Todsapol has been linked with a move to the Yamaha Stadium in the past. Indeed, Thai Port turned down bids from BG and MTU for the Ratchaburi-born defender in July. Ekkapoom, who also hails from Ratchaburi, has recently expressed his desire to stay at PAT Stadium. Although, after another season of off-field problems at Port, you couldn't blame him or the others for eyeing a move elsewhere.
I can't believe I'm publishing twitter rumours. Apologies for stooping so low!
ReplyDeleteReally! If this happens the team really has thrown in the towel. Seems like this will be Port's LAST year in the TPL. Fans should boycott.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the second comment here, but after last June's sale, if this one is really true then I am probably done as a Port supporter. There is no excuse for a team to show such contempt for their fans. If you don't have the money to field a competitive team, then sell it to someone who will.
ReplyDelete...There are other rumours that Munze, Moise and Sivakorn could also be leaving. It's all speculation at the moment, though.
ReplyDeleteYou're not stooping it's merely picking up that one baht you see on the ground, keep it coming I have no understanding of twitter so if you didn't publish it I wouldnt hear of it.
ReplyDeleteselling football teams isnt as easy as sticking an advert on ebay, finding someone with the finances that will be able to take the club in the right direction must be tough, you only have to look at Everton who have been for sale for 5 years now and still waiting, sadly they are stagnating but what option is there. Ekkapoom was our best player so it's understandable other clubs would want him, (whether he'll cope with being merely part of a team instead of the focus like he is for us we'll see) Todsapol improved dramatically over the season so again why wouldnt a team with more money than us think they can tempt him, Mongkol, take away his deadball contributions and it's not the greatest loss in the world. Munze and Moise probably on big money and are our stand out players, again mid-table teams are always going to lose those types of players to the bigger boys its the law of the jungle. Also with the foreigner rule maybe the club is trying to work which foreigners are going to go and if we can get money for their departure. Sivakorn once he works out what he's going to do each time he gets the ball could be good player but at present no massive loss, it more the numbers that could be leaving that is the problem.
We have to accept that thai football has changed, the money other clubs have is now so much more than it was three or four years ago, money is king, its a sad fact. Being an Aldershot fan I'm well conditioned to mediocrity as a football fan if we go into decline so be it, my team went out of existence in '92 (which is worse than decline). The team reformed at the lowest level possible, so chasing glory at the expense of the club is foolhardy, Thai Port are one of the oldest clubs, the history that would be lost isn't worth risking its financial security for. So I consider myself to have been lucky enough to enjoy the last couple of years of success, and that's more than some fans get.
Wow, this could be a very long, very sad transfer window!!
ReplyDeleteEven in the face of this though, what ever happens, I am a Thai Port fan through and through. Whatever the team may be next season, I'll be there, first game cheering them on. This is just the time when the team does need support, how can anyone enjoy the good times if you aren't willing to stick with a team through the rough. I may not agree with the sale of certain players, the running of the club or even the current manager but walking away is not an option. I have history with this club, (albeit brief) I was there when we won the Toyota cup, I was at Glass last day of last season to secure 4th spot, I was there for all of this seasons cup run, I was there each and every time we beat police this season, I was at the first game of the season and I'll be at the last. I'll be there if we play in the Premier, league one or bloody conference. To give all that up, 'throw in the towel' and simply start again with some other team that I think will do better this next season will not happen!! How would Shots feel now if he had given up and thrown in the towel in 1992 when Aldershot went tits up? It must have been a tough time and a long, long road, but he must have clung on to the though that one day, they may even be higher than Grimsby in the league! Now that day is here and I bet he wouldn't swap that for being a Man U fan with all the titles and cups that it has brought any day.
Wise words, Shilts & Shots. 3 trophies in 3 years ain't bad going (with the slim possibility of another). You have to stick with your team(s) through thick and thin. Lets face it, the majority of football teams have more 'thin' then 'thick'. Everton, for example, haven't won anything for 17 years. I doubt we'll win anything in the next 17 years either. That's just football. You have to enjoy the good times when you can, and take the bad times on the chin.
ReplyDeleteTo quote Kipling (Rudyard...not the cake bloke)
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!
