FC Bangsaotong is a football club from the district of the same name in Samut Prakan, to the south of the Thai capital of Bangkok. FCB to give them their more commonly known name, was formed as QonQuest FC.
The club from Bangkok’s executive class and led by Crispin Francis, a Singaporean who relocated to Bangkok due to work in July 2017, set their sights on promotion to the third tier of Thai football after initially competing in the Bangkok Premier League playing home games at Vichupa Football Field near Ram Intra in Bangkok.
A move to new facilities in Bangsaotong after previously playing home
games at saw the change of title in April 2021 as FCB also gained admission
into the fourth level Thailand Amateur League. Meanwhile a fourth place in the
BPL saw the side gain promotion to Division Two of that competition for the
2021-22 campaign.
FCB set up an academy. Jamie Clarke, a former player with a wealth of experience in English and Scottish professional football was installed as head coach, with Mikel Masabe, a professional in Uganda, Spain and Thailand as his assistant.
FCB finished top of Bangkok Group H in the 2022 Thailand Amateur League, from where they progressed to the knockout stages, which resulted in wins against W&A Bangmot and then Ramkhamhaeng University, with can be read about here.
Bangkapi FC were dispatched on penalties to set up a final against Samutsakhon City, the winners from the Bangkok Perimeter stages. Bangsaotong went down 1-0 to a controversial goal at Thonburi Stadium, which can be read about here, which saw the club fall one game short of promotion to Thai League 3.
The team won promotion to Division 1 of the Bangkok Premier League at the end of the 2021-22 season. Coach Clarke left with Masabe remaining, while second string side TAO Dovechem also achieved success climbing to the second level of that competition.
FC Bangsaotong will play in the Thailand Amateur League in the 2023 season as well as Division 1 of the Bangkok Premier League in 2023-24.
FCB Qons 2 Nonthaburi City 1 (Tuesday 14th December 2021) Chang Bangkok League (att: c20)
I’d only arrived in Bangkok a couple of weeks earlier, but already my knowledge of local football had expanded to include competitions I didn’t even know existed before my departure from blighty.
It was sometimes a confusing business, but many people were extremely helpful on social media answering my queries. I had found the Bangkok Premier League, so I was somewhat baffled when surfing the net, I came across the Chang Bangkok League.
Research showed me that it was a separate competition played midweek with all games hosted by FC Bangsaotong. This was too good an opportunity to turn down, even if getting to the ground by public transport would severely test my resolve. A quick message on Facebook was met with a welcoming prompt reply that spectators were OK to attend.
My morning and early afternoon were spent walking, acquainting myself with Minburi where I was staying and then a bus for a wander round Nawamin Phirom Park by Bangkapi. A walk to The Mall Bangkapi saw me come across a sight from many years earlier.
The National Housing Association or Khlong Chang Stadium was formerly home to Thai top tier side Osotspa when I took photographs there. The pitch looked to be ready for action, but I didn’t know who played there. Definitely something for further research.
After a meal I set out for the game, some three hours before the 7pm kick off. Thai buses had already shown me the perils of leaving things until the last minute. The 145 service arrived promptly. The conductress nodded that she knew where I wanted and took my 20 Baht fare.
I’d arranged to give a pal a call back in London, and I thought jumping out early at Seacon Square mall would be a good move. However, the lass in charge wasn’t having this farang getting lost. She was insistent I got off where I’d asked for.
After a nice chat I headed round to the main Chonburi to Bang Na Expressway. Several buses passed. I was getting concerned that mine wouldn’t turn up, despite their being a choice of three. Relief was the overriding emotion when one turned up.
I have to say seeing the driver and conductor in Santa hats did give me a giggle. I sat back and listened to music while trying to chart my journey. It took getting on for an hour to reach the Banga 2 Hospital stop I required.
The good news was this was the route I’d need to get to top-flight side Samut Prakan City FC. I now knew for next time. The bad news was that this was as close as public transport would take me to my impending match.
I’ve done a few daft things over the years to reach matches, but what followed was right up there. I walked along the side of a busy road with no footpaths for around 300 metres, sometimes letting scooters by that were travelling in the wrong direction. It wasn’t only me then.
As soon as I got the opportunity, I was off and along a khlong side path. An interesting walk as dusk fell saw me walk past many modest dwellings as locals must have been scratching their heads at a big westerner walking by with a daft grin wearing an old England shirt.
I was not unhappy to see the floodlights of the ground. Nor to see Flags Bistro and Bar, where drinks and food were sold from. A large can of Chang was just what the doctor ordered as I tried to take in my surroundings.
It was obviously a new ground, with the pitch still bedding in. A second pitch was behind one goal, also in use with floodlights. The only real spectator accommodation was down one side, along with changing rooms. It had a low cover with media and VIP facilities upstairs.
I was trying to determine the best place to watch while passing the
players when a north-eastern voice stopped me. “Are you the bloke from
Scarborough?” It was player coach and Sunderland lad Jamie Clarke who
introduced himself and mentioned he nearly signed for the Seadogs.
