PHUKET: The island's ailing football club, FC Phuket, is to suffer the ignominy of having fans banned from its final home match in Phuket City because of disgraceful behavior.
The club, with its finances and its future as up in the air as a corner kick, also has to pay a 20,000 baht fine.
On December 21, Phuket fans at Surakul Stadium in Phuket City blocked all exits and forced the referee who oversaw a 1-0 loss to lowly Suphanburi FC to apologise over a microphone before he was allowed to leave the pitch.
It was the second appalling incident of Phuket's first season in Division One. In May, the Phuket Hulk fans chanted at the team coach and forced him to resign on the pitch.
The lack of sportsmanship shown by Phuket fans is likely to discourage any potential backer from taking on the club.
While women and children turned out in numbers in Phuket City when FC Phuket was doing well, they are hardly likely to turn up to support the Hulks if the air is filled with bottles and other missiles, as it was last Wednesday.
To have the fans unable to watch their team's last match of the season is the most serious penalty the Thai FA can impose, short of suspending the club. Whether the fans get the message is a concern - some journalists have actually defended their shoddy behavior.
The bottom line is that no investor will back a football club that has a reputation for intimidation and unacceptable bad behavior, on or off the pitch, by players or fans.
With FC Phuket's prime finacial supporter, the Phuket Provinicial Administrative Organisation, forced to cease funding the club earlier this month on a ruling by the Auditor-General, the club needs money and a change in attitude by fans to survive.
Phuketwan understands that none of the current players or the club's staff have had their contracts renewed for next season. FC Phuket plays one more away game before the ignominy of playing to an empty stadium on January 7.
The club, with its finances and its future as up in the air as a corner kick, also has to pay a 20,000 baht fine.
On December 21, Phuket fans at Surakul Stadium in Phuket City blocked all exits and forced the referee who oversaw a 1-0 loss to lowly Suphanburi FC to apologise over a microphone before he was allowed to leave the pitch.
It was the second appalling incident of Phuket's first season in Division One. In May, the Phuket Hulk fans chanted at the team coach and forced him to resign on the pitch.
The lack of sportsmanship shown by Phuket fans is likely to discourage any potential backer from taking on the club.
While women and children turned out in numbers in Phuket City when FC Phuket was doing well, they are hardly likely to turn up to support the Hulks if the air is filled with bottles and other missiles, as it was last Wednesday.
To have the fans unable to watch their team's last match of the season is the most serious penalty the Thai FA can impose, short of suspending the club. Whether the fans get the message is a concern - some journalists have actually defended their shoddy behavior.
The bottom line is that no investor will back a football club that has a reputation for intimidation and unacceptable bad behavior, on or off the pitch, by players or fans.
With FC Phuket's prime finacial supporter, the Phuket Provinicial Administrative Organisation, forced to cease funding the club earlier this month on a ruling by the Auditor-General, the club needs money and a change in attitude by fans to survive.
Phuketwan understands that none of the current players or the club's staff have had their contracts renewed for next season. FC Phuket plays one more away game before the ignominy of playing to an empty stadium on January 7.
so sad for the team. i like to see football when phuket.fc play home
Posted by laudrup. on December 27, 2011 17:12