RE: Rumours - One of the KTA facebookers reckons he spoke to the father of a 15/16-year-old kid from Newcastle United's academy, who is having a trial at Thai Port next week. Buriram Utd want him, too. Watch this space...
Regarding MCBKK's earlier point about fans unrest. Some of the fans met with Worapong AKA 'Big Ben' yesterday. They tried to pin him down on what happened to the money from Buriram FC. He claims that it was used to pay off old debts, and he was shocked to learn that the club was 36,000,000 baht in the red. He's claiming that he's a scapegoat.
ReplyDeleteThe full article is here: http://www.manager.co.th/Sport/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9550000008710
Guess as an American I have a bit different view of sport. I expect an ownership group to act responsibly and always move to improve a team. This is part of their commitment to the players and the fans when they buy the organization. Even through bankruptcies most US sports teams are looking to improve.
ReplyDeleteThe Thai Port owners have "thrown in the towel" so to speak and it is really hard for me to support an organization that has that much disrespect (I would say contempt) for the players and the fans. Jesus, they don't even pay the players salaries! Do you think "Big Ben" is losing any money or his lifestyle has been compromised?
I have to hand it to MTU, BUR U, Chon, and BKK Glass. The owners realize the type of money and commitment it takes to build a successful team. As a fan, I appreciate that.
Hell, look at BEC, they are going to do everything they can to bring a trophy there. Port is doing everything they can to get relegated.
Comparison to Everton is quite unfair. Everton have an OUTSTANDING manager who gets great play out of mediocre talent. I think Moyes is one of the best managers in the UK. Port even SOLD the coach!!! While Everton sells some top players, they still go out and try to sign talent. They field a competitive team despite the adversity. Quite admirable I would say.
Again, this league desperately needs a salary cap, both a minimum and maximum that TPL teams can spend on salaries. If you cannot meet the minimum it is a NO GO for your team. Ownership groups must sign contracts committing to this. Default and the league takes over the team.
This has been quite a sad journey for me...to start supporting a team two months before they go in the shitter...The fans are great...but truth be told if I was a player I would want out...no fun to be in a sinking ship when the owners removed the lifeboats LONG ago!
As far as "Big Ben" is concerned. That is easy. The group that met with him should ask him to verify where the money went. Checks, transfers, etc...if he cannot, then there is obviously a problem.
ReplyDeleteIf you take Everton at face value, things aren't too bad at the moment. We've got a good manager and a decent side. If you dig a bit deeper, though, you can see that big problems are not too far away. We're spending almost 100% of our income on players wages, so any other money has to be borrowed from somewhere. Our debts are at the highest level they've ever been, and we've sold off most of our assests e.g. the land that housed our old training ground. The bank has got wise to this and has told the club to repay some of the debts...to do that, we had to sell Arteta to Arsenal...we raised more finances by taking out loans with high interest rates from offshore lenders (based in British Virgin Islands). These are all desperate and unsustainable measures. It's only a matter of time before our other good players are sold on. Then Everton will be in the same position as Port.
ReplyDeleteAgain, on a similar theme, at least 'Big Ben' came and spoke to the fans. Everton fans have no official dialogue with the club because the Chairman banned the AGM (annual general meeting) because supporters asked a few awkward questions about the club accounts. Disgraceful.
I think the comparison between Everton and Port is a good one. Everton are just lucky that the banks have allowed us to go £60,000,000 into debt. Port don't have that to fall back on.
My comparison with Everton was purely based on the idea that it's not that easy to simply sell a club, not knowing the ins and outs of them like TPF clearly does I was only using them to suggest that merely wanting to sell a team and actually finding a buyer are two very different things, Everton have been for sale for a long time with little or no concrete interest, Thai Port are hardly an attractive proposition with Big Ben on the scene and the Port Authority to deal with I can't imagine a bigger headache than that in trying to buy Port even if someone could be found to do it.
ReplyDeleteThese are lean times financially and unless you have a sugar daddy in any league in the world you're going to struggle. In League 2 (Creepy) Crawley have huge investment and as a result are most likely going to walk it like they did out the blue square, but thats football.
