Fans. Just an inconvenience.

Picture: Stranded Simon

Thai League 2 2022-2023 : Sunday 23 April 2023

Samut Prakan City 1 Chiang Mai FC 3

Chiang Mai FC:

Fahas
Suwannapat
Piyachanok
Ryhan Stewart
Sarawut
Saharat
Srithai
Pongrawit
Im ChangKyoon
Amornthep
Kim BoYong

Let me quickly deal with the football.

This was the Im ChangKyoon show – he set up the first for Amornthep and scored two excellent second half goals; the first a right foot shot curled into the top left corner and the second a run from the edge of the penalty area into the six yard box finished with a delicate chip over the goalkeeper.

Samut Prakan’s first half equalizer started with a missed penalty – Fahas went right and the ball went left and bounced off the post to be cleared for a corner.

The corner was deflected high above the six yard line and bulldozed into the net by Tiraporn.

It was Chiang Mai’s first away win of 2023.

I feel bad for Im as this report should be an ode to his talent.

But that is not the story of the night.

Tonight was the Wan Lai Songkran Water Festival in Phra Pradaeng, the Bang Phli Housing Community in Samut Prakan; and the stadium was at the very centre of the party.

Around and outside the stadium crowds had massed on the streets. Traffic was at a standstill.

CMFC management found out about the event on the morning of 23rd. The team bus was given a police escort to the ground from Bangna Road.

Did anyone at the club think that posting details of the event on their social media might be helpful for traveling fans? Of course not.

Was there anyone involved with the club who thought if we need a police escort to the ground how will our supporters get there? Apparently not.

Did anyone at Samut Prakan City wonder how they could help fans traveling from Chiang Mai? Of course not. No information; no assistance.

Did anyone at either club or at the Thai League consider rescheduling the match? Of course not. Why not play it on Monday night – the day after the Songkran event?

Some CMFC fans did get to the stadium – there are a number living and working in Bangkok. A few even made it from Chiang Mai – but only after leaving their cars and walking the last kilometer to the stadium.

Others gave up – including some Samut Prakan fans traveling to the game.

Some Chiang Mai fans had flown down for the game; another, for instance, drove the 713 kilometres leaving at 5.45 this morning.

I was with Tai. Instead of a 45 minute drive we were in our Grab car for 2 and 1/2 hours from Rama IX before we gave up – and headed back into Bangkok.

This event was not a surprise. Just move the matchday. But no one involved from the league or either club gives a flying f*** about the fans…yet still people wonder why crowds are falling and why there is growing disinterest in the Thai League.

If you treat fans with indifference that is all you deserve in return.

If football is not for the fans then who exactly is it for?

Finally, today was the day that I realized that however much this page has tried to promote CMFC and the Thai League, to give as much information as possible, and to encourage people to come to watch games no one involved with the club gives a f*** in return.

Fans. Just an inconvenience.