Sisaket F.C.
is a professional football club from the town of the same name in Thailand’s
north eastern region of Isaan, that was formed in 1999.
The club was
formed by the Sports Authority of Thailand to play in the Provincial League,
which was the third tier of football at the time. SSKFC went on to become the
inaugural champions.
By 2007 ‘The
Dangerous Koupreys’; a kouprey being a wild bovine animal of the region, found
themselves competing in the second tier Thai Division 1 League, from where they
were relegated to the Regional League.
Head coach Chartkla
Subsongpol had been appointed the previous year. The club kept faith with him
as he led the side to runners-up place in Group B and promotion back to the
second level.
Success
continued for the fans at Sri Nakhon Lamduan Stadium as Sisaket finished the
2009 season in third place and were promoted to the Thai Premier League with Piroj
Anantanarong finishing as top scorer.
Somchart
Yimsiri took over as team boss in what was to prove to be a rather turbulent
season. SSKFC finished in the relegation play-off spots, with Freddy Marinho, Kim
Kyung-Ju and Wisoot Wichaya all coming and going as head coach.
The team
came top of their relegation play-off to remain in the top flight thanks in
part to the goals of Piyawat Thongman. Englishman Dave Booth was appointed to
lead the side for the 2011 season, but he was replaced a few weeks in by the Brazilian,
Royter Moreira.
The club was
known on records as Sisaket Muangthai FC as they finished safely in twelfth
spot with Wuttichai Tathong and Victor Amaro finishing as joint top scorers.
In 2012 the
local Sisaket government decided to back newly formed club Sisaket United FC in
the third tier Regional League North Eastern Region. Sisaket FC decamped to
Ubon Ratchathani and changed their name to Esan United FC.
Moreira was
replaced by Phayong Khunnaen and then Paniphon Kerdyam during the season, as
the team finished in sixth place with Tana Chanabut banging in the goals after
being signed from Police United. However, the joy at a such a credible finish
was to be short lived.
It was found
that fake documents had been used to legitimise the move to Ubon Ratchathani along
with the name change. The club was suspended for the season and returned to
Sisaket and their former title while retaining their Premier League place for
the 2014 campaign.
Former Thai
international midfielder Chalermwoot Sa-ngapol took charge of the team on their
return home. International forward Sarayuth Chaikamdee scored the goals as
SSKFC finished in twelfth place.
Ekkapan
Jandakorn skippered the team in 2015, in a season which saw Adefolarin
Durosinmi lead the scoring charts as the Sisaket finished in thirteenth spot.
However, a fine run in the League Cup almost ended in glory.
Pattaya
United and Police United were among the sides disposed of as Sisaket reached
the final, where they were up against Isaan neighbours Buriram United. SSKFC
went down to a solitary goal at Bangkok’s Suphachalasai Stadium.
The 2016 final
league position mirrored that of the previous season. Božidar Bandović had
started the campaign as head coach before he was replaced by Masahiro Wada with
Anton Zemlianukhin finishing as top scorer.
Former Thai
international defender Dusit Chalermsan took control of the team for the
commencement of the 2017 campaign in the rebranded Thai League 1, before being
replaced by Velizar Popov by March. The Bulgarian’s reign was also short lived
as he had resigned by August.
Former
English Premier League forward Leroy Lita spend the season at the club without
really producing the goods. Mariano Berriex was leading scorer with Chalermwoot
Sa-ngapol in charge of the team as they were relegated to League 2.
Robert Jose
da Silva was charged with the task of trying to regain Sisaket’s top tier
status, but he was soon replaced by Somchai Chuayboonchum.
Sisaket FC
will play in Thai League 2 in the 2018 season.
My visit
Sisaket 0
Nakhon Ratchasima 3 (Wednesday 13th June 2018) League Cup Round One
(att: 651)
My twelve
day holiday to Thailand had been in the planning stage for a while when I
arrived at work for early shift a couple of weeks before departure. I was like
a little lad on Christmas morning as the draw for the Thai League Cup was about
to be made.
I’d attended
the 2017 final the previous November with Steve Walker, but this was to be
different as I would be travelling up country alone to a town I’d never been to
before. Dale down in Chonburi had been a help as ever in the build up.
He started
sending me the translated draw through as it was made live on Facebook. I kept
trying to grab a look, but I hadn’t a clue what was going on. Some cynics would
say that I had plenty in common with those conducting proceedings.
My plans
were to take in cities in Isaan for part of the trip, so I was overjoyed when the draw
pitted together two sides from that region. The capacity of the stadium meant
that tickets wouldn’t be an issue. It was time to start booking rooms and
transport.
Forward to Wednesday
13th. I’d arrived in Bangkok the previous morning in adventurous mood
and spent the day sleeping, at the local snooker hall, eating and even having a
game of bingo before a few beers in Minburi with Steve.
There was
something about the Sudtong Club where we settled on the main drag. It didn’t have an extensive
range of beers or luxurious facilities, but to me it was proper Thailand. Cheap
prices, reasonable snacks, live music, friendly folk and set by a duel carriageway. I loved the
place.
