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Sabay Sabuy Chapter 1-3
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Sawadeee Krub, my name is Nick Gorman welcome to our new weekly column Khon Kaen Football Club
President Dr. Kasom Chanawongse has asked me to write for our foreign fan club members, English
speaking supporters and website users. This will be a behind the scenes view of our football club.
• ForeignAffairsandnewforeignsigningsforKKFC
InowhavetworolesatKhonKaenFootballClub,firstlytoassistthesquadasTechnicalCoachandsec-
ondlyasForeignAffairsOfficer.MyroleasTechnicalCoachallowsmetoassistHeadCoachNarongand
hisstaffwithcoachingsessionsonaweeklybasis.AsForeignAffairsOfficerIamalsothelinktothe
foreignplayersattheclub.Myinitialtaskinpre-seasonwastobringintwoforeignplayerstojoinour
squad.SinceourpromotiontoTheThaiPremierLeaguethepastfourmonthshavebeenalotbusier
than you would realize. I have spent countless evenings contacting players from all over the globe. I
have spent time carefully selecting resumes leaving us with only four possible candidates.
Infootballwhenyoumakenewsigningsyoumustaskyourselfcertainquestions1/willtheplayers
improveoursquad.2/willtheplayerwesignprovetobeasgoodasandpossiblybetterthanwhatwe
alreadyhave?Infootballwhenyouarelookingatthepotentialofsigningforeignplayersthequestions
differslightly.1/willtheforeignplayer
improveoursquad.2/willtheforeign
player we sign prove to be as good as
and possibly better than the Thai players
we already have?
It’s impossible to know the answers to
thesequestionsstraightaway.However
it’smyjobtomakethedecisiononthe
recommendation and evidence I have in
frontofme.Solet’slookattheseques-
tions closely. Will the player improve the
team in matches and improve the depth
ofoptionstooursquad.
Firstlyourexpectationofaforeignplayerjoiningourfamilywillalwaysbe:Willtheplayerenjoyliving
in Thailand, will the player be accepted in our family, will the player adapt to our culture and ultimately
will the player settle into our family. So we need someone who will understand and embrace the way
we eat, sleep, travel, train and prepare, to understand our playing system and why we play this particu-
larsystemthroughouttheclub.Hemustbecomfortableinanewenvironment,newcultureandnew
surroundings.
If there is a shred of doubt that the player will be a problem or more hassle than he is worth then there
is no point in taking this risk. Therefore we have been very careful in selecting the correct player for our
club. I want this player to make a positive impact on the team. To encourage the young players not to
come and take a young local players place, to help improve a young Issan players potential. To share
and advise our players from their experiences in the game by coming from a more developed football
country to help develop his new country of residence.
Thereforeit’salltooeasyforcertainclubstotakeaplayerjustbecauseoftheirhistory.Therehistory
raisesbigalarmsbellsforme.Iaskwhytheyhavelefttheirclub.Aretheybeingreleased?Aretheyno
longerwanted?Aretheyaproblemplayer?AretheycomingtoThailandsimplyforapayday?Orsimply
for the wind down of their stop start career?
Thereforeahungryplayeristopofmylist,aplayerwhostillwantstoprovesomething.Aplayerwho
has a football mentality, a player who loves the game, and a player who wants to give his all for his
new team mates. This player will give his time naturally without being asked to do so, to help develop
his younger teammates – the Thai players who are willing to look, listen and learn from seeing his ex-
amples set on and off the training pitch and on match days.
SoIamwaryofhowthesenewsigningsintheTPLwillfair.Ihavewatchedcarefullyhowcertainclubs
in my opinion have made some panic buys. Players that have been signed have actually been on our
radar. I did not feel it was the correct player, at the correct time for our club. I will only recommend a
playertoourPresident,whohasbeenrecommendedtomefromavaluablesource.Andinourcaseour
signingswillbefromaveryvaluablesource.SoIamconfidentbytheendoftheseason,whichforeign
player will have made the most valuable impact on and off the pitch.
It is well documented how mangers are wary of signing foreign players through only seeing the player
byvideo.Andunlessyou’reHarryRedknappyou
can now afford to make this gamble without a
negativeconsequence.Iftheplayerwasnota
success then this would not have affected how
their season has evolved. But in a case like Khon
Kaen FC such a choice on one or two new sign-
ings can make or break a season. Therefore in
our situation it’s not wise to select a player on
video footage.
So we did not go crazy looking at too many
players who passed through our radar. We had
players recommended to us but viewed them
withgreatcaution.Wewereintruth,confident
inourLaosandChineselongtermsignings
with the view to bringing in two British play-
ers. We decided that three of the same nationality can cause a problem. It was very pleasing for me to
seeWilfriedDjokam(Guttuso)keptonforthisseason.Everyonesawhowhardheworkedonhisgame
and how he has created the correct temperament and attitude to be a success and to be appreciated and
enjoyedhere.Hehasearnedtherighttoberegardedasoneoftheboys,sohehasbeenrewardedfor
hishardworkanddesiretolearnthelanguage.It’sjustashameotherscouldnotfollowhisexample.
• AudaciousBidsWithoutwishingtonamedrop,IcontactedanoldfriendatPerthGloryFCinAustraliaandaskedif
therewasapossibilitywecouldsignexLiverpoollegendRobbieFowlerduringtheircloseseason,he
turneditdownflatasthemoneyhemakesthereissohigh.Similarresumesofplayersintheirtwilight
whowoulddemandhugepayincludethelikesofDannyCadamarteriandKeithGillespie.Afterreceiving
theirresumesfromtheirrespectiveagentsIdidenquiretotheirwagedemands,unfortunatelyanother
blind alley for us. But if you don’t ask you don’t get. I will be trying to bring out someone during the
Englishpre-seasontomakeanappearance.DietmarHamann
mayhavecomeuntilhesignedforLeicesterCityFCreturning
to work with Sven-Goran Eriksson. So watch this space I hope
to bring an experienced coach and player to consult the team
beforethesecondhalfofourTPLseason.
LetmemakeitclearIfeelitimportanttogivetheopportu-
nity to our present team who won us promotion and the new
signings who have been here since the start of pre-season
andwenowconsiderasournewlooksquad.Sothetime
could then be right for the new signings to come into the
set up and make an impact and give everyone a lift from the
fans, the board and most importantly Coach Nurong’s team
• Some of my football experience.IhavebeenlivinginKhonKaenfor23months,workingforthefootballcluboverthepast18months.
IpreviouslyworkedwithReadingFootballClubintheEnglishFootballLeague1,Championshipand
F.A.PremierLeague.IwasatReadingFCworkingasaFootballintheCommunityOfficerandAcademy
TeamManageremployedbytheProfessionalFootballersAssociationfor12years.IsawReadingclimb
the leagues, developing players and coaches into managers along the way with the club growing from a
smallclubwithanoldfashionedfootballgroundtowhatitistodaya25,000allseatingstadiumwitha
hotel and a team year on year pushing for promotion
backtotheEPLandinthequartersoftheFACup.I
see remarkable similarities with what is happening in
theearlystageswiththeT-RexandhowtheRoyals
grewfromasmallclubtowhatitistoday.Howafan
base can grow similar to how our club is now growing
withover10,000facebookmembersandupto4,000
supportersfollowingushomeandaway.Afootball
club never sleeps while it builds an ever growing fan
base. The growth at Khon Kaen FC is all down to the
hard work and efforts of everyone associated with the football club.
