Globlex (Thailand)

Globlex FC are a semi professional football club based at Ramkhamhaeng University in the east of the Thai capital of Bangkok.

From the information available, it would appear that the club were formed in 2011 to fill in one of the available places in the Thai Regional League as it was expanded.

Globlex FC will compete in the Thai Regional League Central West Region in the 2013 season.

My visit

Globlex 0 Samut Sakon 0 (Sunday 7th April 2013) Thai Regional League Central West Region (att: approx 500)

My holiday had gone superbly. The sixes cricket team I represent; Yarrambat of Melbourne, had won the Bowl (third level) of the Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes and I’d had a solid tournament. In the week before travelling north I’d visited several new grounds and seen a couple of midweek matches. I had an afternoon and evening to kill in Bangkok before heading to Phuket the following day for more cricket.

After closely scrutinising the websites and Twitter for news of late changes to fixtures, as is not unusual in Thailand, I plumped for a double header on two new grounds not too far apart.

Globlex are based at Rhampangpeng University in the shadows of the majestic national Rajamangala Stadium. Their game was a 4pm kick off, in the searing heat with measured just under 40 degrees. With the second match having a 6pm kick off I reckoned on getting in an hour at the first encounter.

As ever in Bangkok a taxi was soon pulling in to transport me, and after a ride up the vibrant Rhampangpeng Road a short walk soon had me outside the stadiums railings where I stood to attention with everyone else inside and out of the arena as the Thai national anthem boomed out. Admission was 50 baht (around £1.15) and gained me access to an excellent raised cantilever stand, which was split between home and away fans.

I had seen Sakon last season at Thai Honda and once again their following in pink and sky blue was higher than the home support and was loud and colourful. Another raised seated stand was opposite, but not in use for the match; with the pitch surrounded by a running track as are the majority of stadiums in the lower divisions in Thailand.

The match itself was not fantastic, although the build-up play was not the worst. Unfortunately the finishing from both sides was wasteful in the extreme. This was emphasised when the visitors were awarded a debatable penalty on the stroke of half time that was blasted over the bar.

Catering was like many grounds at that level in Thailand, and came courtesy of a van behind the stand. As was the norm, hands were stamped on entry allowing fans to come and go.

After spending fifteen minutes in the company of the friendly Sakon fans, who tried to work out my Boro shirt, I headed for the exit as I had a gut feeling the second game would be pretty special at the PAT Stadium; the home of Singhturua FC.

To see action from the game, please go to my amatuer video at: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlSlv112lZs&list=UUuIHNmGQ2lRbtwwp7tLYDDQ&index=5