Good point about the fragmented way the club is run. The likes of Chonburi, Muangthong Utd etc are all owned and run by the same people. Thai Port isn't like that at all. Port own the club/stadium and another party owns the players contracts. It is a recipe for disaster. I reckon we'll have perennial problems because of it.
DeleteAgain, the owners seem to run this team with open contempt for the players and fans. Not playing salaries, destroying a good team for peanuts, and obviously putting no money back in. It is really a disgrace.
DeleteHow can you support an organization that does not respect its obligations?
Owners have an duty to the fans and players. When they buy a team this is understood. Obviously "Big Ben" does not understand this as he will not put in the cash to support his purchase. Don't have a couple of hundred million a year to support all aspects of a team? Don't get involved with one.
Chonburi, MTU, and Buriram are to be commended. Their owners actually care and will do whatever it takes to bring a winning club to the fans. Honestly, I respect that and can support it. Too bad Chonburi is FAR!
This actually makes me far more a fan of the franchise model. Nice thing about it, when combined with a salary cap, is that every team has a chance...they may be down for a year or so, but as they say, "On any given Sunday."
Super Rich/Big Ben do not own the club, Port Authority do. Unfortunately for them, state-enterprises were prohibited from from operating TPL teams in 2009 - hence the reason they have to get a third-party to take over the operating rights.
ReplyDeleteI don't claim to know the ins and outs of what has happened behind the scenes. Big Ben has put forward his case on facebook (link below). He reckons he's put plenty of his own money into the club, but others have let him down. It sounds like the usual finger pointing/self exoneratation that happens when things go tits up.
The theory about him using the club to boost his profile to get elected seems extremely plausible. It would explain why the money suddenly dried up after the elections. For him to say that he didnt know the club was in debt seems ridiculous. Even I knew about that! We'll just have to hope that his Nescafe pals come good with their money.
I supported Thai Port before Big Ben got involved, and i'll still support them when he's gone. For me, being a fan is about being loyal to your club and sticking with them through good times and bad - even if the people in charge are completely fucking incompetent. There is no way I could chop and change which team I supported on the basis of who is the best run club in the league.
On the salary cap issue, it is a system that can work well in sport - if it's properly implemented. However, do you honestly believe that Thai teams would adhere to it? It'd be, "we'll pay 100,000 baht per month into your bank account and 300,000 baht in a brown envelope". In your own words, "Their owners actually care and will do whatever it takes to bring a winning club to the fans." I'm sure certain owners wouldn't think twice about circumventing salary cap rules.
* Big Ben's facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/people/%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%B4%E0%B9%8A%E0%B8%81%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9A%E0%B9%87%E0%B8%8D-%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B7%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%AD%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%A2-%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%87%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%A2/100002366479973
TPF, As I stated before, after 12 years here I believe that the folks here will screw up just about every good thing they have due to arrogance and greed. Of course we do that in the West as well but Thailand has made it into an art form. Same holds true with the TPL. A league that is gaining momentum with TV contracts and a wider audience is shooting itself in the foot. Fewer foreign players means less interest. Teams that are not solvent, dodgy finances, CONSTANT changes to schedules and rules. No salary cap. Things don't look well for the league. And you are correct, enforcing ANY rules in Thailand is a nightmare...
ReplyDeleteI understand your position as a supporter and in some ways agree with you. It is just hard for me to throw my weight behind a team that has no respect for fans...
"I believe that the folks here will screw up just about every good thing they have due to arrogance and greed." - Excellent point. The people in charge of the TPL appear to be very weak. Certain teams and owners dicatate what happens. That's a recipe for disaster.
DeleteSo state enterprises cannot run teams. The military not considered a "state" enterprise? Teams like Army, Navy, and Air Force would seem to fall under that guise as well!
ReplyDeleteThey can own teams, but according to the rules, they can't run them. How the likes Army, Navy, Air Force etc get around that, I don't know.
ReplyDeleteAfter our former VP Pichet Mankong lost control of the club, he threatened to sue the FAT and TPL citing that very rule; "Meanwhile, President of Thai Port FC Company, Pichet Munkong, threatened to file a civil lawsuit in the court of law, citing Thai Premier League regulations which says that a state-enterprise such as the Thai Port Authority of Thailand, is prohibited from operating a football club."