• Pre-seasonpreparation,FirstthreeTPLgamesandstadiumdevelopmentThe club has had a busy schedule preparing for the big kick-off with several preseason matches in Khon
Kaen,MahasarakhamandLaos.CertaintripsinparticulartoLaoswerevitalinpreparingandgellingnew
players into the team. For the new players to sample an away game altogether is invaluable and the
evidence on return of the team spirit proves how valuable this will be for the team. These trips are also
a great chance to build on the links we have with our
extendedfanbase.AfterthesigningofKhampeng
Sayavutthi and Kanlaya Sysomvang we have now
cementedourlinkwithourLaosneighborstofollow
theirhomegrownplayersintheTPL.Andifitcanbuild
on our fan base then this is a massive positive for the
club.ThesetwoplayersalongwithManoNhouvanna-
sakarenowagreatexampleforyoungLaos’splayers
to follow in their footsteps.
We have extended our fan base as far as China with
the two signings of the Chinese players. They have
bothsettledintoourclubveryquicklyandarebothmakingahugeefforttolearnthelanguage,taking
classesdailyaftertraining.XiangLihasalreadyshowedsomecommandingperformancesandislearning
everydaysowillbeabrightprospectforthefuture.WenxinLihashadfootballer’sbadluck.Thisseems
tohappentonewsigningsmoretimesthanyouwouldexpect.Aninjuryinhisfirstmatchforyourhis
clubisabitterpilltoswallow.Hehastakenitonthechinandhasasmileonhisfaceeveryday.Ithas
been a tough start to his new career but he will come back stronger and it could actually be the making
ofhim.Hewasslightlyoveranxioustoprovehimselftoeveryoneandthismayhavebackfiredonhim.
SonowIfeelhewillbemorepatient,morepreparedforthechallengeshewillnowface.Ontheposi-
tive side he has began running and is using weights to build his strength back up.
Asfarasinjuriesandsuspensionshavegonewedidnotstartthenewseasoninthebestshape.We
lostakeyplayerafterhescoredafabulousfreekickwitharedcardandwehadseveralinjuriesgoing
intoourfirstgame.Youcouldseecertainplayerswerewrappedupincottonwooltomakethestart-
inglineupinourfirstgamewithTOTSC.Afterdefendingwellandsoakingupthepressurewehada
counter attack and could have been
leading0-1athalftime.Agrittysec-
ond half performance with a great cross
fromSupagornKarada(Wat)forCharin
Butrahat(Man)toheadhomeandthen
KhampengSayavutthi(Chang’s)long
range effort hit the bar dropping to
Manwhoshowedgreatcomposureto
makeit0-2andagreatstarttolifein
theTPLbringinghomethreevaluable
pointsinourfirstgame.
1st Historic goal in TPL
Thisistestamenttoourteamsfightingspirit.Oursecondmatchprovedtobealittletoomuchallat
onceforoursquad.WithsomuchenergyexertedinourwinatTOTSCyoucouldfeeltheteamwasat
lowpower.Webelievedthefanclubwouldgetusthroughatoughtesttoatleasttakeapoint.Our
systembackfiredduetoheavylegsandkeyplayersplayingbelowpar,wemissedApisakAsayut(Od)
whowasnotmadeavailabletousfromOsotspaM150-SaraburiaftertheyrefusedtoplayusatMa-
hasarakham we showed no ill feeling to the club and vowed after to get revenge when they come to
KhonKaen.XiangLialsomissedimportanttrainingsessionsbeforeourawaygametoOsotspa.Hehad
to travel back to China for visa purposes. But no excuses, the opposition were better on the day and
had more energy and pace but still
we had nothing to fear after witness-
ing two teams up close. To be honest
afterseeingTOTinthefirstmatchI
felt they might not have enough to
withstandtheTPLandwillbemy
earlytiptogodown.Althoughthings
can change throughout a long season
and it is early days, however I wasn’t
surprisedthey’dlost6-0awayfrom
home in their second match with
Chonburi FC.
SothebuildupandpreparationforOsotspawasn’tideal.Thesesethingscantakeitstollonyourteam
beforesuchabiggame.Wemustkeepourkeyplayersfitandkeepourdisciplinesothelessplayerssus-
pendedthebetter.Wemustshowmorequalitywithourfreekicksinthefinalattackingthirdandwe
mustshowmoredisciplineinnottoconcedingfreekicksinthefinaldefensivethirdasthisseasonwe
willpunishedbydeadballspecialistsifso.InthecaseofourlastgameversusBurirumPEAwewasted
sixdirectandindirectfreekicks,sowemustmakeourqualityshinethroughinthesemoments.Ifelt
Barium had nothing really to scare us and no team has over impressed me yet, so this tells us we can
compete with the top teams.
The manager, President and
coachesnowseethefirstthree
gamesastheresearchintoTPL.
Now the next games will be
the test, whether we can pass
the test remains to be seen. But
withourteamspirit,fitnessand
desirewehaveafightingchance
and for any newly promoted
teamtohave3from9points
you cannot be too disappointed.
Mega Flag at Yamaha Stadium
GoingbacktoTOT,aftertheexcitementofourfirstgameandaway
winatTOTwewerebroughtbackdowntoearthatOsotspa.Itwas
difficulttoplaytwogamesawayfromhomeaftertheexertionof
somuchenergyingainingourfirstthreeTPLpointsaremarkable
achievement for the club to come from humble beginnings to where
wearetodaysincethebeginningoftheclubbackin2005.Wemust
dedicate this win to the fans, presidents, manager, coaching, play-
ing staff and former players. I have been saying to look at Blackpool
for inspiration. They have started the season without use of their
stadiumuntilithasbeenpreparedforEPLmatches.Soasimilarcase
fortheT-Rexwemustgiveourallwhileplayingourhomegames
inMahasarakhamawayfromourKhonKaenfortress.Sothisisjust
a small obstacle in our way. We have the correct attitude concentra-
tion and discipline to make the best of this situation to make it into
apositive.AssoonasIhearanymoreaboutthestadiumsdevelop-
ment I will let you know.
• TeamTraining,matchpreparationandTeamfitness.AtpresentwerotatebetweenourtrainingpitchesatCollegeofAsianscholarsatBanditAsiawhichis
ourWomen’sAcademyandKKFCYouthteamtrainingfacility.Theteamtrainherewhenavailable,other-
wise we train at Kaemkanakorn School while we wait for the development of the stadium. Therefore
thereisalotoftravellingtoandfromtrainingfortheteam.WealsoneedtosetoffforTPLmatches
on a Thursday or go to stay in Ban
PietotrainatMuangPhongfor
homematchesinMahasarakham.
The team therefore make there
way on a Friday for training that
day and on Saturday to prepare
foraSundaygame.Orwebring
the schedule forward a day if we
play on a Saturday we travel to
MahasarakhamonaThursday.
