Grass Roots Football

[HongKongPhooey]

The only football I know of on Phuket is Phuket FC and the hundreds of games that spring up each evening on the beaches and any other patch of grass or mud available.

Is there any structured football on the island. Do the schools play each other in a league or in friendlies? Are there any out of school clubs that play in a league? Are there any adult leagues?

I know there's an international 7's every year and some tournaments played at the BIS now and then but I'm talking about structured leagues played week in week out. Anyone know of anything?

[easy_jim]

There are plenty of organised tournaments and leagues around Phuket, especially now there are so many artificial grass pitches around the island.

The local Thai football scene is mostly tournaments. There are always tournaments taking place somewhere on the island. There is also an over 40s league at the new artifical grass pitch next to Dowroong School.

Brazilian Soccer Schools do kids training sessions all around the island. They also run the Phuket Fair Play League where they try to group the kids into evenly matched teams. The games are mostly played at the various international school facilities but they are open to all.

The Phuket Super Sixes League is played at Headstart School. It is a league of mostly expat teams with a few Thai teams.

Thanyapura host the Adult Futsal League which is mostly Thai teams but there are a few expat players.

[HongKongPhooey]

Thanks mate.

Seems like there's a lot of football going on but not no real organised kids league where the kids play for a team or school and train together regularly and play different teams week in week out as they would in Europe then?

Like you say there are plenty of fantastic pitches these days, it would be nice if there was a proper association with different leagues for different age groups etc etc.

Thanks again.

[seaeagle]

Thanks mate.

Seems like there's a lot of football going on but not no real organised kids league where the kids play for a team or school and train together regularly and play different teams week in week out as they would in Europe then?

Like you say there are plenty of fantastic pitches these days, it would be nice if there was a proper association with different leagues for different age groups etc etc.

Thanks again.

Nip into HeadStart school (opp Makro) and have a word with one of the PE staff.

They have football matches on all the time, so I'm sure they'll be able to happily guide you for kids football on the island.

Away from your chosen sport, there is quite a healthy kids set up for cricket on Phuket. Does that interest you?

Edited April 29, 2012 by seaeagle

[easy_jim]

Thanks mate.

Seems like there's a lot of football going on but not no real organised kids league where the kids play for a team or school and train together regularly and play different teams week in week out as they would in Europe then?

Like you say there are plenty of fantastic pitches these days, it would be nice if there was a proper association with different leagues for different age groups etc etc.

Thanks again.

I agree, as far as I know there is no school league or kids league structure in Phuket. Brazilian Soccer Schools do a pretty good job of organising their league but of course they are doing it for profit so it is a little expensive which means it is mostly the international school kids who join.

There is meant to be some kind of kids football football training on Saturday mornings at Land & House. There are also plans to start a kids football school at Headstart but that has yet to materialise.

I guess now there are more playing facilities in place we will eventually see a few kids leagues forming.

[HongKongPhooey]

Thanks mate.

Seems like there's a lot of football going on but not no real organised kids league where the kids play for a team or school and train together regularly and play different teams week in week out as they would in Europe then?

Like you say there are plenty of fantastic pitches these days, it would be nice if there was a proper association with different leagues for different age groups etc etc.

Thanks again.

Nip into HeadStart school (opp Makro) and have a word with one of the PE staff.

They have football matches on all the time, so I'm sure they'll be able to happily guide you for kids football on the island.

Away from your chosen sport, there is quite a healthy kids set up for cricket on Phuket. Does that interest you?

I'm thinking more about the future than right now to be honest. My oldest is only 4 1/2 so it will be a couple of years before it really becomes relevant. Although if there was a league I would happily go and watch my local team each week even if they were just kids. It was just that I can't really remember seeing kids playing a proper match with all the parents lined up cheering them on as you would see in almost every field in Europe on a Sunday afternoon. I could see a proper structured Sunday league being extremely popular here with kids and parents alike.

I loved cricket as a kid as well as most other sports so I hope my son will be the same. It's fantastic to see some great facilities on the island these days.

Thanks for the input.

[seaeagle]

In that case HKP, here's a couple of cricket links that may interest you:

http://www.phuketcricketgroup.com/2011/index.php/junior.html

http://www.cricketthailand.com/Index_english.html

[HongKongPhooey]

I agree, as far as I know there is no school league or kids league structure in Phuket. Brazilian Soccer Schools do a pretty good job of organising their league but of course they are doing it for profit so it is a little expensive which means it is mostly the international school kids who join.

There is meant to be some kind of kids football football training on Saturday mornings at Land & House. There are also plans to start a kids football school at Headstart but that has yet to materialise.

I guess now there are more playing facilities in place we will eventually see a few kids leagues forming.

Yeah that's just it, it's not the same when making a profit is the main objective. You need the kind of set up where parents get involved helping with training and transport etc, then local businesses get involved with sponsoring the teams and buying them new kits.

It's the kind of community type thing I could really see working on Phuket what with Thais being as passionate about football as the are, and it would be a great way for the Farang and Thai communities to mix together instead of the International school kids mixing in their own little circle as you mentioned.

In that case HKP, here's a couple of cricket links that may interest you:

http://www.phuketcri...php/junior.html

http://www.cricketth...ex_english.html

Thanks mate, nice one.

Edited April 29, 2012 by HongKongPhooey