The best of the best will show their wares in Thailand
Last year was bad for football fans as they faced the "blank screen" problem, forcing them to miss many live football matches. But 2013 is going to be an exciting year, as they will have the chance to watch several leading football players in the flesh.
It rarely happens this way but several top football clubs of the world are going to travel thousands of miles from their homes almost simultaneously to entertain fans in Thailand.
First will be former European Cup winners PSV Eindhoven, who will play a friendly match against new Thailand Premier League champions Muangthong United on Tuesday.
July will be a busy and exciting month, especially for fans of the English Premier League. Manchester United’s rabid supporters will have a chance to see their beloved club play here for the first time in 12 years.
Although they will be disappointed at not being able to watch the “dream” match between Champions League winners Chelsea and Manchester United in Thailand due to some technical problem, at least they can enjoy watching both teams play here.
Singha Corporation, the makers of Singha Beer, which is a global partner of both clubs, finally succeeded in bringing the top two clubs to Thailand. The two clubs will play with two other Thai teams in two days. Singha has just confirmed that Manchester United will play on July 13, while Chelsea will play on July 20. Both teams would stay in Thailand around one week but not at the same time.
Kop fans in Thailand do not have to feel let down. The Football Association of Thailand confirmed last October that Liverpool, led by “captain marvel” Steven Gerrard and striker Luis Suarez, will come to Asia for their pre-season tour of Indonesia, Hong Kong and Thailand. The Reds made their last visit in 2009. The team would play either the Thai national team or a Thailand All Star team. The tentative match day has been set on July 24 at Rajamangala Stadium.
Fans of Spain’s La Liga won’t be disappointed either. As part of their marketing campaign in Asean, Barcelona plan to visit Thailand during the break. The club last year signed a sponsorship deal with Thai Beverage Plc (ThaiBev), the brewer of Chang beer.
These days, when the season closes, football teams always travel to other countries to market themselves. Liverpool and Manchester United were among the first clubs to travel and play friendly matches around the world, especially in the Far East. Their first visit to Thailand was in the early 1980s.
The football tour is a powerful and most effective way of winning over new fans. It also means more money and more value for the clubs.
And once again, Thailand will become one of the hot destinations for football clubs to boost their popularity in Asian countries.
Although the football tours will cause some Thai agencies headaches, such as those responsible for arranging security for the players and handling traffic, it will bring joy and cheer to fans. Last year’s nightmare will be replaced by the joy of watching players in the flesh, and the memories will stay on forever. What a difference a year makes!