We must therefore be careful
with how much the team train
and how many rest days they are
given after travelling home from
away games. We must be aware how long this season will now be due to the schedule change. This is
veryimportantinourweeklypreparation.Theteamalsousesafitnesscentreforweightsandbodycore
strengthening.
LastseasonIcanhonestlysayIhaveneverseenafitterteam.Wecouldwinanddrawgamesinthefinal
quarterofmatchessimplythroughourfitness.I’msureoncetheteamsettlesintotheTPLtheywillreal-
izehowfittheyareandbecompetingonthesamelevelphysicallyandpsychologically.
• Thailand/FAyouthCupsquadselectionYouthDevelopmentisvitaltoaclublikeKhonKaen.Wearenowcompetingwithclubssuchas
BuriramPea,Chonburi,BECTeroSasanaandMuangThongwhohavecrazymoneytospendonthere
playing and coaching staff. So at Khon Kaen we must build for the future with our focus on our lo-
cal Issan talent as high importance.
Andwhattalentwehaveinthe
northeast.Myfirstintroduction to
the club was assisting Coach Pitch-
ettandCoachOngattheU18sCoke
CupinKalasin2009.Wehadavery
talentedsquadwhowerewelldrilled
by the coaches. I felt I gave the
players some inspiration and felt much appreciated. Coach Pitchett took
theteamallthewaytothefinalandfinishedaswinners.Sothiswas
myfirstexperiencewhichgavemeagreatinsighttoourlocaltal-
ent and then provided me with a platform for my second experience
toworkwiththefirstteaminouraimtogainpromotiontotheTPL.
Now my third experience will be completely different. It will be a long
tough season. There may not be as many highs. But this is football we
must savor the highs and learn from the lows and our mistakes. This
year there will be times when we look to our youth policy and who
knows watch out in the June window for youth players to add to the
firstteamsquad.
OurYouthteamhashadaremarkablestarttotheseason.CoachPitch-
ettandhisstaffhavedoneafabulousjobwithhisteam.Technically
andtacticallywehavegreatsquadforthefuture.Everyplayerunderstandstheirroleinthe3-5-2system
so well. When they come in to the team
they adapt with ease. It was no surprise
to hear that Bangkok Glass FC expressed a
very serious interest in certain key players.
For the clubs sake I hope we can keep this
talented crop of players playing together
for years. The club as a whole would then
be in a very strong position on the playing
fieldforthefuture.SakonwatSakonlais
one player in particular who could step up
ifrequired;hehashadtheexperienceof
playing in last season’s promotion team.
• VisionAsiaandVisionKhonKaenWehavehadmanyseminarswiththeAseanFootballConfederationandpositivemeetingswiththevi-
sionAsiateamtosetupcoachingclinicsandunearthnewplayingandcoachingtalentforthefuture
ofKhonKaenFC,IssanfootballandmostimportantlythedevelopmentoftheFootballAssociationof
Thailand.ThisiswhyIfeelifwebringinforeignplayerstheymusthaveafootballbrainandenjoy
thecultureandlifestylenotjustcomehereforthetwilightortofinishtheircareer.Theyouthplayers
are the future of our club and possibly the future
of Thailand. The foreign players we bring in must
share their experience to give our young players
confidenceandencouragement.Iwouldloveto
see my adopted home playing at the same heights
as South Korea and Japan so we are fully behind
BryanRobsonandSteveDarbyastheyareputting
there all in to bring success to our football crazy
nation!
• T-RexFanclubIcantellyouallthestaffattheclubrealizeshowimportantyouaretoourteam!Youreallyareanex-
traplayertoourteam.GoingbacktomytimeatReadingFCwenamedthesupportersasnumber13on
our team sheet for every game. We feel the same way about you. The way our coaches and club captain
leadtheteamtoyoursongaftermatchesistrulyinspiringandquiteemotional.Iespeciallyenjoyedthe
huddletheteammadeintheawayendbeforethegameatOsotspa.Thisisinspiringfortheteamand
every pass, shot, tackle, header and save is made with you. We are one family. So I leave you with my
favoritefootballanthem.ItwouldbegreattoheartheT-Rexsignthisoneday:
Forit’sagrandoldteamtoplayfor-Forit’sagrandoldteamtoCHEER
Andifyouknowitshistoryitsenoughtomakeyourgrowoohoh-Wedon’tcarewhattheother
teams cheer
What do we care - For we only know
Thatthere’sgonnabeaSHOW-
When the Khon Kaen - Will be
there!!
I have attached a picture of a new
supporter to add to our fan base…
MysonMikowasborn16thFebru-
ary. I hope he can be a part of our
excellentYouthsystemoneday!
So thank you for your ongoing sup-
port and we look forward to your
comments and please share your
T-Rexexperiencesandsongswithus
here.
• FinallyWe hear a great deal about the refereeing standards in the Thai leagues. But I would always encour-
age anyone to support them and be patient not to criticize the ref. I like to praise there good decisions
but will count their mistakes and tell them how many they are making during a game. This has raised a
laugh with the refs but not all see the funny
side and can take it the wrong way. But if we
can make eye contact and connect on their
leveltheymightjusttaketousalittlemore
than the opposition! This is my only power
over referees and speaking only survival Thai
itmakesitdifficult.Asacoachwemustsetan
example to our players to encourage the ref
and never cross the line. It did make me laugh
toseeanEPLgamewithEvertonandBirming-
hamtherefbookMutchfromBirminghamwith
an imaginary card. Fortunately he remembered
his cards at half time and booked three in the
second half. I did wonder if he realized at some point that he hadn’t had his cards or didn’t realize until
the moment he gave the free kick and then went to his pocket and then put himself on the spot. I’m
sure he has thought about this little incident over and over in his mind and how and why he managed
toforget!Simple!Heisonlyhumanandweallmakemistakes.Theimportantthingishowwelearn
from them for the next game.
• FootballFunnyWe were talking about an old physiotherapist from
SwindonTownFC1993promotiondays,whatareal
character this guy was. Characters you rarely see
intoday’sgame.Onematchheranontothepitch
andtreatedtheinjuredplayer,heranbackoffthe
pitch with the ball under his arm and left his bag in
the middle of the pitch. This raised a few laughs for
thecrowdandeveryoneinvolvedwiththematch.A
fewjeersfromtheawayfanswhenhehadtorun
back to give the ball back to the ref and then the
inevitablewalkofshamebacktothedugoutwithhisbag.HetookitallinGreatSpirit.Anothertimehe
sprayed the ice spray right in his eyes instead of the player’s groin, which one would have been more
painful? So he was happy that day as it was only the players who saw this funny episode and not the
whole crowd. I will tell you anther one next week!!!
YoursinFootball
Coach Nick
• ClubStructure&ClubVision
PartOne–ClubExecutives
Khon Kaen Football Club President - Dr. Kasom Chanawongse is also the Deputy Secretary General of the
FootballAssociationofThailand.
Youwillnotfindamorehardworking,honestmaninfootball.Hisastutefootballknowledgeisthedriv-
ingforcebehindtheKhonKaenFCandAFCVisionKhonKaenthatispushingusallforwardinthesame
direction.
