Nongbua Pitchaya F.C.
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| Full name | Nongbua Pitchaya Football Club สโมสรฟุตบอลหนองบัว พิชญ |
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| Nickname(s) |
The Gamecocks (พญาไก่ชน) |
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| Short name | NBPFC | |||
| Founded | 2010 (as EGAT Nongbua Lamphu United) 2011 (as Nongbua Lamphu) 2015 (as Nongbua Pitchaya) |
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| Ground | Pitchaya Stadium Nong Bua Lamphu, Thailand |
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| Capacity | 12,000 | |||
| Chairman | Suthep Poomongkolsuriya | |||
| Manager | Sukrit Yothee | |||
| League | Thai League 2 | |||
| 2022-23 | Thai League 1, 15th (Relegated) | |||
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Nongbua Pitchaya Football Club (Thai: สโมสรฟุตบอลหนองบัว พิชญ) is a Thai professional football club based in Nong Bua Lamphu province. The club participates in Thai League 2, the second tier of Thai football league system.
The club was founded in Mueang Nong Bua Lam Phu district, Nong Bua Lamphu province in 2010. They played their home matches at Nong Bua Lamphu Province Stadium. They were first entered to the Thai football league system in 2010, competes in Thai Division 2 League (North Eastern Region), the third tier of Thai football league.
In 2017 the club were first promoted to the Thai League 2, after winning 2016 Regional League Division 2.
The club has won the 2020–21 Thai League 2 thus seeing them promoted to the 2021–22 Thai League 1 season for the first time in their history.
History
The beginning and professionalism at the club
The club was formed by Sports Association of Nong Bua Lamphu Province in 2010; Watchara Leeprasert mayor of Nong Bua Lamphu became the first club chairman, Suthin Srithong was the first coach and Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) was the club sponsor.
The club entered Thai Division 2 League (North Eastern Region) 2010 season, the third tier of Thai football league system with the name EGAT Nongbua Lamphu United and received the nickname Phu Phan Kham Thunder.
On 14 February 2010, the club played their first ever game against Udon Thani F.C. at Institute of Physical Education Udon Thani Stadium, which ended in a 0–1 win.
After the end of 2010 season Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) not renew a sponsorship agreement, the club changed their badge and name to Nongbua Lamphu F.C. in 2011 season and received the new nickname Electric eel.
The club have first-ever match in the Thai League Cup on 18 May 2011 and lost to Yasothon United 7–4 in first qualifying round (northeastern region), in the league they finished twelfth on the table.
In 2012 season they have a financial problems and not have a sponsorship but still finished twelfth again, during the 2013 season, a dismal run of form saw the team go down to the bottom of the league table with only 24 points from 30 games, they lost 14 games, won only 4 games and finished fifteenth on the table. Because of a lack of liquidity the club was forced to search for new owners.
During the 2014 season Suthep Poomongkolsuriya, owner of Pitchayabundit College, a private university in Nong Bua Lamphu completed his takeover of the club, and the club finished twelfth in 2014 season.
2015–present – First title and the Pitchaya stadium
In 2015 season the club changed their badge and name to Nongbua Pitchaya F.C., the new chairman made the club more liquid and gave more transfer-wage budgets. The club had their first-ever match in the Thai FA Cup on 24 June 2015; in the second round and they drew against Kamphaengphet F.C. 1–1, before losing in a penalty shoot-out. In the league they finished eighth in Division 2 northeastern region.
In 2016 season the club relocated from the northeastern to the northern region and qualify to the second round in Thai League Cup and Thai FA Cup , the club made a good performance in northern region including a 5–0 win over Phetchabun and lost only 3 games. They qualified to Division 2 Champions League round as winner of northern region zone.
In the Champions League round they qualified to semi-final, but following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Football Association of Thailand cancelled the remaining match on 14 October 2016. To find 3 of 4 teams to promoted to Thai League 2 made by draw lots, and the club was promoted after the drawing of lots with Kasetsart and Trat.
The Gamecocks continued to grow as a sports club and also began acquiring more assets. Nongbua Pitchaya's first football stadium started construction in 2019 and started to be used for the Thai League 2 in 2020.
Nongbua won the M150 Championship in March 2021, earning them promotion to Thai League 1 for the first time in their history.
Academies
Nongbua Pitchaya opened its first academies in 2016. The club is one of the leading youth football development academies in Northeast Thailand same level as Buriram United academies – The club's youth team Under-13 and Under-15 are the Northeastern Upper reginal winners of Thailand Youth League in 2017-18 and 2018-19 season. The club also sends youth teams to compete in the country's major youth football events, such as the cp-meiji cup held in Buriram province. The club's youth team performed well in CP-meiji Cup U-14 International Champions, in 2018 semi-final round beat Aspire Academy. The achievements in the development of the youth academy of Nongbua Pitchaya in the country causing football players to join the Thai national youth team such as Thawatchai Aocharod.
