In what is already proving an up and down season Thai Port’s ownership problems have dramatically resurfaced—just as fans thought the worst was behind them. During the close-season, they nearly disappeared because of a dispute over who actually owned the club. That tangle was supposedly straightened out when Super Rich Co Ltd took over the running of last year’s League Cup champions.
As reported on the excellent Thai Port blog the current dispute is related to a Memorandum of Understanding, which Super Rich isn’t happy with, and their growing frustration in being unable to carry out necessary improvement work to the stadium, which is owned by the Port Authority. Earlier this week, Super Rich threatened to stop funding Thai Port and put their not inconsiderable wealth behind Samut Prakan Customs F.C of Division 1 if the issues couldn’t be resolved. They also said they would take many of Thai Port’s better players with them.
It now seems that Super Rich may have carried out that threat. On Wednesday, the club urged fans to turn up in large numbers for this weekend’s home game against Samut Songkhram, and manager Sasom Pobpraserd encouraged fans to buy merchandise from the club shop as all proceeds would go towards keeping the club in business. Perhaps most worrying of all he also started making noises about the club being able to survive relegation if it came about.
If Super Rich have pulled out, and if the Port Authority can’t find big-money backers to fill the hole left by Super Rich (and it’s highly unlikely given this fiasco) then it could be the end of Thai Port F.C as we know it. There’s set to be an announcement on Friday so we’ll keep you posted.
It Never Rains But It Pours
Last weekend’s Division 1 match between Bangkok F.C and F.C Phuket was going swimmingly for the home side. Bangkok were 5-2 up and cruising to victory when the heavens opened and dumped everything they had on the Bang Mod Stadium in Thonburi. The pitch was almost immediately flooded and the referee had no choice but to abandon the match. There was just seven minutes left to play. So how is the tie to be settled? Commonsense would suggest letting the result stand and awarding Bangkok F.C the three points: it’s surely inconceivable that Phuket would have got anything out of the match. In many countries the response would be to replay the entire match: traditional and understandable, but incredibly harsh on Bangkok. The third way is the ruthlessly logical: to reconvene and play out the remaining seven minutes. It looks like the TPL (they also administer Division 1) are going with the third choice, probably at a ground equidistant between Bangkok and Phuket.