Air of uncertainty ahead of Thai football chief poll

In fact, there is some doubt over whether the vote, due to take place at the Hua Mark Indoor Stadium, will even go ahead. Judging by the series of incidents that have occurred since the election was postponed, it appears wise for pundits to keep their own counsel. Nevertheless, if the vote does take place, the only certain thing is that a new man would take over the hot seat from outgoing president Worawi Makudi.

The provisional ban imposed by Fifa on the disgraced incumbent is the principal cause for the current malaise that has temporarily brought domestic football to a standstill.

Surely the 64-year-old Worawi is the man who was most dismayed by Fifa’s decision. Had Fifa not meted out the original 90-day suspension, which bars him from getting involved in all football-related activities domestically and internationally, the man who has been FAT president since 2007 would have won his fifth consecutive mandate by now.

Worawi’s lingering hope of retaining his post was snuffed out when world football’s governing body last month extended his suspension for another 45 days, making him ineligible to stand for re-election.

For a man who has a cunning knack of pulling off an escape act when encountering trouble, it is still premature to think that Worawi, who endured a sour relationship with fans for much of his time in the job, doesn’t have a trick up his sleeve.

Speculation was rife that Worawi was looking for his replacement before former national team coach Chanvit Pholcheewin turned up at the last minute with several figures who were close to the embattled incumbent to submit their applications for the executive posts of the association.

The 59-year-old Chanvit is one of six presidential candidates along with former national police chief Somyot Poompunmuang, former national manager Tawatchai Sajjakul, better known as “Big Hoy”, ex-FAT secretary-general Pinij Sasinin, Bangkok FC chairman Natthapol Teepsuwan and former FAT executive board member Pol Lt-Colonel Chaisap Tharat Rittem.

Nevertheless, many believe the battle for the presidency will boil down to a two-horse race between Somyot, who has the backing of the group opposed to Worawi, and Chanvit. 

It, however, may not be as close a fight as people think, with the mo-mentum swinging firmly in Somyot’s favour following the re-staging of the election to find 30 representatives from third-tier Regional League clubs, who will be eligible to vote in Thursday’s poll. The 30 representatives elected last year were be-lieved to be the key voting base of Worawi’s camp so it came as no surprise when the camp tried hard to prevent any change to that line-up. 

However, the Fifa-appointed normalisation committee tasked with overseeing the rearrangement of the presidential election stressed that it needed to re-stage the vote so it was in accordance with the newly-enacted rules.

Such was the sweeping change, only two clubs – Nara United and Nonthaburi FC – survived from the original 30. It signalled a change of wind that clearly deflated Chanvit, who appeared to raise the white flag.

There was more concern, though, about widespread speculation that an attempt had been made to do whatever it took to get the country suspended by Fifa. It followed an injunction request being filed at the Nakhon Si Thammarat Administrative Court to stop the vote find the 30 new representatives. 

A similar case was lodged at the Khon Kaen Administrative Court after the vote was successfully staged on January 22. Fortunately, the court dismissed both requests because Fifa prohibits any party from taking a dispute concerning a national football association to ordinary courts.

Then there was a dispute in the regional league after the organisers of the league decided to bring forward the start of the season by a week, while some clubs were controversially not allowed to take part in the competition. That led to a petition by the majority of the third-tier clubs to seek justice for those clubs ahead of the season start today. The Sports Authority of Thailand tried its best not to let its attempt to solve the problem be seen as government interference so that Fifa did not suspend FAT.

Despite the FAT election slated to be held this week, no one can guarantee that there won’t be more twists and turns in the run-up to the poll.