The Academy coaches are supported by the club to send professional coaching lessons according to the Asian Football Confederation curriculum to develop the potential of the instructors to acquire knowledge subjects under the concept of Pitchaya academies by playing developed under the name "Nong Bua Lona" style that focuses on - agility, movement, effective passing of the ball. In 2019, the Academy of Nong Bua Pichaya has more than 200 children, divided into 9 generations according to age (11–19 years), whose production begins to bloom in the third year of the academy.
Affiliated clubs
In the future i would like to invite young kids like under 18 or under 16 or under 14 and then if they are good enough level with our club we will transfer him to our club soneday, if some players from Nongbua Pitchaya will join our club and then he play well like Chanathip so he can go to other club in the next level so other Japanese club or Europe.
– Kiyoshi Sekiguchi , Shonan Bellmare Technical Director.
- Shonan Bellmare (2022–present)
- Nongbua Pitchaya have entered a ground breaking alliance with Japanese club Shonan Bellmare in 2022. This agreement to be of benefit to both clubs through the exchange of young players and coaching staff, shared knowledge on technical–training methods and playing friendly matches together.
- Nongbua Pitchaya youth teams was invited to join the competition "Copa Belmare International tournament" held in Japan that Shonan Bellmare hold this tournament every year.
Stadium and locations
Nongbua Pitchaya's first football stadium was built in 2019 was called Pitchaya stadium.
| Coordinates | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Year |
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| 17°07′48″N 102°25′25″E | Nong Bua Lamphu | Nong Bua Lamphu Province Stadium | 4,333 | 2010–2020 |
| 17°11′51″N 102°25′59″E | Nong Bua Lamphu | Pitchaya Stadium | 6,000 | 2020– |
Season-by-season record
| Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Top goalscorer | |||||||||
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| Division | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Pos | Name | Goals | |||
| 2010 | North-East | 30 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 44 | 54 | 37 | 10th | Not Enter | Not Enter | ||
| 2011 | North-East | 30 | 6 | 6 | 18 | 34 | 65 | 24 | 12th | Not Enter | QR1 | ||
| 2012 | North-East | 30 | 6 | 14 | 10 | 35 | 41 | 32 | 12th | Not Enter | QR1 | ||
| 2013 | North-East | 30 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 21 | 49 | 24 | 15th | Not Enter | R1 | ||
| 2014 | North-East | 26 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 21 | 30 | 29 | 12th | Not Enter | QR1 | ||
| 2015 | North-East | 34 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 47 | 42 | 50 | 8th | R2 | QR2 | ||
| 2016 | North | 22 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 48 | 22 | 43 | 1st | R2 | R2 | ||
| 2017 | T2 | 32 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 45 | 47 | 41 | 8th | QF | R2 |
Jardel Capistrano Weerayut Sriwichai Issarapong Lilakorn |
6 |
| 2018 | T2 | 28 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 32 | 35 | 45 | 5th | R1 | R1 | Goran Jerković | 13 |
| 2019 | T2 | 34 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 43 | 42 | 46 | 9th | R2 | SF | Christer Youssef | 6 |
| 2020–21 | T2 | 34 | 21 | 12 | 1 | 63 | 16 | 75 | 1st | R3 | – | Valdo | 14 |
| 2021–22 | T1 | 30 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 42 | 35 | 47 | 6th | QF | R16 | Hamilton | 19 |
| 2022–23 | T1 | 30 | 5 | 6 | 19 | 27 | 47 | 21 | 15th | R3 | R16 | Barros Tardeli | 11 |
| 2023–24 | T2 | ||||||||||||
| Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Promoted | Relegated |
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Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note 1: The official club website lists the supporters as player 12th man.
List of Managerial history
| Name | Nat | Tenure | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suthin Srithong | Thailand | January 2010 – December 2010 | |
| Prasith Seelachai | Thailand | January 2011 – May 2011 | |
| Vilas Thipparos | Thailand | May 2011 – December 2011 | |
| Ong-ard Prawong | Thailand | January 2012 – March 2012 | |
| Supete Srisuwan | Thailand | March 2012 – December 2012 | |
| Kiattisak Kamnerdboon | Thailand | January 2013 – May 2013 | |
| Natthasak Phusordngern | Thailand | May 2013 – December 2013 | |
| Saneh Lungkaew | Thailand | January 2014 – December 2014 | |
| Theerawekin Seehawong | Thailand | January 2015 – November 2018 | Champions of 2016 Regional League Division 2 Northern Region promoted to Thai League 2 |
| David Pons Carbonero | Spain | December 2018 – January 2019 | |
| Sugao Kambe | Japan | January 2019 – June 2019 | |
| Matthew Holland | Northern Ireland | June 2019 – November 2019 | |
| Somchai Chuayboonchum | Thailand | November 2019 – April 2021 | Champions of 2020–21 Thai League 2 promoted to Thai League 1 |
| Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul | Thailand | May 2021 – November 2022 | |
| Emerson Pereira da Silva | Brazil | December 2022 – February 2023 | |
| Theerawekin Seehawong (Interim) | Thailand | February 2023 – July 2023 | |
| Sukrit Yothee | Thailand | July 2023 – |
Honours
Domestic leagues
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Thai League 2:
- Winner: 2020–21
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Regional League Northern Division
- Winner : 2016