WhentheKhonKaenFootballAssociation(KKFA)
helditsfirsteverCongressonSeptember27,2010
in which its new Executive Committee members
wereelected.KKFAPresidentDr.KasomChana-
wongsetoldthewholeofAsianfootballthata
longjourneyhadjuststartedforKhonKaenfoot-
ball.
“WehadourfirsteverCongress,butwedon’t
forgetthatalongjourneyhasjuststartedandwe
arethankfultoAFCVisionAsia.Wewilltryour
besttotakeAFCVA’sadviceandimplementthe
VAprinciples,”hesaid.[1]
Thefirststepwastohostadelegation,headedby
AFCVisionAsiaDirectorMichelleChai,inKhonKaenfromMay4to62010toassessthestatusoffootball
in the province.
Inthenextstage,AFCprovidedadetaileddevelopmentplanforKhonKaenfootball,followedbyawork-
shop to agree on an implementation schedule.
DeputyGovernorofKhonKaenprovince,PayatChanprasertwasfullofconfidenceforProjectKhonKaen.
“VisionThailandProjectKhonKaenwillhelptheprovincebuildastrongfootballbaseinthecountry’s
Northeasternprovince,”saidPayat.
TheAFCVisionAsiateamwasimpressedwithwhattheysawinthenortheastprovinceduringtheiras-
sessmentvisittothisprovince.SincetheKhonKaenFootballAssociation(KKFA)wasrecentlyformed,as-
sessments have been concentrated on its future plans and football activities that take place in the prov-
ince.Onpaper,itiseasierforKhonKaentodevelopitsfootballasthenortheastprovinceisconsidered
thefootballhubofThailandanddubbedasthe“footballacademy”ofThailandnationalteam.
ThroughDr.Chanawongse’spositionKhonKaenisinregularcontactwiththeThailandFootballAssocia-
tion(FAT)andwell-supportedbythelocalgovernmentandeducationalsectorwithintheregion.
SincethatcongresstheKKFAelected14members,consistingoffootballclubs,associationsandeduca-
tioninstitutes,namelytheCollegeofAsianScholars(aneducationalinstitute)whereDr.Chanawongseis
alsoPresident,MuengKoaFurnitureFC,HighWayBanphaiFC,KaenNakornKornKeetFC,SrithongSport
United,KhonKaenWittayayonAlumniAssociation(anassociation),TechnopolFC,KasaePattanaSchool
(aneducationalinstitute),MuangCityFC,NamPongFC,KhonKaenFC,KranuanFC,T-NetAsiaFCand
theDohunTambonAdministrationOrganization(alocaladministrationorganisation).
h
The new Executive Committee members
areasfollows:
Dr. Kasom Chanawonge – President
WeeradetXata-VicePresident
MontreeBoonyaprom-GeneralSecretary
OngarjChutchaiphonrut-Treasurer
Asst.Prof.SukitjaChantachum-Registrar
RitchaiThongking-Member
ArtitChutchaipolrut-Member
MonchaiSriwirailuk-Member
NapakNgamsritan-Member
SommartDangbudda-Member
KKFA,whoseinterimcommittee,isnewly-establishedanditsdevelopmentpossibilitiesarelargelyunex-
plored.TheimpactofProjectKhonKaenisexpectedtobehuge.
The comprehensive football development blueprint for the Thai province of Khon Kaen is now in place
whichisthebeginningoftheimplementationprocessoftheVisionThailand-ProjectKhonKaenpro-
grammebetweenKhonKaenFAandAFCVisionAsiaDepartment.
TheblueprintdocumentcalledProjectKhonKaenStrategicDevelopmentPlan(SDP)wasfinalisedinJanu-
arythisyearafterthedraftplanwasdiscussedbyboththeAFCVisionAsiaDepartmentandKhonKaen
FA(KKFA),duringaPlanningWorkshopinOctober2010.
TheSDPrecommends,amongothers,thattheLeague
RegulationsandClubLicensingRegulationsbeendorsed
and that a Club Development Workshop be held to
educate the teams in the province on the club develop-
mentprocesssothattheywillbecomefull-fledgedclubs
eligibletoplayinthefirstseasonoftheEliteLeague
whichisexpectedtobelaunchedattheendof2011.
TheLeagueRegulationsandClubLicensingRegulations
areexpectedtobeinplacebyFebruary2011followed
bytheClubDevelopmentWorkshopbyMarch2011,
withtheclubsexpectedtobelicensedbyJuly2011.[2]
KhonKaenFAenteredPhase2whichfocusesonthe
transformationofKhonKaenteamsintolegallyregisteredclubs.AccordingtoClubsLicensingRegula-
tionsformulatedbytheAFCVisionAsiaDepartmentforKKFA,clubsmustbelegallyregisteredentities
beforetheycantakepartintheleaguewhichAFCwillhelplaunchintheprovince.
PriortothevisittotheprovincebytheVAteamlastyear,therewasnoFootballAssociationtogovern
footballinKhonKaen,eventhoughtherewereprovisionsinthestatutesofFootballAssociationofThai-
land(FAT)forprovincestoestablishfootballassociations.
InpreparationfortheVAvisit,agroupoflike-mindedfootballfollowersfromacrosstheprovincede-
cidedtoformKKFAtostreamlineallfootballactivitiesintheprovinceunderoneumbrella.
Aninterimexecutivecommitteeconsistingof10memberswasapprovedbythelocalgovernorandKKFA
wasformedwithDr.KasomChanawongsetakingthehelmasthefirstPresidentoftheKKFA.AstheVA
Department’sassessmentvisittookplacelateApril,KKFAwasestablishedinearlyApril2010.
KKFAhasalreadyhelditsfirsteverCongress
inSeptember2010andgotmembershipin
FAT.
KKFAalsoestablishedallthecommittees
recommendedintheProjectKhonKaen
Strategic Development Program along with a
couple of other committees which have been
listed in their statutes.
Afive-full-time-personstaffwasrecruitedand
anewofficespacesecuredattheCollegeof
AsianScholars,AmpurinKhonKaen.
KKFAcalledanExtraOrdinaryCongresson21stJanuary2011toamenditsstatutesaccordingtothe
recommendationbyAFCVisionAsia.PeopleintheThaiprovinceofKhonKaenarelookingforwardto
carryingoutthenextphase,Phase2,oftheimplementationoftheVisionAsia-VisionThailand’chapter
intheprovince,ProjectKhonKaen.
KKFAGeneralSecretaryMontreeBoonyapromsaid:“Weknowthisisonlythefirststep,buttheKhon
Kaen people are very excited to move to the next step. Thank you for your advice and time to help us
finishPhase1.”Boonyapromwascommentingonthecompletionoftheproject’sPhase1,whichfocused
onthecreationoftheFA’sstatutes,bodiesandadministration.[2]
Phase2willpayattentiontoassistingtheFAincreatingclubswhofulfilltheAFCClubsRegulationsand
toestablishaCityLeaguethatisorganisedaccordingtotheAFCLeagueRegulations.
