Harmornious United FC is an amateur football club formed
in 2019 in the Thai capital of Bangkok. The club has a connection to the
Thailand 1st Signal Battalion, based in the Sathon district of the city.
United joined the Bangkok Premier League being promoted
from Division 2 in 2019-20, and then going on to finish sixth in Division 1 in
the 2021-22 season as well as competing in the Thailand Amateur League, where
they ended third in the East Region Southern Zone Group D.
Harmornious United will play in the Bangkok Premier
League Division 1 in the 2022-23 season.
My visit
Harmornious United 2 Phoenix FC 1 (Sunday 30th January
2022) Bangkok Premier League Division 1 (att: c20)
It was time for me to visit a new stadium and dip my toes
into Bangkok Premier League amateur football, taking a songthaew and then
Airport Link train into the city followed by Skytrain to Chong Nonsi prior to
having a walk on a beautiful afternoon.
Calling into a Mini Big C supermarket on Nanglinchee Road
I knew that I was in the right place as a couple of away team players were also
buying provisions in their kit. I followed them over the road and into the
grounds of the HQ of the 1st Signal Battalion regiment.
Assanee Stadium was a pleasant and tidy arena, though
“stadium” was stretching it a bit. There was a dilapidated bleacher stand which
I risked for the first half. The pleasant location a mile or so south of
Patpong offered the Bangkok skyline as a backdrop.
The hosts went ahead on six minutes when a clumsy
challenge by a Phoenix defender saw the referee point to the spot, from where
Phachanon Khamthong made no mistake despite the best efforts of keeper
Chanapong Sricharoenmongkol.
Visiting skipper Thiraphong Suwanwaipatana looked a class
act up front, seeing a dinked effort cleared off the line on a hard and bumpy
pitch. The match was very open and end to end from an early stage.
An Harmornious player took a free kick which missed the
target by so far that the home players on the bench roared with laughter.
Phoenix should have equalised just before the break but a free header at the
back post was somehow put wide.
The game tightened after the restart with the away side
on top, going on to have a goal chalked off for offside from a set piece. They
continued to create pressure, mainly from winning free kicks but were
distinctly average around goal.
Another effort, this time a long shot, went wide for
Phoexix before the hosts doubled their advantage with twenty minutes remaining
as I had taken up a position laying on the grass in the shade of an out
building.
Komin Phatthanakit was the scorer before his goalkeeper
Puritat Patpeng was pressed into action making three easy saves. Phatthanakit
turned well and shot powerfully wide as his side looked to wrap things up.
Patpeng did well to tip an effort over the bar but then
flapped from the resulting corner, leading to the ball being reprocessed and
Suwanwaipatana heading home with five minutes left on the clock.
Phoenix had a late appeal for a penalty turned down by
the excellent referee before he drew proceedings to an end. I’d enjoyed a
decent encounter, where admission was free. I stood to attention as flags were
lowered and the national anthem was played at 6pm.
I headed away and went to catch buses all the way
home, the first of which, the 22 from across the road from the venue took me
all the way to Bangkapi as I was assisted by incredibly helpful locals.
I tried to explain to the conductor, for those of you in the UK who remembers them, that I didn’t realise it went as far as it did, and could I stay on if I paid extra. Such lovely people, and I wasn’t charged any more. A nice end to a good day.
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