How Thailand is falling in love with the Foxes

[buksida]

A year ago, as Leicester City languished at the bottom of the Premier League and looked almost certain to be relegated back to the Championship after just one season in the top tier, you could spend a couple of hours at the club shop in central Bangkok and not see a single customer.

The rows of blue shirts remained untouched, the games playing on the large-screen TV unwatched apart from by the staff, who had little else to do. By the end of last year, it had closed down.

The club's owner, King Power, had done its best to raise the profile, plastering Leicester merchandise all over its shops at Bangkok's busy international airport, where it has had an effective monopoly for the past decade on the duty-free spending of the more than 50 million passengers who pass through it.

But outside the airport it was hard to wean Thais off their affection for Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Today you cannot buy a Leicester shirt anywhere in Thailand. They have all sold out, and King Power has had to ask fans to order them from the UK.

The astonishing rise of the Midlands also-rans to league leaders this season is starting to impress Thai fans; even those who support other sides.

"I'm a Liverpool fan but secretly I'm rooting for Leicester to win the league," said Sorrapat Sriparn, while watching his side Muan Thong United play. A few rows along, Suphanchai Ketbeungkan, a long-term Chelsea fan, said he was also inspired by the idea of a Thai-owned team that had been so close to relegation last season winning the title.

At a Sunday practice match in Bangkok, unable to buy the real thing, I was reduced to showing a picture of a Leicester shirt on my laptop to a Thai boys' team during the half-time break. They all recognised it, and knew the club was Thai owned. Would they consider supporting Leicester? They were not so sure, a few hands going up tentatively. Most of them were, predictably enough, Manchester United or Liverpool supporters.

But if Leicester are to capitalise on this season's success and cement a permanent place in the hearts of Thai football fans, its owner is going to have to invest more in raising the profile among younger supporters, whose loyalties are not yet fixed.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35900042

[kendo]

This made me chuckle when I watched it on the news. Thaksin Shinawatra didn't have the same effect when he controled Manchester City.

[GLCQuantum]

This made me chuckle when I watched it on the news. Thaksin Shinawatra didn't have the same effect when he controled Manchester City.

Actually he did. I know loads of Thais that switched to supporting Man City as soon as he took over. Few continued cheering for them when he left.

Unless Leicester can continue their amazing form into next season, the Thai support will dwindle. Thais generally only support those who are winning. They change teams quicker than you can say, 'Glory Hunter'.

[arcadianagain]

Proof, if proof were needed, that the plastification of overseas supporters depends on the success factor of any given team. You can often tell the age of a plastic supporter from the time their team spent at the top. Which is why Spurs don`t have much overseas support!!!

[Big Boy]

i actually sighted my first Leicester City shirt in Market Village last week, and thought how fickle plastic supporters are. Mind you, I was not expecting 'sold out' as posted in the OP.

[Pagey]

That's a coincidence as on Saturday or Sunday morning I went to my regular shirt supplier to order England home & away for Euro 16 as they rolled them out last week and normally hanging in the shop is the usual Man U/Chelsea/Barca/R Madrid etc and as I walked out I noticed a Leicester shirt in it's plastic cover hanging on the rail in a prominent position ! They'll be stocking Spurs shirts next !