In fact I
loved it a bit too much, staying on after my pal and then awaking a bit the
worse for wear at 5.30am. My flight wasn’t until 9am but traffic could be
terrible during the Bangkok morning peak, so I was better to be safe than
sorry.
The hold ups
could be worse than ever at the time as in many places a lane of traffic had
disappeared while the sky train extension was in progress. It was some
herculean job, but it would surely eventually ease the congestion a little?
I began to
perk up after some comfort food. My flight was on time and I was very excited.
As I noted at the time, I could be visiting places where little English was
spoken, or indeed written. This merely added to the thrill.
My flight
was to Ubon Ratchathani from where I decided on taking a taxi to the railway
station. It was a choice between train or bus but being a railway worker meant
that there could only one real option.
The fare to
Sisaket, or Sisa - Ket as it was also listed, was about 30p in sterling. I had around
an hour to wait, so I bought a bottle of water and watched the world go by on
the platform. I was attracting some attention.
The
transport police came over for a chat. One of their colleagues photographed us
from across the tracks. They were most friendly and asked what I was doing and
heading. When I said Sisaket, they said “why?”.
I explained
I was going to the football which surprised them. They seemed to have trouble
getting their heads round it. I don’t suppose that they’d come across many
overweight backpacking fifty plus year old Yorkshiremen going to watch Sisaket
play?
As it turns
out I noticed signs on the route and then between Sisaket and Surin the
following day warning of people trafficking. Perhaps the police though that was
my game? The nearest I got to that was organising mini buses to watch
Scarborough.
I’d also
infamously helped form and lead the Beer Battered Seadogs Cricket Club on three
brief tours of Bangkok, Pattaya and Hua Hin, for which I was still receiving
counselling, but people trafficking? No thanks?
The welcome from
everyone had taken me back. A young lady had been most helpful in the ticket
hall. In fact, my one slight disappointment was that I was all geared up to use
some very basic Thai when everyone spoke decent English.
The station
at Ubon Ratchathani was in itself uplifting, at least to someone involved in
the industry back home, where saving money comes above customer service. Here
there was a ticket office, first class lounge, toilets, reasonably priced
stalls, lots of staff and police.
I’d been
told that my train was cheap as it was a local service, but I’d have smiled if
they put me in an open truck. There’s something about Thailand that does that
to me. Not everyone speaks English, but they smile. It’s only natural to reciprocate.
How are we getting it so wrong in the UK?
Anyway, I
digress. People packed all manners of items on board. Vendors went up and down
the train. I opted for a bottle of water and a piece of barbecued chicken on a
stick. It certainly beat paying £5 for a pastie!
The journey
took an hour. It was stifling hot as I arrived in Sisaket; a town seemingly
dominated with market stalls, at least either side of the railway tracks. I
walked the ten minutes or so to the Boonsiri Boutique Hotel, my place of rest
for the night.
I’d read
that taxis were rare in the town, so I inquired at reception as to whether it
was possible to book me one to take me to the match, as the stadium was on the
outskirts. The young lady said it was no problem and it would be there at 5pm.
After a
siesta my room phone rang to tell me that my carriage was awaiting. What
excellent service! I explained to the driver as well as I could where I wanted
to go. He nodded and headed off in the correct direction according to my
previous research.
It was
normal to see scooters with fans wearing team shirts on the way to matches in
Thailand. Therefore, I was a little concerned not to encounter any as the stadium
floodlights appeared on the horizon.
I needn’t
have worried. I was at the right place and the game was kicking off at 6pm. It
was just that I was early. 100 Baht (£2.20) secured me a seat near the centre
of the covered stand. There was time to have a look around before that.
I managed to
gain access to the stand behind the goal to take some photos, where I came
across a couple of local ultras taking their banners and drums upstairs. Again,
broad smiles were the order of the day.
It was
obvious that the early kick off time would affect the attendance. Many were
still at work. I was slightly shocked that only 20 or so fans had made the
journey from Korat to cheer on Nakhon Ratchasima. It was a case of choose any
spot as the teams warmed up.
The Sri
Nakhon Lamduan Stadium was a typical multi purpose arena as seen around
Thailand with an athletic track around the pitch. Stands formed a horseshoe
shape on three sides, with the Main Stand a lone structure with a roof and
seats over the centre section.
The home
side were the underdogs but started well with their Brazilian number 10, Cristiano
looking very talented on the ball. Two WAGS of Brazilian appearance came into
the stand as the crowd gradually built.
Cristiano
brought a good save out Swatcat keeper Todsaporn Sri-reung, who was on loan
from Police-Tero in the second minute with a long range shot. The main noise
came from the far side and the few behind the goal as the sun quickly dropped.
The locals
sang some song which had a resemblance to Belinda Carlisle’s, Heaven is a Place
on Earth. While Cristiano was good with his feet, he missed an easy chance to
score with his head mid way through the half as a glanced at a perfect cross
from Nattaphol Sukchai.