KKFAhasgonethroughalongjourneyincompetingPhase1,havingaccomplishedmanygoalsincluding
conductingitsfirstCongressmeeting,establishingallthenecessarycommittees,recruitingfulltimestaff,
securinganewofficespaceandothers
ThesemilestonesareconsideredgreatachievementsconsideringthefactthatpriortothefirstVisionAsia
team’svisittotheprovincelastyear,therewasnoFootballAssociationtogovernfootballinKhonKaen.
Theapprovalalsomarksthebeginningofthenextphase,Phase2oftheVisionAsiaprogrammeinKhon
Kaen, which focuses on the transformation of teams into legally registered clubs.
TheExtraordinaryCongresswaspresidedoverbyKKFAPresidentDr.KasomChanawongseandattended
by coaches, referees and representatives of clubs and educational institutes.
Amongtheamendmentsrecommendedby
VisionAsiaweremaintainingonlythreecat-
egoriesofmembersofKKFAnamelySports
Associations,ClubsandEducationInstitutes,
as well as the granting of honorary mem-
berships to associations outside the three
categories.
AmongtheitemsontheExtraordinary
Congress’ agenda were mention of the ap-
pointment of the new General Secretary of
KKFA,MontreeBooyaprom,andfivefull-
time staffers.
KKFAalsonowhavestandingcommittees
and each committee has a chairman, deputy
chairmanandmembers.KKFAalsohaveajudicialbodywhichconsistsoftheDisciplinaryandAppeal
Committees.
KKFAhasachievedothermilestonessuchasorganisingitsfirsteverCongressmeetinginSeptember2010.
KhonKaenisoneofseveralThaiprovinceswhichareimplementingVisionAsia,AFC’scontinent-wide
developmentprogram.[3]
TheAFCVisionKhonKaenprojectswillnowhelpraiseawarenessofthepositivesthatfootballcanbring
totheyouthofIssan.Thiswillprovideeducationalopportunitiesinfootball.Raisingjobopportunities
forcoachesandevenunearthinglocaltalentlikeformerplayerIssarapongLilakorn,whowecanallbe
proud of.
• AcademyleagueThe Northeast Football Development Center had previously been set up for grass roots initiatives. Now
alongwithVisionAsia’sblueprinttheAcademyleagueswillbesetupundertheAFCVisionKhonKaen
initiative.
OurdevelopmentofGrassrootsfootballisthemostimportantelementofourclub.OurAcademyleagues
willnowcompetewithThaiPremierLeagueteamsthateventuallyformAcademies.Thiswillallowour
Academycoachesandteammanagerstotraintheirplayersandorganizematchesforthemtocompete
inweektoweek.Inasimilarmannertoourfirstteam,theywilleventuallybecompetingwiththeThai
PremierLeagueelite.TheyoungacademyteamswillrangefromUnder9toUnder16.Thiswilldevelop
thetechnicalstandardofyouthfootball;raisetheawarenessoftactics,withtheimportanceofeducation
as a platform. If a player does not make the grade, they have their education to support them. They
willattendlecturesandadheretoprogramstomaintainandimprovetheirfitnessandhealth.Thiswill
help develop the standard of players, coaches and managers in Thailand. This will improve the standard
of the leagues and national team.
Sonolongerasinthepastifweplayedforexample,inMahasarakham,thecoacheswouldorganize
a game against a fellow coaches local youth team. Now the leagues will be organized in advance with
eventuallyeachclubenteringeveryAcademyagegroupssotheKKFCyouthwillbeplayingthelikesof
BEC Tero Sasana, BKK Glass and Chonburi youth of the future.
[4]
• FourTPLgamesplayedUnfortunatelywesufferedourthirdlossoftheseasonawayatTTMPhitchit.AgainaswiththeBuriram
PEAgameIfeltwedeservedadrawforourefforts.Concedingtwoearlygoalsgaveusanuphillbattle.
Thefirstgoalwasaharshdecision.Itlookedmorelikeballtohand,ratherthanhandball.Butiftheref-
ereedeemsthatthisstoppedthecrossfromreachingitsintendedtarget(theTTMstrikers)thenwehave
toaccepthisdecision.AsIsaidlastweekthereisnopointcomplainingaboutthereferee’s.Iappreciate
how BEC Tero Sasana’s head coach Peter Butler was
feeling, who was frustrated with decisions in their
recentgamewithSamutSongkhram.Howeverthe
referee’sdecisionisfinal!Wemustmoveon.The
second goal saw our sweeper pulled out to his left
very deep trying to recover, our two centre halves
were level with our sweeper and one pass from
the right caused trouble due to what looked like
a communication breakdown between the central
defenders and then our Goalkeeper, who decided to
come out of his box. The striker was on the end of
thepassandsimplyhadtotakeitroundBiyawatInsapim(Mark)andscore.Sonoplayerinparticularto
blame, as no one took responsibility of the situation. We must put it down to the team’s indecisiveness
overall.
It was pleasing to see us score a goal from a set-piece we have been working on at the training
ground. This is actually an old Zola short corner that allowed our captain to collect the ball and turn
with the option to shoot, cross the ball or pull it back to the edge of the box for a shot at goal. In this
case,RermratNgamjaroen(Jo)crossedforSupagornKarada(Wat)whoexecutedafantasticoverhead
kick to score. These are bright moments for us and give us all something to build on. We will be practic-
ing more set-pieces, I have many to offer that are successful however to input them into a Thai team is
not an easy task. It takes a lot more explanation due to the language barrier and practice, practice and
more practice. In today’s game
and playing in the top league
the use of set-pieces and being
organized in set-pieces is vitally
important. In the end we were
unfortunatenottoequalizeby
hitting the post and Charin Bood-
Hard(Man)hadagoodchanceto
addtohistallyoftwoTPLgoals
with a half volley. So overall a
lack of shape cost us the game in
vital moments. But we won the
secondhalf0-1sowemustcon-
tinue where we left off.
We hope to get back to winning
waysathomeonSundayversusSiamNavyatMahasarakham.Confidenceinfootballcanbeeverything.
We must get back to playing with the momentum we showed last season. Every team has played the
firstthreegameswithcautionandtheteamsinformstartedtoshowmoreconfidenceinthefourth
match.YoucouldseethisclearlywithBuriramPEAandOsotspanow.Osotspahavescoredtengoalsin
fourgameswitheightdifferentgoalscorers,showingconfidencealloverthepitch.Twowinsbackto
backinfootballcanchangeeverythingandgivetheteamconfidencetofindthereform.Takingchances
thatarecreatedlikeBuriramPEA’sOhandzabraceandanystrikercantakealeafoutofThailand’s
striker Sarayuth Chaikamdee’s book at BKK Glass who has still managed to score two goals with limited
chances.Weremainconfidentbecauseweknowwehavetheplayerstotakethesechances.Oncethe
confidencecomesbackwithagrittywinthenwewillseeourkeyplayersinandamongstthegoals.
IamnotsurprisedBKKGlasshasn’tsettheworldalightjustyetwiththreedrawsandonewin.Inour
pre-season game you could see they are another team with many new players and probably too many
optionswhichcancreateproblemsforacoach.They,likeusneedtimetosettle.Howeverintopflight
footballyoudon’tgettoomuchtime.Ifyoucompareourgoaldifferenceof-4toTOT’s-11thenweare
in better shape and have nothing to fear. We can improve our goal difference this Sunday with a good
win against Siam Navy to get our season back on track. To do this we must keep our concentration by
not conceding.
