Army United F.C.

Army United Football Club (Thai: สโมสรฟุตบอลอาร์มี่ ยูไนเต็ด) was a Thai football club under the stewardship of Royal Thai Army based in the Din Daeng District of Bangkok and is one of the oldest continuing football club in Asia until they decided to discontinue the club in the end of season 2019 with 103 years old. The club was founded in 1916 and was known as Royal Thai Army until November 2010. Their home stadium is known locally as the Thai Army Sports Stadium and more widely known around Asian circles as the Royal Thai Army Stadium of which has been host to numerous international youth matches due to its central Bangkok location. The club play in red shirts with red shorts and red socks. Despite finishing bottom of the Thai Premier League in 2010 they managed to regain their top-flight status after winning Group B of the Thai League Play-off in 2011.

Army United
อาร์มี่ ยูไนเต็ด
Full nameArmy United Football Club
สโมสรฟุตบอล อาร์มี่ ยูไนเต็ด
Nickname(s)Gentleman Ranger
(สุภาพบุรุษวงจักร)
Founded1916
Dissolved2019
GroundRoyal Thai Army Stadium
Bangkok, Thailand
Capacity20,000

History

Army United represents the Royal Thai Army and has traditionally been Thailand's yo-yo club along with the Navy and Police clubs. Up until 2010 and the name change from the Royal Thai Army to Army United, the club lacked support and had dwindling crowds, mainly supported by Army personnel shipped in for the games.

The Army team has always been a mid ranking Thai team with their biggest successes coming in the Thai Division 1 League with a championship in the 2004–05 season and 2nd place in 2009. Both of these successes have of course come after relegation from the Thai League.

The club are based in the Din Daeng District of Central Bangkok, which is the area that bases the Royal Thai Army. Up until the 2011 season, the club operated a policy of only playing homegrown talent but ditched this as the game became more professional and foreign players were brought into the team. Previously the players would work for the Army during the week and play football on weekends, somewhat different from most clubs who operated on a full-time basis.

In the 2010 season, they were reprieved from relegation after an end of season relegation/playoff system was announced to expand the Thai Premier League. They came 16th in that season and in a normal season they would have been relegated.

In 2011, rebranded Army United signed five Brazilians and surprised all expectations as they topped the TPL in the early weeks of the season. Crowds rose from a few hundred hardy souls to a season average of 5,580. Leandro Dos Santos was hitting the back of the net regularly yet the early season form petered out and Army finished in 13th position.

Army United logo in 100th anniversary of the founding.

In 2012, most of the Brazilians had moved on but were replaced with other highly rated foreign stars. Daniel Blanco was the most impressive performer as Army flirted with the Top 6 for long periods before eventually finishing in 10th position.

The 2012 season also coincided with Army reaching the 2012 Thai FA Cup final. On the way to the final, Army was given a reprieve after they'd lost a penalty shoot-out to regional league side Trat. It turned out that Trat had fielded an unregistered player and was booted out of the cup with Army reinstated. Army United then took the scalp of runaway TPL leaders Muangthong United on the way to the final. The final itself was rather disappointing for the club with Army losing 2–1 to Buriram United.[1]

In 2013, the club signed a strategic partnership deal with Thai-owned English club Leicester City.[2]

In 2019, Army United decided to dissolved the club end the history of the club with 103 years.[3][4][5][6]

Stadium
Royal Thai Army Stadium

Thai Army Sports Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road in the Din Daeng District of north Bangkok, Thailand. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Army United F.C.[7] The stadium holds 20,000 and has a single stand with covered seating on one side and terracing on three sides. An athletics track surrounds the pitch. It is often used by Thai club sides in international football competitions and was used by Bangkok University in the 2007 AFC Champions League and Osotsapa in the 2007 AFC Cup. Additionally, it has been used for matches involving national sides in international tournaments hosted by Thailand where the hosts are not involved.