Nakhon
Ratchasima put together their first meaningful attack when Phaitoon Nontadee
went on an excellent run beating several players to pull back to Veerapong
Korrayok, who contrived to hit the side netting with his shot.
Natthakit
Insao also reached the byline for the hosts before teeing up Pongsak Boonthot,
whose weak header was easily dealt with just past the half hour mark. It was a
similar story a few minutes later as Igor Luiz fluffed a headed chance from a Wongsaphat
Silahirunrath free kick.
The visitors
went 1-0 up a couple of minutes before the interval, when Nebojša Marinković
went on a fine run that was nodded home by Phaitoon Nontadee to the joy of the
gargantuan figure of Ratchasima’s Serbian coach Miloš Joksić.
Swatcats
continued where they left off, as they were the better side for the fist ten
minutes after the restart. Sisaket looked to get back into the game, with
Cristiano missing another sitter with his head.
However, the
hosts were offered a lifeline when the referee awarded them what looked like a
very soft penalty on sixty seven minutes. Justice was seemingly done as Cristiano
blasted the spot kick at least ten yards over the bar.
The Koupreys
had their danger extinguished a few minutes later as they were made to pay for
their miss. A fine ball saw the defence go missing as Leandro Assumpção waltzed
through to double the lead.
The Brazilian
added another soon after with a fine run and beautiful chip over home custodian
Pornchai Kasikonudompaisan which received well deserved applause from all
around the stadium.
Confidence
seemed to drain from the Sisaket players. Fortunately, the visitors realised
that their job was done and didn’t inflict any greater damage. There was still
time for the hosts to come close twice before full time.
An awful
clearance from the Swatcat keeper saw the ball returned into the area, where
Cristiano saw his effort blocked on the line. The same player hit the bar with
the last action of the game after a Methanon Sutthasen was nodded into his
path.
The match
was certainly a tale of two Brazilians. Sisaket’s Cristiano could have been the
hero, but instead it was Ratchasima’s Leandro who left with the plaudits. I’d thoroughly
enjoyed it all. Click here to see a brief clip. Now it was time to find my way
back.
I hadn’t risked
asking the driver to return in case the match went to extra time. I mean how
was I meant to explain the permutations to him in Thai when he’d dropped me
off? With no taxis around and the crowd heading away it was time to get my
daily steps in.
It was still
very warm as I walked south before taking the main drag back towards town. I
was relieved to come across a 7/11 half way up Thanon Khu Khan to take on board
a toastie and a Gatorade.
I’d read that
there may have been a lively bar near the bus station, but I didn’t find it if
there was. Instead I stopped for a beer in a bar called Stand By, which had an
indoor area which seemed to be popular with well dressed locals.
I was tired
and needing a shower, so I headed back to my hotel and started watching some of
another England ODI victory over Australia. While this was naturally
satisfying, I hadn’t planned for weeks in advance to sit in a hotel room when
there was exploring to be done.
After a change
of clothes I headed along Ratchakan Rotfai 2, busy with people working on the
night market stalls and past the station, where I’d read reviews for a bar
called Cuckoo’s Nest. I walked all the way without locating it. Not to worry, as
I had a plan B.
Hotel
Prompiman was said to have a bar, club and snooker hall. It was time that I
found out. Sure enough, this looked like the place to be in town. I took a seat
at a vacant table and was soon enjoying a large bottle of Chang in an open fronted place with I-Bar club across the yard.
The service
was excellent with the waitresses filling the glass as it emptied. On reflection, it may well have been the not unattractive female staff wearing figure hugging dresses
advertising the popular brew that persuaded me to have another.
I settled my
tab and was mulling over a visit to the nightclub when a couple of local fellas
beckoned me over. They insisted a drank with them. Being the perfect diplomat
and tourist, I concluded that it was the least I could do.
It
transpired that one of the fellas was in the army as he showed me photos of him
in full uniform and on parade, followed by images of his family. I was praying
that his phone didn’t have too much storage as I made my excuses and went across
the way.
It had been
some time since I’d been clubbing, but my memory told me that the bouncer hadn’t
smiled and welcomed me the same way as was in evidence here. Entry was free and
drinks sensibly priced.
People stood
by tables and were served, but they seemed fine with me going straight to the
hatch and paying. Again, I was getting smiles from everyone. A very decent
local band had the place rocking, which can be seen below.
It was
definitely bedtime a couple of large bottles later. A local had tried to strike
up a conversation when I first tried to order a beer, but the music was too
loud and I wanted to take everything in.
The same
fella saw me as I was having a look at the food on the busy street stall. He
seemed a friendly chap and insisted on giving me a lift back to my hotel, even
waiting while I popped into 7/11 for snacks.
Somehow, I
couldn’t imagine that happening in the UK? It summed up Sisaket and its
wonderful smiling people. It wasn’t the most aesthetic of towns but the locals
more than made up for it. I wouldn’t hesitate to return.
Incidentally,
I later discovered that I was on the wrong side of the railway for my originally intended
place of lubrication, so that will have to wait for a return trip. Maybe for a
Sisaket United match? I wouldn’t need to have too many excuses to see so many
smiles again!
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