The power of football connects us all. No matter where you
come from, what team you follow. In Khon Kaen the love for
football grows day to day that is why it is very important to
the President and his team to connect with everyone who fol-
lows the club. The factory workers, laymen, and the teachers
to the executives we are all on the same level when it comes
to football.
SoIhaveafunstorytofinishwith,myfatherlikesaSkype
staying connected, especially now he can see his new grand-
sonMiko.HeaskedmetowaitathomelastMondayevening
so I was wondering why I couldn’t see him on Skype, when
wehadascareathome.Someonedidn’tjustknockonour
front door, someone knocked on our bedroom door! It was
Miko’sGranddadJohn,givingusabigsurprisevisitfrom
England. It was such a surprise that I thought it was a burglar
when my wife screamed the house down!!
NextweekIwillbringyouPart2ofourClubStructure,which
willfocusontheTeamManagerPongsakTangwanichakapong
andHeadCoachNarongTuamtaisong’sCoachingStaff.
YoursinFootball
Coach Nick
ManygreatthingshavehappenedtoKhonKaenFCsincethelastcolumn,wewilllookateachaspect
inmoredepth.Firstlythemarketingteamareverypleasedtoseeover24,000peoplereadingthefirst
evercolumnforourforeignfanclubviaFacebookandissuu.(Pleasebearinmindsomespellingmaybe
alteredwhenuploadedtoissuu)
• Clubs10gameTargetAfter10TPLgamesplayedtheclubExecutivesandManagementareoverall
verypleasedwiththeteamsstart.Topickupdoublefigureswasourinitial
target.Thereforewith11pointsfromfiveofthefirsttengames,wehave
achievedourfirsttarget.OurPresidenthasalwaysreiteratedthatthefirst5
gameswasourinductiontotheTPL,andthenextfivegameswouldshow
how we would realistically fair for the season. So we are showing the right
signs to give us a strong chance of survival, with a glimmer of hope we
maymakethetopten.Althoughnooneiscountingtherechickensjustyet,
as we realize there is a long way to go and a lot of hard work ahead. We
must improve overall on tactical weaknesses we have shown, which we are
showingsignsofespeciallyathome.Thisalltakestimeforanewclubadaptingtoanewprojectwith
new staff and new players.
• Agreatwin!Towin3-2againathomeagainstChiangRaiUnitedFCreallygavethewholeclubbelief.Thefanshave
nowgainedbeliefintheirteam.Theteamhasgainedaddedbeliefintheircoaches.Andmostimpor-
tantlytheManagementcontinuestogivebelief
to their team and coaching staff.
Going into the match, the form guide showed
we were the favorites after they had lost their
previous three games and we had drew, won and
lostrespectively.ButlookingatthepointsCRUFC
wereon8pointsandKKFCwereon9points.
So before the match it proved to be a real six
pointer.
Chapter 03
• Art’sMiracleGoalWellwhatcanyousay?Wasitatackle?Wasitaclearance?Wasitashot?WellknowingArt(No23
JattuponSittilohit)itwasprobablyashot,helovesshootingandheseeshimselfasabitofastriker
in training. But every coach is constantly reminding him he is our sweeper now! But it has to be said it
wasaveryluckyshotthattookamiraclebounceovertheunfortunateChiangRaigoalkeeperMantewa’s
(No30)head.Soluckhasabigsayinfootball.Andwedeservedthisluck,maybe3minutesbeforeour
playerwasinjuredtheirstrikerRolandVargasdidnotwishtothrowtheballbacktoourplayersinstead
heplayedasneakythrowtohisfellowstriker,fortunatelyforustheymissed.Andafewchoicewords
expressedbythecoachingstafftotheplayer.Hedidapologizeafterthematchandweacceptedthathe
maynothavemeanttodothisatthetime.ButwithSouthAmericansasmuchasIlovethemaspeople
youjustneverknowasplayers.Youjusthavetolookhowimportanteachgoalmeanttotheteam,and
this incident emphasized the celebrations and a certain coach Sak and Coach Nick probably got a little
too excited. Still passions run high in football and after working in training all week on crossing and
finishingithelpedimprovethequalityofourfinalballinthismatch.
•
FirstgoalsforKhamphengSayavutthi-TheFirstLaosplayerto
scoreintheTPLEveryonewastalkingaboutArt’sgoalandunfortunatelyforKhampheng(No25)ittookthegloryaway
from his match winning performance. Everyone at the club was so pleased to see him score, you could
see this in our celebrations and with both his well taken goals he shrugged of his teammates to run
allthewaytothebenchtoshowhisdelighttohisManagementandcoacheswhohavehugefaithin
him. I’m sure Chang will now go on to score many goals for the club and prove to be a great signing.
I’mconvincedthesamecanhappenwithYa(KanlayaSysomvangNo10)Ijokedbeforethegamewith
Chang,YaandXiangLi(No5)thatiftheyscoredtoday-therefirstgoal,Iwillgivesomeofmywin
bonusfromthe2-1Sirichagame.Thisisjustafunwaytogetsomebanteroutoftheplayersandraise
alaughtoeaseanytensionbeforethegame.IrememberitworkedlastseasonwhenJeng(AdisakJarat
19)couldn’tfindthenet.
• InjuriestokeyplayersAspecialmentiontoJengandMan(CharinButrahatNo9)whohavebeeninjuredjustwhentheyboth
foundthereform.ItwassodisappointingtoloseJengintheChiangRaimatchaseverythingwasgoing
sowell,hewasonfire.Wewishthembothaspeedyrecoverysotheywillsoonbebacktostrengthen
thesquad.WenxinLi(No17)islookingstrongontheballandsharperintraining.Hehasworkedvery
hardtogetbacktofitness.AspecialmentionmustgotoDoctorAchiraandhisteam,whoworktire-
lesslybringingeachinjuredplayer
backtofullfitness.
• JapanTsunami
andThailandflood
relief by club and
fans.It was devastating to see the
people of Japan lose their lives
in the recent Tsunami. Doctor Ka-
som Chanawongse and his staff
had a fabulous idea to help raise
fundstogotowardstherelieftorebuildSendai,Tokyoandsurroundingtowns.WeusedtheChiangRai
matchtodonatefundsraisedfromthesaleofourT-Rex&JapanTsunamiT-shirts–Asourslogansays
fittinglytoJapan:Youwillneverhurtalone.
Suchadisasteraffectseveryoneandeveryindustry.IthasaffectedtheJapaneseandAsianFootballand
itnowlooksliketheFIFAClubCupwhichStuartKelly’sformerclubAucklandCityFCwillplayinwillbe
moved from Japan to either Brazil or Spain.
Japan is a place my wife and I would always like to visit as we have friends who tell us how wonder-
ful it is. I have always found the Japanese people a special race and can only wish them the best for
the future. Even if you have lost everything please remember after every dark night there is a brighter
day. Through football I hope there sublime national football team can help them forget albeit for a short
while when they play and help lift the spirit of the Japanese people.