Stadium and locations by season records
Coordinates Location Stadium Capacity Year
13°46′58″N 100°33′22″E Bangkok Royal Thai Army Stadium 15,000 2007–2019

Season by Season Domestic record
Season League[8] FA Cup Queen's
Cup		 League
Cup		 Kor Royal
Cup		 AFC
Champions
League		 Top scorer
Division P W D L F A Pts Pos Name Goals
1996–97 TSL 34 14 12 8 60 50 54 8th N/A  –  –  –  – N/A N/A
1997 TSL 22 7 4 11 31 45 25 9th N/A  –  –  –  – N/A N/A
1998 TPL 22 7 5 10 35 42 26 7th N/A  –  –  –  – N/A N/A
1999 TPL 22 7 4 11 25 30 25 11th N/A  –  –  –  – N/A N/A
2000 DIV 1 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A  –  –  –  – N/A N/A
2001–02 DIV 1 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A  –  –  –  – N/A N/A
2002–03 DIV 1 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A  –  –  –  –  – N/A N/A
2003–04 DIV 1 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A  –  –  –  –  – N/A N/A
2004–05 DIV 1 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 1st  –  –  –  –  – N/A N/A
2006 TPL 22 7 9 6 31 38 30 6th  – GR  –  –  – N/A N/A
2007 TPL 30 13 8 9 40 33 47 5th  –  –  –  –  – Jakkraphong Somboon 9
2008 TPL 30 6 7 17 21 44 25 15th  –  –  –  –  – Jakkraphong Somboon 4
2009 DIV 1 30 18 4 4 55 18 62 2nd R2 GR R2  –  – Tatree Seeha 17
2010 TPL 30 5 7 18 27 54 22 16th SF QF R2  –  – Tatree Seeha 8
2011 TPL 30 10 9 15 39 40 39 13th SF  – R1  –  – Leandro Dos Santos 18
2012 TPL 34 10 13 11 34 38 43 10th RU  – R1  –  – Björn Lindemann 6
2013 TPL 32 13 9 10 48 40 48 6th R4  – QF  –  – Aron da Silva 11
2014 TPL 38 14 11 13 52 55 53 9th R3  – R1  –  – Raphael Botti
Tanakorn Dangthong		 9
2015 TPL 34 11 8 15 43 47 41 10th SF  – SF  –  – Mongkol Tossakrai 7
2016 TL 31 8 6 17 34 46 30 16th R3  – R1  –  – Josimar 16
2017 T2 32 10 9 13 53 57 39 9th R3  – R1  –  – Marcos Vinícius 18
2018 T2 28 7 13 8 38 41 34 8th R2  – R1  –  – Erivelto 14
2019 T2 34 15 10 9 56 43 55 5th R2  – QF  –  – Tanakorn Dangthong 16
Champions Runners-up Third place Promoted Relegated

Coaches

Coaches by Years (1996–2019)

Name Nat Period Honours
Amnart Chalermchaowarit 1996–97, 2007 Thai Division 1 League:Winner 2004–05
Watcharakorn Antakhamphu 2008
Thanadech Phooprasert 2009–10 Thai Division 1 League:Runners-up 2009
Pongphan Wongsuwan 2011
Adul Rungrueng 2011
Amnart Chalermchaowarit 2012
Paniphon Kerdyam Sept 2012 – Nov 2012 2012 Thai FA Cup Runner-up
Alexandré Pölking Oct 31, 2012 – Nov 2013
Matt Elliott Jan 2014 – Jun 2014
Gary Stevens Aug 2014 – May 2015
Issara Sritaro May 2015 – October 2015
Watcharakorn Antakhamphu October 2015 – November 2016
Thanis Areesngarkul November 2016 – March 2017
Rangsiwut Chaloempathum (interim) March 2017 – July 2017
Daniel Blanco July 2017 – November 2017
Nascimento[9] November 2017 – June 2018
Adul Luekijna June 2018 – October 2018
Daniel Blanco October 2018 – November 2019

Honours

Domestic competitions

References
  1. "บุรีรัมย์-อาร์มี่แถลงพร้อมดวลชิงถ้วยเอฟเอคัพ".
  2. ""อาร์มี่-เลสเตอร์" จับมือพันธมิตร ยกระดับทีมสู้ศึกไทยพรีเมียร์ลีก".
  3. https://www.siamsport.co.th/football/thaileague2/view/162722
  4. https://www.matichon.co.th/politics/news_1773328
  5. https://www.khaosod.co.th/sports/news_3098054
  6. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1804904/gen-apirat-suspends-army-united-football-team
  7. Army United Clubinfo on thai-fussball.com
  8. King, Ian; Schöggl, Hans & Stokkermans, Karel (20 March 2014). "Thailand – List of Champions". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014. Select link to season required from chronological list.
  9. "อาร์มี่เปิดตัวกุนซือโปรไลเซนส์ ประเดิมคุมซ้อมทางการ".
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