Landslide victory for Somyot

Former national police chief Somyot Poompunmuang scored a landslide victory to become the new president of the Football Association of Thailand yesterday with pundits and fans heralding a bright future for the domestic game.

The Thai FA poll was regarded as future-defining, considering that the outcome would bring in the 17th president, a new man at that, of an association that is celebrating its centennial this year. 

Outgoing incumbent Worawi Makudi, who held the top post since 2007, was made ineligible to stand for re-election after Fifa decided last month to extend his provisional suspension for another 45 days for an alleged breach of its ethics code.

As a result of the ban that forced the postponement of the vote, originally scheduled to take place in October, the leadership change, which football fans have yearned, has become a reality.

Worawi’s tenure was marked by widespread discontent among the fans, who blamed his perceived poor management for the national side’s underachieving years during his nearly nine years in the job. Even though, the Thai team has enjoyed an upturn in fortunes in recent years, it barely improved the 64-year-old’s popularity among the public.

However, it had been tumultuous few weeks in the lead-up to the poll, which saw several individuals, including two of the six presidential candidates themselves, file a case related to the election. Up until the poll, there remained a threat that the election may not be held before a court ruling paved the way.

The normalisation committee, appointed by Fifa to oversee the election, conducted the vote at the Hua Mark Indoor Stadium amid tight security, with around 500 police officers being deployed at the venue.   

Sixty-eight out of 72 member clubs eligible to vote cast their ballots to pick 18 executive posts. Notably two of the four absent clubs, Muangthong United and BEC Tero Sasana, had close ties with outgoing president Worawi. 

The outcome ushered in a new era, with the 61-year-old Somyot and his team making a clean sweep of the executive posts with landslide wins. The result, however, needed to be approved by the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT). 

The newly-elected FA boss, who has very little background of football, wasted no time to start planning his work during his first four-year mandate, confirming that there would be a major shake-up in the management structure. 

“On Sunday, there will be a meeting to chalk out a working plan as well as to consider several positions. There surely will be changes in the presidential post of the Thai Premier League Company, the Regional League and the refereeing committee. As for who would come in, I still have to discuss it with my team.

“The FAT office would also be relocated from Supachalasai Stadium to the SAT headquarters. Regarding the post of secretary general, I already have a man in my mind. He would be named later,” said Somyot.

While suggesting there would be a lot of changes in several things, including contracts concerning the association’s commercial activities, Somyot reiterated Kiatisak Senamuang would stay on in his post as the national team coach.

“Surely, I would look at what the previous administration did whether it was the management work or the commercial benefits they had with others. If it was done correctly, I would keep it. On the other hand, if it was not right, I would correct it.  

“But, I can give you a guarantee that every club whether they supported me or not would receive the same benefits, especially the money to support each team. By the way, I would like to make it clear that coach “Zico” [Kiatisak] would continue in his job,” said the former police chief.

The election, though, was not yet clear of controversy, with the association’s legal team submitting an appeal to the Sports Authority of Thailand to hold up approval of the outcome, citing the vote was conducted against the rules. 

SAT governor Sakol Wannapong said his office would make a decision on whether the poll was conducted correctly or not on Monday.