TheCharityreliefwasverywellreceivedbytheT-Rexfanclubwiththedonationstobepresentedto
theJapaneseEmbassybyDr.KasomChanawongsehisfatherthefounderofTheCollegeofAsianSchol-
ars Prof.Dr.Krasae Chanawongse.
• Teamunity–game,relieffundraisingKhonKaenFCisaclubofUnityandpassion.Weareseenasaprofessionalclubbutwearerunby
peoplewhohavemanyresponsibilitiesinthereeverydaylife.ForexampleourGeneralSecretaryMr.
Ong-ArjKosinkarIsapoliticianforthepeople,andafamilymanwithapassionforfootballthathelps
him combines all three of his responsibilities. This is a similar case for our coaches and players. We are
notinapositiontobefulltimefootballersorfulltimecoachesjustyet.Wehavetojugglemanyjobs
and wear many separate hats. Therefore you must understand we are preparing for the future of the
club and some days will be concentrating on another responsibility and some days we will be devoted to
theclub100%.Asyoucanseefromourresultsweareachievingthetargetsetbythemanagement,so
we can operate the club as it is at present, to one day be a fully functional fulltime football club. That’s
whywearenottoodisappointedtolose3-1totheTPLchampions.
Althoughonourbestdayswefeelwecanwinsuchagameandintimewhenitallcomestogether,we
willwinsuchgamesandcauseupsetsalongtheway.ThefutureistheTPLandAFCChampionsleague.
WemustsetafutureforKhonKaenforourfriends,parents,sonsanddaughterstobeproudof.And
that is what we are trying to achieve at this club.
• AFCChampionsLeagueFootballDelegates-Welcometo
Khon Kaen ItwasanotherspecialdaytowelcomethedelegatesfromAFCChampionsLeagueFootballtoourhome.
It was an honor for me to be asked to speak after the club President Dr. Kasom Chanawongse on behalf
ofKhonKaenFCinindividualpresentationstotheAFCdirectorTokuakiSuzukiandhisteamatMahas-
sarakhamUniversity.Dr.Kasomgaveanintroductionofhowfartheclubhascomefromthebeginning
towhereweareasaclubtoday.Hespoke
about the courses that the college run using
education as the key to our success, with
the emphasis on the development of our
local players and local coaches. Providing
a natural path for players to step into at
the end of their playing career. Giving the
younger players who have been through
the system an education to fall back on.
Dr. Kasom explained how he was the coach
withthepresentYouthteamcoachhisplay-
erandthepresentHeadcoachhisplayer.A
clubthathasonlyoperatedforsixyears,thathasgrownquicklyintooneofthehighestqualifiedteams
in Thailand. The rise of the team through the leagues using local talent, with star names moving on to
bigger clubs and playing for the National team. The success of youth and women’s football in Issan.
Igaveaninsightintothetechnicalaspectsoftheclub,allthekeypositionsfilledwithinourstructure.
Concentrating on the success of the youth system. The ongoing commitment from the Executives of the
club.HighlightingtheimportanceofourlocalcoachesbeingdrivenbyourClubPresidentwhoisthe
FIFAinstructorforF.A.T.whohasrisentothetoptoworkalongsidethePresidentofFIFASeppBlatter.
Showing how the media, fan club and club
marketing play a vital role in our success.
Wethenansweredquestionsinseparate
meetings with each delegates to inform
themoftherequestedcriteria.Theywent
on to view the stadium before coming to
KhonKaen’sStadiumandofficialclubmer-
chandise shop at Central Plaza. We had a
lunch with the delegates before they left.
We appreciate their support and guidance.
t
I noticed how proud our staff and management were on such an occasion. These are people who have
beenapartoftheclubfromthebeginning,whentheclubwasestablishedin2005.Couldtheyhave
dreamtofsuchaday?InvitingtheheadsofAFCChampionsleaguefootballtothefuturehomeofIssan
football.AgreatdealofcreditmustgotothePresident,Management,KhonKaenFootballAssociation
staff, players, coaches, doctors and the fan club for making such a dream a reality. They will be back in
Octobertoassesshowfaralongtheclubhascome,initspotentialtoplayChampionsleaguefootball.
• ManagementOurmanagementhasbeenaninspirationalfactortoourclubsuccessonaweeklybasisandespeciallyto
the team on match days.
The President The President Dr. Kasom Chanawongse is always encouraging from the bench at home games and
behindtheteamwiththeT-Rexfanclubfamilyonawaygames.Hepassesonhisfootballknowledge,
strength, understanding and passion to the coaches and players before kickoff, at half time and in our
de-brief meetings after each match. But it is not only the work that everyone sees on a match day, you
should all be aware of how hard working and inspired such a man is to act as an excellent role model to
anyoneineverydaylife.IfheisnotbusyrunningcoursesforstudentsattheCollegeofAsianScholars
inKhonKaen,heisfulfillinghisroleasFIFAInstructorfortheFootballAssociationofThailand.Heworks
with complete self motivation for his people, his passion and most importantly his family. This self
motivation must have come from a remarkable Chanawongse family. We are very fortunate to have Dr.
KasomorKCasheisaffectionatelyknowninourranks.UnderKC’sguidancethefutureofIssanfootball
is in very safe hands.
ManagerOurManagerPongsakTangwanichakapongisalwaysthefirstintoourdressingroomhomeandaway
beforethematchorathalftimetoinspiretheplayerswithawinbonusorgoalbonus.Heisalways
there after the match to offer his hand to
the opposition and to clap the players off
thepitchwinloseordraw.Hehasexpecta-
tions of his team’s performance but is very
realistic with the competition before him.
The more I see how they operate the more
admiration I have for there style. I can only
speak for myself in saying they make you
wanttofightforthemtoachieveresults
week in week out.
General Secretary When you see the fantastic sponsors we
haveonourclubshirt.BeerLeo,Thecouncil,CentralPlazaand3K.Thisallgoesdowntothehours
spentbyGeneralSecretaryMr.Ong-ArjKosinkarandhispersonalstafftosecuresuchsponsorsforthe
futureofourclub.Amanwithavisionoffootballmarketing.Hedrivestheclubforwardoffthefield
withhiscloserelationshipwiththePresidentsandManagement.Thereisnobettermaninfootballthan
Mr.Mac.
VicePresidentWeeradetXata-Vice
President is an inspira-
tional character to have
behind the scenes. When
he is not sitting on the
bench gee-ing the team
up in the huddle, kicking
every ball or taking turns
withAjarnPairaton
match days either singing
the Thai National anthem
or making announce-
ments.Youmayfindhim
Directing his Kaemkan-
nakornSchool.Hehas
fantastic football knowledge and is always on hand to give the team advice at training.
• StuartKelly–WelcometotheTPL!StuarthasmadeagreatimpressionsofarwiththeManagement,fanclubandteam.BeingaScots-
man he wasn’t too happy about accidently booking himself into the top hotels in BKK spending a small
fortune!StugotstuckintheBKKtrafficinthemiddleofanotherdownpourandcouldn’tfindanywhere
else and ended up in the executive’s suite
atSiamSiam.Hehadagreatviewofthe
stadium for Saturday. Stuart has already
offered valuable comments in training and
from the bench at the BEC Tero match.
