Sunday 28 June 2009

Bangabandhu Cup

The national team have been invited to the Bangabandhu Cup to be held in October/November by hosts Bangladesh.

Other invited teams are: India, Qatar, UAE, Iran, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Myanmar.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=94643

Saturday 27 June 2009

FA Cup Results

1st Qualifying Round

Rose Asia Pathum Thani 1 - 2 Samut Prakan
Chankasem Rajabhat 1 - 0 Kasem Bundit Uni
Chainat 1-1(5-6) Nakhon Rachasima

You got to love the FA Cup, day one has produced a cup upset. Chankasem Rajabhat Uni defeated Kasem Bundit Uni who are one step higher than them.

Rose Asia nearly got their first ever win, they currently sit bottom of the Central and Eastern League and todays opponents Samut Prakan sit top of it. Samut won the earlier league meetign 3-0, but todays' FA Cup tie was much closer.

Korat, currently top of the North East League narrowly progressed winning their match on penalties against Chainat whom are 4th of the Northern League.

Friday 26 June 2009

Tawan takes BEC Tero reins

BANGKOK – Former Thailand international Tawan Sripan has been named as head coach of inaugural AFC Champions League finalists BEC Tero Sasana, replacing Frenchman Christophe Larrouilh who becomes the team’s Technical Director.

Tawan (pictured with club President Brin Marcar) ended his playing career at BEC Tero Sasana after spells in Vietnam (Hoang Anh Gia Lai) and Singapore (the now-defunct Sembawang Rangers) and was previously on the coaching staff of the Thailand national team but the mercurial midfielder struggled to balance his role as an assistant to Peter Reid and continuing to play for the Fire Dragons.

BEC Tero will be hoping that Tawan, who was capped 145 times for his country, can reignite the Bangkok giants’ Thailand Premier League (TPL) campaign, with the club currently fifth in the table at the half-way stage.

The two-time league champions ended the first leg of the 2009 TPL season with a 4-1 loss to promoted side Muang Thong United and are currently eight points behind joint leaders Chonburi and Bangkok Glass.

BEC Tero resume their league campaign on July 26 when they entertain table-toppers Chonburi, pitting Tawan against good friend and former international team-mate Kiatisuk ‘Zico’ Senamuang, who recently led the Shark into the quarter-finals of this year’s AFC Cup with a 4-0 win over Indonesia’s PSMS Medan.

http://www.the-afc.com/en/news-centre/member-association-news/301-asean-/24614-tawan-takes-bec-tero-reins

Tuesday 9 June 2009

30 point safety net

Since 2007, we have had a 30 game season. This has proven, in order to stay up, you must get 30 points:

2007 final standings

12 Port Authority 30 9 9 12 36 43 -7 36
13 Suphanburi 30 9 8 13 37 45 -8 35
14 Thai Honda 30 7 8 15 26 38 -12 29
15 Royal Thai Navy (PR) 30 5 12 13 21 35 -14 27
16 Royal Thai Police (PR) 30 5 4 21 19 51 -32 19

2008 final standings

12 Tobacco Monopoly 30 7 12 11 20 25 -5 33
13 Port Authority 30 7 9 14 30 47 -17 30
14 Bangkok Bank 30 6 11 13 23 35 -12 29
15 Royal Thai Army 30 6 7 17 21 44 -23 25
16 Customs Department (PR) 30 5 5 20 18 39 -21 20

In order to survive, you must get about 8 victories.

In 2007, two promoted teams took the drop and in 2008, one team fell.

Fast forward to 2009 and again we could have another two newly promoted teams meet their fate:

12 Pattaya United 13 2 6 5 6 9 -3 12
13 Rajnavy Rayong (PR) 13 3 3 7 10 15 -5 12
14 Samut Songkhram 13 3 2 8 8 13 -5 11
15 Sriracha (PR) 13 2 3 8 8 15 -7 9
16 Chula United 13 1 5 7 10 26 -16 8

Regional League - Bangkok Region Standings

1 Kasem Bundit University 9 7 1 1 27 9 +16 22
2 Raj Pracha 8 7 1 0 16 4 +12 22
3 Raj-Vithi 9 5 1 3 22 12 +10 16
4 Bangkok Christian College 8 4 1 3 13 13 0 13
5 Bangkok Bravo 9 2 4 3 8 14 -6 10
6 Bangkok North Central ASSN 8 2 3 3 7 12 -5 9
7 Rangsit University 8 2 2 4 8 12 -4 8
8 Sarawitaya 9 2 2 5 9 15 -6 8
9 Nakhon Sawan Rajabhat University 9 1 4 4 7 11 -4 7
10 Kasetsart University 9 0 3 6 9 24 -15 3

