Thai Football 2023/24

[Big Boy]

Tonight's T1 results:

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Tonight's T1 results:

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Tonight's T1 result:

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Game Week 4 T1 League Table:

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Thai T1 clubs have been posting and sharing posters similar to the above on social media today. Basically, just 4 weeks into the season, the package the Thai Football Big Knobs put into place is not working.

Of course it's not working - so long as pirate sites such as Doo continue to operate, freeloaders are not going to pay for what is available free of charge.

The plan was every football supporter would pay 500฿ a season to watch football on TV. Peanuts to me, but its a day's wages for a Thai. Why would he pay that when it is still available free? Such a package was always doomed to fail, and it has.

If money was short, they should have just cancelled the TV package (maybe sell rights to broadcast 1 match per week). If people really want to watch Thai football, that would immediately get bums off living room sofas and onto stadium seats. 4 stadium visits per season would surpass the 500฿ TV fee.

I'd also put admission fees up a little. I've been supporting Thai football for over 11 years now, and admission prices have been static. Just add 10 or 20฿ across the board.

If they think people have a spare 500฿, start a supporters club with a minimal membership fee. Members could enjoy benefits such as discounted away travel, discounted club merchandise, etc. as incentive to join.

Finally, concentrate more on merchandising. Visit Buriram to see how they do it, or if really keen to make money, send a delegation to Old Trafford to pick their brains.

There just has to be a better way than trying to sell a service that is already available for free.

[caller]

A few years ago, when I was still living in Korat, The Swat Cats, when they were regularly getting 10,000 plus crowds, increased the price of tickets for a new season by 50 baht. Attendances dropped and I don't think they ever recovered, playing in T2 now. That's in Thailands 2nd city. In the current climate, I think any increase outside of a large city, could be detrimental.

The problem with merchandise is the obvious issue of fakes, which are prevelent everywhere and far cheaper than official products. The Swat Cats had 2/3 outlets around Korat, as well as at the stadium. The ones elsewhere all eventually closed. One was in The Mall in Korat, another in Klang2 (I think that was the name), which was a mall over 5/6 floors, of cheaper produce aimed at 'ordinary' Thai's. A couple of years ago, Klang2 itself closed, bar the basement supermarket and ground floor.

[Big Boy]

The clubs seem to think 500฿ from every supporter will save them. They are trying to sell a product that is already available free of charge. The plan the top knobs from each club together with the Thai League hierarchy was always doomed to failure.

It's all come about because TV companies will no longer pay enough cash. If TV companies are kicked out of stadiums, the freeloaders will no longer be able to get their footie fix free of charge. That will hopefully get more bums on seats in stadiums. If the price was upped by just 10฿ across the piece, that would hopefully realise even more income.

The next part of my solution is particular to the club I support. There is a massive demand for merchandise, but firstly they have a supply chain problem, which has not helped. Secondly they have a staff problem. They are very picky in what communications they respond to. This season I persomally have tried to buy 18 shirts - I've actually managed to buy 7. That is 11 x 630฿ that they could have received from a single supporter. OK, I probably order more than most, but social media is full of similar stories of orders being ignored.

This is why a delegation to see how Buriram do it, or even send a delegation somewhere like Old Trafford to learn how it should be done properly.

I'm sure with all of those brains locked in a room at the Thai League, they could have come up with a better plan than trying to sell something readily available free of chare for 500฿ a pop. I hear they're going to try selling sand to the Arabs next.

[caller]

When you say a massive demand, what numbers are you talking about? I know you see Buriram shirts everywhere, but I just assume most are fakes.

I am not disputing what you say, just curious. For example, Who manufactures Thai football shirts, are they internationally known, or just local companies? I know you will find them in malls across Thailand, maybe not locally in Hua Hin, but they are sold in Bkk and Korat, so there must be marketing deals in place.

[Big Boy]

Buriram recently announced their pre-season sales of shirts, which were something like $950K. That's a lot of dosh before the season even started. I think my club was taking delivery of about 50 shirts every 2 weeks (31,500฿ or $875). That is a vast difference in turnover.

Manufacturers supply a maximum of 2 T1 clubs and include names like Warrix, Ego, Kappa, Ari, Shoot, etc.

Clubs like Buriram have outlets all over the place, so it makes their work easy. Other clubs are quite limited but many have an online presence with suppliers such as Shopee and Lazada. Online is certainly the way to go, but my club simply ignores orders. I doubt that instruction is coming from the management, but it is the management that needs to sort themselves out and manage, and not rely on selling TV packages that are readily available free of charge.

These guys cry foul loud enough, but aren't putting in the effort to help themselves. Get a hard task master to Thunder Castle to learn, and then sort the merchandising out. When they've got their own back yard in order, then let them shout foul if they are still failing. Currently it bad following bad at many clubs.

[caller]

Thanks BB.

[Big Boy]

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Tonight's T1 result:

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Tonight's T1 results:

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[Big Boy]

Yesterday's T1 results:

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