We are very pleased to have an experi-
encedplayerwhoisalsohighlyqualifiedin
coachingtoaddtoourfamily.Hewillhelp
us all.
IfeelStuartcanhelpconnectthemidfield
to our strikers and can be a leader on the
pitch organizing players taking some pres-
sureoffthecaptain.Heisnowsettledin
to his apartment where the Chinese players stay. This will help build the connection with them and be
closertotheThaiplayersfortransferstoandfromtraining.XiangLiandWenxinLihavemadeStuart
feelcomfortableandtakenhimtolunch.AfterourreturntoKhonKaenStualsoenjoyedameal,walk
roundcentralandalightgameofbasketballwithmyfamilyandme.Hewasonthewinningsidewith
oneofmystudentsHighwhobecameclosefriendswithmynephewAaronwhounfortunatelyhadme
onhisside;itwasaclosegame21-18hon-
est!Abigthankyoualsotothecoachingstaff
and Gattusso, who has also helped Stu settle
in.Theyarenowroommatesonawaytrips;
maybe he can help him with his Thai.
HewillbeaplayerthePresidentandManager
canrelyon.Hewillbeaplayerwhoknows
exactly what Coach Nurong wants him to do
whenheistold.Hewillbeaplayerwhocan
also help me pass on instructions and detail at
set-piecesbyshowingtheplayersonthefield.
But we will not be singling him out for any
specialattention.Heissimplyanotherpiece
ofthejigsawpuzzle.ThatisalsohowStuart
wantsittobe.Hebringsanexcellentplaying
pedigree and valuable experience from a
professionalcareerplayingandcoachinginScotlandtoourclub.Hetellsmeingreatdetailofhisre-
centexperienceatAucklandCityinNewZealandandhowitwasabigsuccess.Theyareanorganized
clubwithaProfessionalmentality,aclubthathasbeenoperatinginthismannerforsometime.His
coachesareexcellentandhavebeengivenravereviewsinOceanafootball.Heleavesateamwhohas
justearnedtherighttoplayintheFIFAClubCubwonlastseasonbyBarcelona.Hisformerteamwill
be drawn in the same group as the host. The
tournament will not be held in Japan now
because of the Tsunami. It is possible they
will play in Brazil or Spain. If it is held in
Spain, the host team could be either Barce-
lonaorRealMadrid.IfeitherwinstheUEFA
ChampionsLeaguethenthehighestfinishing
team will be the host team, as both are in
thesemifinalandeithercouldwintheleague
theneitherBarcelonaorRealMadridcouldbe
playingAucklandCityFC.
So you must be wondering why Stuart has
left and how he could possibly miss out
on this prestigious event. It’s simple really.
Football in Thailand is growing fast and
the crowds that the league is attracting are better than New Zealand and he simply wants to play in a
professionalleaguewithmoregamesandstrongmediacoverage.Hewasabigpartoftheteamand
will bring what he has learnt from being involved in an organized and successful team with a style of
playthesameasBarcelona’sthathadravereviewsafterwinningthecupfinal,finishingjointsecondin
theleague.Hewillbeanexcellentadditiontoayoungteam.Hewasabitdevastatedhemustreplace
hispinktrainingtopafterafantookitoffhisshoulderattheBECTEROgame.WeallwishStuartgood
luck for his future with KKFC.
• ClubExposure:
Each week if you are a Khon Kaen FC fan, you can pick up either the Siam Sports magazine, the sports
paperortheNationalpapers.TheyallhaveoutstandingcoverageandfocusoneachPremierLeague
team.LivegamesfeaturedonTVandcrowds
growing week by week. The club is now
gaining exposure which can only be good for
the town. Thai football is a good place to
be and I feel that’s why it will entice better
players and more foreign players to our mar-
ket. So credit must go to the reporters and
photographers who travel the length of the
country to bring you the action.
• BECTEROSasanamatch.OnarainsoakedfieldweweresorrywecouldnotgiveDrKCaperfectbirthday.Iwasn’ttooworried
withBECTeroSasanatheydidn’treallyscareme.Howeverallourcoachesdidfeeltheyplayedbetter
footballthanusandwerefarmoreorganized.Onabetterdaywecouldhavehadaresult.Butitwas
completelydowntohowweplayed.Inthefirsthalfwehadsomebrightpassagesofplayuptothefor-
wards.Butwejuststartedtogetmoreandmorestretchedasthegamewenton.Ourdefensivetriowas
fartoodeep,holdingmidfielderdoingmorethanonejob.Thedefensiveinterchangewastooslow,our
wingbackswerepinnedbacktoactonlyasdefendersandnotattackers.Themidfieldtwowereforcedto
act as defenders.
Thesecondhalfcouldhavebeendifferent.WebroughtnewsigningonStuartKelly.Unfortunatelywe
concededapenaltytooquicklytomakeit3-0.Afterthegoaltheywerestrollingandtherewasnoreal
way back but we became brighter and
themidfieldkepttheballbetter,however
the wingbacks legs were drained by this
time to get forward to support our at-
tacks. They managed to win corners but
couldn’tfindthestrengthtogetpastthe
fullbacks or miss out the fullback with
any crosses when in the right areas. The
strikersandmidfieldlinkeduptoscore,
and managed to hit the target with a few
shots. Gatusso had a golden chance to
head in. But it wasn’t our day. We would
be kidding ourselves on if we thought
itcouldhavebeen3-3becausetheycouldhavescoredanother3.Soontoournextgameanothersix
pointergamethatcanbewonatourMahassarakhamhome.
• NextGamesWe must now look to our forthcoming matches against Police as a chance to get closer to them on
points.WemustalsotreatthegameagainstArmyinasimilarfashiontotheChaingRaigame.These
are games that if we can get points from can make or break how the rest of
ourseasonwillbe.Willwebefightinginarelegationbattlewiththebottom
sixteams?OrWillwebecompetingwiththeteamsinsixthtotwelfthplacefor
amidtablefinish?
Tofinishmidtablewithayoungnewteamandnewstaffstillfindingtheirfeet
in the top league of Thailand, would be a remarkable achievement and make us
even stronger for the next campaign.
Let’sgoouttherewithabigT-RexroarandmaketheExecutives,theManage-
ment and the Fan club proud to say
‘We are Khon Kaen!’
• PersonallyPersonallythishasbeenthebusiesttimeofmylife.My
wife and I have had a baby boy, we are building a home
tolivein,andmyfamily(sister,nephewandneice)vis-
ited the same week our new signing Stuart Kelly arrived. I
havebeenincontactwithStuartconstantlyfor10months
tomakethismovehappenasitismyjobtobringinand
takecareoftheforeignsignings(outsideAsia.)Ibrought
Stuart here as I feel he would be a success on and off the
pitch and he will eventually see what my family and I see.
ThatKhonKaencanbeagreatplacetosettle.Mynephew
AaronwillbegoinghomewithhisTPLstickerbookand
new Khon Kaen FC kit.
So why do I do this… simple football is the only drug I
need.Andthankfullymywifeandsisterunderstand,they
have seen it all before!!
Nick Gorman