Regional League - South Standings

1 Narathiwat 7 5 2 0 15 5 +10 17
2 Satun 7 5 2 0 23 9 +14 17
3 Nakhon Si Thammarat 7 4 2 1 19 14 +5 14
4 Pattani 7 3 1 3 14 17 -3 10
5 Krabi 6 2 1 3 6 9 -3 7
6 Phuket 7 1 1 5 6 13 -7 4
7 Phattalung 7 1 1 5 6 13 -7 4
8 Yala 6 1 0 5 3 12 -9 3

Regional League - Central / East Standings

1 Thai Summit 10 6 3 1 23 13 +10 21
2 Samut Prakan 10 5 4 1 15 9 +6 19
3 Ayutthaya 10 4 5 1 18 11 +7 17
4 Cha Choeng Sao 10 5 2 3 14 10 +4 17
5 Lopburi 10 4 3 3 14 12 +2 15
6 Singburi 10 4 3 3 14 15 -1 15
7 Saraburi 10 3 5 2 18 17 +1 14
8 Rayong 10 2 5 3 6 5 +1 11
9 Ratchaburi 10 1 6 3 11 10 +1 9
10 Prachuap Khiri Khan 10 0 8 2 8 10 -2 8
11 Nakhon Nayok 10 0 5 5 5 19 -14 5
12 Rose Asia Pathum Thani 10 0 3 7 7 22 -15 3

Regional League - North Standings

1 Chiangrai United 9 9 0 0 33 6 +27 27
2 Phichit 9 6 1 2 25 15 +10 19
3 Chainat 9 6 1 2 17 13 +4 19
4 Phetchabun 9 6 0 3 22 12 +10 18
5 Uttaradit 9 4 1 4 15 17 -2 13
6 Phitsanulok 9 3 2 4 17 17 0 11
7 Chiangmai United 10 3 1 6 11 17 -6 10
8 Sukhothai 9 3 1 5 6 13 -7 10
9 Kamphaeng Phet 9 2 3 4 10 16 -6 9
10 Tak 9 1 2 6 12 24 -12 5
11 Phrae 9 0 2 7 6 24 -18 2

Regional League - North East Standings

1 Nakhon Ratchasima 10 6 4 0 25 7 +18 22
2 Nakhon Phanom 10 6 2 2 20 13 +7 20
3 Udon Thani 10 5 4 1 22 8 +14 19
4 Loei City 10 5 3 2 17 11 +6 18
5 Buriram 10 3 6 1 11 7 +4 15
6 Sakon Nakhon 10 4 2 4 12 14 -2 14
7 Ubon United 10 2 5 3 14 12 +2 11
8 Mukdahan-Savannakhet 10 2 5 3 10 17 -7 11
9 Mahasarakham 10 2 4 4 15 18 -3 10
10 Surin 10 1 3 6 7 11 -4 9
11 Chaiyaphum United 10 1 5 4 6 11 -5 8
12 Roi Et 10 0 1 9 5 35 -30 1

TPL Standings

1 Bangkok Glass 13 7 6 0 17 9 +8 27
2 Muang Thong United (PR) 13 7 5 1 18 8 +10 26
3 Chonburi 12 7 3 2 20 13 +7 24
4 Osotsapa M-150 13 7 3 3 15 10 +5 24
5 Thai Port 13 5 5 3 17 14 +3 20
6 BEC Tero Sasana 13 5 4 4 19 12 +7 19
7 Bangkok United 13 4 7 2 12 14 -2 19
8 Nakhon Pathom 13 4 5 4 14 17 -3 17
9 PEA (C) 13 3 6 4 13 14 -1 15
10 TOT 13 3 6 4 14 16 -2 15
11 TTM Samut Sakhon 12 3 5 4 13 9 +4 14
12 Pattaya United 13 2 6 5 6 9 -3 12
13 Rajnavy Rayong (PR) 13 3 3 7 10 15 -5 12
14 Samut Songkhram 13 3 2 8 8 13 -5 11
15 Sriracha (PR) 13 2 3 8 8 15 -7 9
16 Chula United 13 1 5 7 10 26 -16 8

