lad who led the chanting on his own!
The game appeared destined to end level until the visitors broke once more in stoppage time with number 10 finishing another counterattack. It was very nearly 3-1 as the ball once more entered the Bangkok net, but the goal was chalked off for offside.
It was time for a long overdue revisit to the North Bangkok University Stadium, and with the team qualifying for the end of season group stage play-offs for promotion to the second tier I figured there was no better time.
The venue was one of those I considered was going to be awkward to get to while I dreamed of my new location while back in England. However, local knowledge was doing me well along with a couple of apps offering solutions.
I took a bus to Wat Phra Sri Mahathat from Minburi, where I crossed the road to take a 39 service to Future Rangsit mall for food and a look around. A musical band played middle of the road Thai stuff as shoppers milled in increasing numbers.
When it came to time to find my bus along the main road in the direction of Nakhon Nayok I came unstuck. I couldn’t find my way to the bus stop which didn’t seem to correspond with Google Maps. In the end I jumped in a taxi with time getting on towards the 3.30pm start.
It was immediately apparent that the visitors had travelled in great numbers for what was a long distance from the south in minivans. They had a stall set up selling souvenirs outside and some had set up an impromptu bar.
The security on the gate was a bit heavy but that might have to do with an incident in the previous home game where Bangkok FC player Aitsaret Noichaiboon attacked NBU man Supasan Ruangsuphanimit with a Muay Thai-style elbow and all hell had broken loose.
Both sides cancelled each other out in a competitive clash. I viewed
from among the superb away support. The German coach of the visitors, Jorg
Steinebrunner, was animated at times but he seemed to get his message across
The hosts main tactic consisted of long throws into the box in the general direction of decent striker Sergey Tumasyan, and then falling over quite a lot. Fortunately, referee Thapakorn Thongkon was having none of it.
While I couldn’t condone any attack on a player, I was quickly understanding how opponents could lose their rag against the mob representing the university. They were a piece of work and knew plenty of dark arts.
Both sides had won their first game 3-0 and were determined not to give anything away in this encounter on a poor playing surface. The heat wasn’t helping either, with drinks breaks being called midway through each half.
At the break I walked to the shop at the far end for refreshments and an ice cream before settling back down. Ten minutes into the restart an excellent Nakhonsi move ended with a header going just wide, and that was about all to report on.
Both defences were the winner in
an absolute stalemate. The courtesy campus bus gave us on foot a ride back to
the main road, and on crossing the bridge a bus was soon with us to take me
back to Zeer Rangsit, from where another couple of services delivered me back
to Minburi.
If I thought I would see a better game on my return a couple of weeks later, I was to be disappointed. This one really stank the place out. Again, I went in with the away fans and enjoyed the same over the top security measures.
Tumasyan was missing from the Uni line up and were consequently even more lacking in forward invention with the strong wind at their backs in the first half. Saraburi opted for a shorter passing game that was more pleasing on the eye.
Both sides fired off speculative efforts in the early exchanges as those from Saraburi made me most welcome as they cheered on their heroes, while one of their defenders put in a last gasp challenge to avert the danger of a North Bangkok attempt.
Aboubacar Kone looked like a class act for the visitors in midfield dealing with the bumpy pitch. United took the ascendency as the half progressed. It said plenty that I enjoyed the performance of ref Kristin Saisombat as much as any player in what was a real contrast of styles.
Saraburi continued to be the better side after the interval, but we still awaited an effort on goal from either side. The visitors skipper went down with what appeared to be a nasty injury but play continued. Fans were hysterical in their screaming before there was a long delay in play.
It fired up both teams with the home sides Piyaphong Homkhajohn taking some real abuse which he wasn’t slow in returning. While NBU were not high on my list of most watchable sides, their skipper Weerayut Jitkuntod was solid and excellent in general.
The closest either side came to goal arrived late on when Saraburi keeper Ritthikiat Yodsamut nearly palmed a long range shot into his own net, but the score remained blank until full time.
At which point I again jumped aboard the free shuttle bus and began my walk along the main road towards the BG Pathum United v Port game, when I was intercepted by a fan who turned out to be the father of an away team player who kindly gave me a lift.
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