Monday, March 08, 2010

You've got to laugh...

Thailand have just missed out on qualifying for the finals of the Asian Cup for the first time since 1988 and the talk has already turned to not only qualifying for the 2014 World Cup finals but on how much of a bonus players will receive should they manage to make it to Brazil!

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/sports/34029/worawi-demands-better-results

The problems in Thai football - and indeed throughout the game in South East Asia - run much deeper than not being able to find enough financial incentives for players to perform at their optimum level (and surely being the first Thai team to qualify for the World Cup should be enough of a carrot in itself).

Instead of offering players 1 million baht per man to qualify, perhaps that money should be put into further developing the game, increasing the professionalism of the FA and allowing the coaching staff and the players to have the support they need so they can concentrate on the game.

Just a thought...

9 comments:

  1. Great blog, Michael. Would you like me to post a link on my website? - www.clubwebsite.co.uk/chonburifc

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  2. That would be fantastic...by the way, love your website! If only more clubs in Asia realised the importance of an English language website...

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  3. Thanks for the kind words, Michael. The link is now up on my site.

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  4. Instead of offering a million baht perhaps the best service these people, not just Thailand of course, could do for SEA football is to step down and have professionals take their place

    Won't happen of course...not yet

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  5. It would be nice, wouldn't it? But unfortunately there are too many people with too many vested interests, whether it's for their own financial gain, political influence or just plain ego, these guys won't budge. And if the governments step in to do it, FIFA will ban the association for outside interference.

    Malaysia's the best example of how not to run an FA - the state FAs and the old farts that run those shouldn't be allowed near a football pitch never mind being allowed to run the game. Many of them don't know what a football looks like!

    The claims that the game was going to be overhauled there in 2004 were always empty because the man calling for the review - Sultan Ahmad Shah - was the man who had presided over the mess to begin with!!! Would have been as likely as turkeys voting for Christmas.

    I love South East Asian football - covering the old Tiger Cup was always a genuine highlight for me - but I've lost almost all hope for it now. The fans have lost interest, allowing the fools running the game to get away with murder. There needs to be a complete overhaul and it ain't going to happen any time soon!

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  6. And if the governments step in to do it, FIFA will ban the association for outside interference.


    Yep. There is some big conference in Malang later this month and there is plenty of talk about kicking the FA head out. The govt have made noises about how disatisfied they are but the current men in charge can carry on fiddling, pointing to FIFA regulations. Regulations they are happy enough to flout when it suits them.

    I try and avoid the politics of it all or I would end up going mad. Better to accentuate the positives and be happy that the good things happen in spite of the nest of vipers in control and not because of

    And as for Malaysia. If it was a movie or book plot it would be considered too fantastic for words...

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