Division One Standings

Division One Standings

1 Police United FC 11 8 3 0 29 11 +18 27
2 Royal Thai Army FC (R) 10 6 2 2 13 6 +7 20
3 Thai Honda FC 11 4 6 1 12 7 +5 18
4 Sisaket FC (PR) 11 4 5 2 15 12 +3 17
5 Suphanburi FC 11 5 1 5 15 14 +1 16
6 Khonkaen FC 10 4 4 2 13 12 +1 16
7 Prachinburi FC (PR) 10 4 3 3 12 8 +4 15
8 Thai Airways-Ban Bueng FC 11 4 3 4 12 13 -1 15
9 Songkhla FC (PR) 10 3 5 2 9 8 +1 14
10 Surat Thani FC 10 4 2 4 10 14 -4 14
11 PTT FC 11 2 6 3 15 18 -3 12
12 Chanthaburi FC 10 3 2 5 16 17 -1 11
13 Rattana Bundit FC 11 2 4 5 15 19 -4 10
14 Royal Thai Air Force FC 11 2 3 6 14 13 +1 9
15 Customs Department FC (R) 11 1 4 6 10 18 -8 7
16 Nakhon Sawan FC 11 1 3 7 10 30 -20 6

Time for a look at......Nakhon Sawan

Honours:

Pro League: 2001,2003



The Red Lions of Nakhon sawan, after being crowned Provincial League winners in 2001 and 2003, they thought it was time to move up that footballing ladder.
And boy has it been tough!

Consolidation has been the aim since they made the move joining the 1st Division in 2007, hoping to follow in the footsteps of former Pro League rivals Chonburi and hopefully march into the top flight within a 3-5 year period.

Currently, the plan is going backwards, and they seem to be forever looking over their shoulders and toying with life in Division 2, or what we now call the Regional League.

In fact, they should be playing in it after coming 15th and in a relegation spot just last season.

Due to the TPL going pro and Bangkok Bank therefore having to withdraw, they were given some sort of lifeline. This was to start the new domestic season in a 4 way playoff battle to stay in Division One and the chance to again pit their wits against the likes of the Army and Air Force.

They didn’t take this chance, and lost the playoff final to Thai Honda, well didn’t just lose but got stuffed 4-0!

But last chance saloon seems to be what Nakhon Sawan are all about, due to coming runner up in that playoff, they were thrown back into the 1st Division when the Army Welfair Department decide to withdraw – the Red Lions back where they wanted to be!

But have they taken this opportunity as we approach the half way stage of the season?

NO! They have stumbled along at the bottom getting thumped left and right, only recently they have started to show a bit of fight.

Can they beat the drop this season??

Sunday 7 June 2009

Pakistan coming to Thailand??

Pakistan could tour Thailand this month

Sunday, June 07, 2009 By Alam Zeb Safi KARACHI:

The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) plans to arrange a foreign tour for the senior team, most probably to Thailand, at the end of this month, a top official of the PFF told ‘The News’ on Saturday. The secretary of the PFF Col Ahmad Yar Khan Lodhi said that he has contacted the football authorities of Thailand and Iran during the annual Congress meeting of the world football governing body (FIFA) held in North American state of Bahamas the other day and hopefully the federation would be able to convince them to host Pakistan for a ten-day tour.

“Thailand have almost agreed to our proposal but it is not yet confirmed as we are trying to formally make correspondence with them and are writing to them tomorrow (Monday) and I am hopeful that a tour would be arranged by the end of this month, or in the beginning of July,” Lodhi said.

The PFF is trying to arrange the tour according to the wishes of the coach George Kottan who is currently imparting training to the 23 top ranking footballers at the Punjab Stadium in Lahore. Out of the 23-member squad currently busy in the camp only ten players are such who had featured in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup Qualifiers held in Colombo in April this year while the rest are those who have been specifically picked up by the Austrian coach during the National Challenge Cup held at Hyderabad in April. Kottan is trying to groom players for the future. Kottan had told

The News the other day during an interview that foreign tours are very important and added that he had told the PFF to arrange a trip or two in the near future so that the standard of the team could be boosted. “For raising the standard of the team top class competitions are indispensable and I am looking for that. The players learn through exposure and it is indispensable for developing a side,” the 62-year old coach said. Though the current camp in Lahore serves as a refresher course for those already tested in international circuit, but it is a real trial for those who are yet unknown to the coach George Kottan.

Though originally the camp was planned for 14 days but if a foreign tour is arranged within few days it would then continue till the departure of the team for the expected series. “Hopefully, everything about the tour would be made final within the next ten or twelve days. If the tour is managed the camp would continue, and if not, it could then be winded up after the coach completes his job,” the PFF secretary said.