TTM Phichit F.C.

TTM Phichit Football Club (Thai: สโมสรฟุตบอลทีทีเอ็ม พิจิตร) is a Thai football club based in Phichit Province and currently plays in the Thai Premier League. This Club, founded in 1963,^[1] is one of the oldest clubs in Thailand. Their biggest achievement has been the Thai Premier League Title 2005. In 2009, the official club name has changed from Thailand Tobacco Monopoly FC to TTM Samut Sakhon FC.

Again, at the end of 2009, ready for the 2010 season, TTM once again renamed themselves to TTM Phichit and re-located to the Northern province.

History

Thailand Tobacco Monopoly football club were formed in 1963 as the works teams of the company of the same name. They have been ever presents in the structure of Thai football since the game became professional in the 1996-97 season.

The early years

TTM as the team were more commonly known began life in the professional era in the 1996–97 Thailand Soccer League with 17 other teams. As this was the first season to use a traditional league format, it was determined that the bottom six teams would be relegated to form a new feeder league. Unluckily for TTM, they were one of the bottom 6 teams that would be relegated. They would not come back to the Thai Premier League until the 2001–02 Thai League season when they won their first silverware, the Thai Division 1 League.

On their return to the TPL, they comfortably found themselves as a mid table outfit, finishing in 8th position in their first three seasons. Although comfortably above the relegation zone, they were somewhat rather behind the leading pack.

The Glory Years

Rather unexpectedly, TTM were to win their 1st TPL championship in the 2004–05 Thai League season finishing two points clear of both PEA and Osotspa and qualifying for the 2005 ASEAN Club Championship and 2006 AFC Champions League. Along with this TPL championship came the Kor Royal Cup win in 2006, a game staged between the league winners and runner's up as a curtain raiser for the next seasons campaign.

ASEAN Club Championship Disaster

In July 2005, the team went quietly confident into the ASEAN Club Championship, a competition for league winners of the ASEAN region. TTM were drawn into Group B with the host club DPMM of Brunei, Tampines Rovers of Singapore and the Finance and Revenue team of Myanmar.

In the first group game, TTM let a 2 goal lead slip to the hosts DPMM played at the Sultan Hassal Bolkiah Stadium. In the second group game they had to beat Tampines Rovers but they were strongly overcome by Tampines foreign contingent and lost 3:1. Therefore, they went into the last group game hoping that other results would go their way and that they in turn could also turn over a big goal difference. This was not to be the case as they once again lost and went out of the competition.

ACL Disqualification

TTM were expected to take part in the 2006 AFC Champions League but failed to register any paper work on time and were therefore disqualified. TTM were drawn in Group F with Koreans Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i, Tokyo Verdy of Japan and Arema of Indonesia.

New Identity

In 2009 and with the shake up of Thai football in general, all company based teams had to become sports entities, thus forcing out the like of Bangkok Bank and Krung Thai Bank. TTM decided to re-locate from Bangkok and move to Samut Sakhon and renamed themselves TTM F.C. Samut Sakhon. They had in fact moved in the second half of the 2008 season but kept the same name TTM until 2009. Games would be played at the Samut Sakhon Stadium.

This name change and new identity would only last one season however, as again, in time for the 2010 season, they once again relocated to the province of Phichit and renamed TTM F.C. Phichit. This did not go down to well with some supporters of Thai football as they had moved from a provice that previously didn't have a football club and moved to a province that already had a team, Phichit, whom had worked hard to gather a supporter base. The plus side of TTM moving to Phichit is that from their previous home a new club was formed, Samut Sakhon.

Achievements

• Thai Premier League:

Winner: 2005

• Thailand Division 1 League:

Winner: 2000

• Kor Royal Cup:

Winner: 2006

Performance in AFC competitions

• AFC Champions League: 1 appearances

2006: Disqualified

Performance in ASEAN Competitions

• ASEAN Club Championship: 1 Appearance

2005: Group Stage

• Singapore Cup: 1 Appearance

2008: Quarter-Finals

2009: 3rd place

Season By Season Record

Crests

Coaches

Coaches by Years (2000–present)

Players

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Former Player

References

1. ^ tobaccofc.com: History of the Club

External links

• TTM Phichit F.C. Official Website