PHUKET: FC Phuket, the holiday island's troubled football club, will probably disappear after one final game before a hushed crowd at home in Phuket City this weekend unless a wealthy and adventurous buyer emerges.
With speculation swirling about the troubled Phuket sports brand and a 1.3 million baht outstanding salary debt for December yet to be paid, the word went out tonight that anyone who has 25 million baht to spend can call FC Phuket their club.
Phuket officials dismissed a report tonight that the club had already been sold as ''totally false.''
If no buyer emerges soon, officials told Phuketwan, the FC Phuket brand will be handed to Bangkok-based Muang Thong United under an arrangement that saw the larger, successful club provide advice and star players to FC Phuket this Division One season.
Next season, in place of FC Phuket, a Division Two southern club based on ''Phuket Town Football Club'' could emerge. Starting all over may not be such a bad idea.
FC Phuket's unruliest fans were the club's biggest burden. The families who earlier in the season followed FC Phuket have been scared off and are not likely to return in a hurry, even if FC Phuket survives.
Indeed, FC Phuket may fade with a whimper rather than a bang at its last Division One home game at Surakul Stadium in Phuket City from 6pm on Saturday.
Thailand's Football Association initially banned Phuket fans from attending the match because of a shocking display of unsporting behavior at a game in December when the exits were blocked and the central referee was not allowed to leave the pitch before he apologised for his performance.
His problem: FC Phuket had lost. It was the latest display of poor behavior from the Phuket ''Hulk'' fans, who deserve little mercy at the hands of club and league officials.
After some special pleading, the FA relented and will allow the fans the chance to see their hero ''Hulks'' play for possibly the last time as a Phuket-based side.
But the fans will have to be well-behaved and cease their traditional drumming and chanting. Wearing Phuket green shirts was to also be forbidden but the Thai FA officials have also relented about that, too, and in a show of compassion, will allow FC Phuket fans to wear their green shirts, perhaps for the last time.
The match hardly matters, given the drama of FC Phuket's off-the-pitch fight for survival.
What the club has lacked - apart from money and a fan base who all understand that violence, like racism, has no place in football - is discipline. Starting all over with a clean slate and the chance to make amends may be just what Phuket and football needs.
With speculation swirling about the troubled Phuket sports brand and a 1.3 million baht outstanding salary debt for December yet to be paid, the word went out tonight that anyone who has 25 million baht to spend can call FC Phuket their club.
Phuket officials dismissed a report tonight that the club had already been sold as ''totally false.''
If no buyer emerges soon, officials told Phuketwan, the FC Phuket brand will be handed to Bangkok-based Muang Thong United under an arrangement that saw the larger, successful club provide advice and star players to FC Phuket this Division One season.
Next season, in place of FC Phuket, a Division Two southern club based on ''Phuket Town Football Club'' could emerge. Starting all over may not be such a bad idea.
FC Phuket's unruliest fans were the club's biggest burden. The families who earlier in the season followed FC Phuket have been scared off and are not likely to return in a hurry, even if FC Phuket survives.
Indeed, FC Phuket may fade with a whimper rather than a bang at its last Division One home game at Surakul Stadium in Phuket City from 6pm on Saturday.
Thailand's Football Association initially banned Phuket fans from attending the match because of a shocking display of unsporting behavior at a game in December when the exits were blocked and the central referee was not allowed to leave the pitch before he apologised for his performance.
His problem: FC Phuket had lost. It was the latest display of poor behavior from the Phuket ''Hulk'' fans, who deserve little mercy at the hands of club and league officials.
After some special pleading, the FA relented and will allow the fans the chance to see their hero ''Hulks'' play for possibly the last time as a Phuket-based side.
But the fans will have to be well-behaved and cease their traditional drumming and chanting. Wearing Phuket green shirts was to also be forbidden but the Thai FA officials have also relented about that, too, and in a show of compassion, will allow FC Phuket fans to wear their green shirts, perhaps for the last time.
The match hardly matters, given the drama of FC Phuket's off-the-pitch fight for survival.
What the club has lacked - apart from money and a fan base who all understand that violence, like racism, has no place in football - is discipline. Starting all over with a clean slate and the chance to make amends may be just what Phuket and football needs.
What utter rubbish, a football stadium is a place of theatre and drama where crowd participation is vital. People that misbehave should be dealt with accordingly. To say poor behavior by Hulk fans has lead to the administrative issues at FC Phuket xenophobic and judgmental reporting in very poor taste. You should be deeply ashamed and professionally embarrassed to publish such unfounded and bias claptrap.
Posted by Bobby on January 4, 2012 23:51
Editor Comment:
We don't say anything of the kind - you comprehend what you read about as well as FC Phuket controls bad behavior. A football club anywhere stands no hope of success without fans, and the average family won't go to a ''sporting event'' if violence and angry mob behavior is a potential outcome. This is not something new. Every successful football club in the world knows it. Where have you been, Bobby?