Nonthaburi FC

(Cross posted with rajprachafc.blogspot.com)

Nonthaburi already has two football teams. Next season it could (to my knowledge) be the only province  outside Bangkok - and we are outside Bangkok - to have a team in all three divisions.

Nonthaburi FC have registered to start in the Central Region of Division Two next season and Siam Sport has an article on the new club. Using a powerful machine (called "wife") to translate the article, it leaves me with mixed feelings.

It really could be taken two ways. On one hand it gives the impression of a young management looking to establish a stronger presence for football in Nonthaburi. This can only be good for the province and fans.

On the downside, the whole thing looks flippant. The club have yet to establish a home ground (it may be at a local university) a squad ("we are currently searching for players") or a sponsor, though they mention a private investor has pledged funds for signing higher league players.

This worries me, surely such things should be arranged before a new club is registered to play in the league?

We also need to ask were the support will come from. Muangthong have quickly become the fashion item of Thai football with attendances through the roof and fans from all over Thailand, Rajpracha have established themselves as the team of choice amongst the underdog fans, or those who feel - as more than one Raj fan has told me - that Raj are the real team of the locals.

Perhaps the new club could situate themselves in, say, Sai Noi and regionalise their support. Alternatively they could attach themselves to a certain demographic. For example, if they play at a university they could attract student support, as Chula United have done. Then again, they could just base themselves anywhere and hope the locals attend and support more than one team. Many do.

In any case I guess it would be good to see a third team in Nonthaburi as long as it is well run. At the moment, nothing seems very sure and I would be disappointed but not surprised if Nonthaburi FC become one of several new Division 2 clubs which either disappear quickly, or simply fail to materialise at all.