Clash of football titans could hurt local league

Apirak Kosayodhin expressed concern a couple of years ago while he was chairman of Bangkok United Football Club that the booming Thai Premier League might go bust in the near future. At that time, he was afraid of a “bubble”, which so far has not materialised. The domestic league, which was a sort of niche less than a decade ago, has invaded most Thai living rooms through live broadcasts and its grand plans are spelt out on virtually a weekly basis. New, modern-looking stadiums have been built and advertising has been pouring in. 

Something arguably scarier than a “bubble” is happening, though. The current face-off between Football Association of Thailand president Worawi Makudi and political big wig Newin Chidchob, who runs league champion Buriram PEA, has got very serious. As they say, when elephants collide, the grass is all trampled. The major victim of the Worawi-Newin clash, it is feared, could be the booming yet fledging football league itself.

It’s a big power play by a veteran politician, a man with deep-rooted influences in the football association, and a media giant specialising in sports. Backed by his football club and some allies, Newin has publicly questioned the transparency of the Premier League’s 2011 financial management. It turned out that Siam Sport Syndicate, which publishes sport dailies and magazines, was also in charge of the league’s finances and ownership rights. The media syndicate is known for its relations with Worawi – and for owning SGC Muang Thong United.

Lying just under the surface of the showdown are attractive financial figures. Worawi responded to Newin’s attacks by issuing reports on Premier League earnings and expenditures, not to mention its record Bt218.4million income. TrueVisions and NBT paid the league Bt135.4 million for broadcasting rights and another Bt83 million came from key sponsors such as Yamaha and Advanced Info Service. Spending on operations and marketing totalled Bt209.88 million, leaving Bt8.51 million in profit, which the league split with Siam Sport. 

Amid the revelations, the syndicate said goodbye to the league. But Newin wants more, with the support of 13 of the league’s 18 teams. He has asked to see the Football Association’s earlier contract with Siam Sport. His offensive prompted speculation about a breakaway domestic league. Worawi virtually dared anyone wanting to defect to do so, saying there were plenty of second-tier clubs eager to fill the void. 

Some Siam Sport columnists have lashed out at Newin, who at one point was among those credited for being a breath of fresh air in the Thai football scene. The current conflict has no end in sight and is threatening everything from sponsorship to broadcasting to clubs’ team-building plans. In short, the whole Thai football landscape has been rattled. It doesn’t matter who is right and who is wrong. Thai football, it seems, will pay a price for the Newin-Worawi clash.

The Thai Premier League certainly involves complex and fast-growing business interests and the present conflict may have just unveiled the tip of the iceberg. When the situation calms down, maybe a reform should be undertaken to give the league sound and transparent foundations. As of now, however, it might be a good time for Worawi and Newin to give their heads a shake, if not each other’s hand. If both men truly love football, as they always swear they do, they should each take a step back and think about the big picture, not themselves.

There is a poignant Thai saying that can describe it if something worse happens to the Thai Premier League. “Written by hand; erased by foot” could be an analogy befitting the fate of the Thai football. If the league is to suffer a slump after having shown so much promise these past few years, both Newin and Worawi could be held accountable. They may turn from heroes to zeroes, and, unlike soccer players, such an unfavourable tag may be irreversible.