His pal, Lee Hall also joined in, while not being too impressed when I asked him if he was a Mackem. An easy mistake to make! Crispin welcomed me and told me I could go upstairs to watch the match for a better view. What wonderful folk.
FCB Qons, one of the club sides, led the table going into this match against Nonthaburi City who sat in second place. It was immediately apparent that this was a very different City line up to the one I’d seen in a friendly against SPA Srongpol a few days earlier. The match was also of a far higher quality.
The intensity was as it should be for such a relatively important game. Jamie Clarke stood out at the back for Qons, while former Hillingdon Borough striker Leon Nelson was a real handful up front, although some of his finishing might have been more precise.
The hosts had to come from behind to win the game to be crowned as league champions. An unusual feature was that the game was being screened live on Facebook. Nothing too strange in that, but the commentary was over a mic and also transmitted out onto the pitch. I’m not sure I’d have enjoyed that in my playing days.
The result was the right outcome. After the match I grabbed another beer while waiting to have a chat with Jamie. We ended up drinking Chang on the pitch after the game listening to the likes of Oasis, Blur and The Mock Turtles with English and friendly Thai players while talking players.
There was plenty of managers connected to Scarborough football spoken about! I would never have believed it before I set out. Unbelievably there were some Chiang Mai connections too between us. Lovely to meet Jamie Clarke and the gang.
I still had the journey home to negotiate. Lee was taking Jamie back and he kindly gave me a lift to where the main road had pavements after they swerved off for more provisions at a 7/11. I hailed a cab for the rest of the way home. Bang Sao Tong is not an easy place to reach, but I’m glad I made the effort.
At Samut Prakan Stadium
FC Bangsaotong 0 Uthai Thani 4 (Wednesday 2nd November 2022) Thai FA Cup Round of 64 (att: 135)
The biggest day in the history of FC Bangsaotong, at least at that stage of their life, came following a crushing 6-1 win away to Teerachaipallet Samutprakhan in the first round of the FA Cup. Their reward was a tie against high flying Thai League 2 side Uthai Thani.
In the lead up to the game I was in touch with coach Jamie Clarke who said he wasn’t in charge for the game, but he provided me with the details. Unfortunately, the home stadium didn’t offer the requirements for the tie, so it was moved to Samut Prakhan Stadium.
The good news was that a 3pm kickoff allowed the opportunity to head straight to the PAT Stadium at fulltime to see Port take on Sukhothai in another of the round’s matches. By now I was an old hand at getting to the stadium and arrived in good time, via minivan from Minburi and then a bus from Kingkaew Market.
I was in good form when I alighted, as a couple of delightful old girls saw it their duty to make sure that I wasn’t lost and I got off where I needed, and I played along despite knowing exactly where I was. After grabbing some provisions, I headed over the road and exchanged greetings with some of the Bangsaotong fraternity who recognised me.
It was free admission, and nobody bothered to staff the beer stall, which was a slight disappointment. Only the main stand side was open, with the FCB section taken up of players relatives, friends, coaches doing scouting and a few neutral groundhoppers.
Marco, a Port fan who had become a matchday companion, joined me along with Jim, who runs the Port FC Sambapit Twitter feed for ex-pats, who I met for the first time. We had a good chat about many subjects while enjoying a half decent game in which FCB gave a good showing.
While having plenty of possession, they failed to create too many scoring opportunities and looked more rushed on the ball than their fulltime opponents, which could only be expected, with Jiramet Dalunphan looking tricky for the “home” side.
The visitors took the lead on fourteen minutes when a low cross from Nontapat Naksawat was acrobatically volleyed in by Brazilian forward Carlos Damian. Adefolarin Durosinmi had a decent chance to double the lead, but his side footed effort was saved by Thanakon Phlailahan in the FCB goal.
The impressive Kuatrakul Kwankua saw his shot bend away from the target for the hosts, as the game was becoming stretched at an early stage. The teams went down the tunnel with just one goal separating them. We wanted a shock but not one that required extra time!
It was 2-0 after sixty-six minutes as the FCB resistance was gradually worn down after they put in maximum effort trying to engineer an equalizer. Durosinmi set up Nawamin Chaiprasert, whose shot took a deflection on the way in.
Carlos Damian was very good for Uthai Thani, but also extremely stroppy, continually berating referee Wichate Tainthong, and his colleagues. Head coach Narasak Boonkleng withdrew him with fifteen minutes remaining.
Within sixty seconds his decision was vilified when Piyaruck Kwangkaew saw his attempt come back off a post, with the ball being recycled and the resulting cross being put in by substitute Kento Nagasaki with his first touch.
The lead was extended further as a fine team move with plenty of passing was put in at the back post by Kwangkaew with eight minutes left on the clock. Narakorn Noomchansakul had an effort saved as we hoped that the floodgates would not open.
A final Bangsaotong foray saw an over-elaborate move end in Kitthipong Phanna shooting over the bar. We headed for the exit gate as the board for three minutes additional time went up, as Jim’s Grab taxi approached.
FCB had put in an excellent performance and had done themselves proud. If only they had won their playoff final a few months earlier to go up into Thai League 3. Our driver also did himself proud, as we arrived at the PAT with time for a beer before the second game!
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