| Full name | Buriram United Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Thunder Castles (ปราสาทสายฟ้า) | |||
| Founded | 1970, as Provincial Electricity Authority 2010, as Buriram PEA 2013, as Buriram United | |||
| Ground | New I-Mobile Stadium Buriram, Thailand | |||
| Capacity | 32,600 | |||
| Chairman | Newin Chidchob | |||
| Head Coach | Afshin Ghotbi | |||
| League | Thai League | |||
| 2015 | Thai League, 1st | |||
| Website | Club website | |||
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Buriram United Football Club (Thai: สโมสรฟุตบอลบุรีรัมย์ ยูไนเต็ด) is a professional football club based in Buriram, Thailand, that currently competes in the Thai League.
The entity that is currently Buriram United was founded as the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) Football Club in 1970, affiliated with the state-owned utility provider. After the club's controlling stake was bought by Buriram-born politician Newin Chidchob in 2010, the club was relocated from Ayutthaya to Buriram and renamed Buriram-PEA FC. The club was renamed again to its current name in 2013, after Newin bought PEA's remaining stake in the club.
PEA FC won the Khǒr Royal Cup in 1998 and their first Thai top-flight league title in 2008. After the relocation to Buriram in 2010, the club has won four league titles, four Thai FA Cups, and four Thai League Cups in six years.
Their current home stadium is
Buriram United won their first Thai Premier League title in 2008 and the Kor Royal Cup in 1998, as PEA FC (Provincial Electricity Authority Football Club). The club was previously based in Ayutthaya before moving east to Buriram for the 2010 season. In season 2011, Buriram PEA were the triple champions winning the (2011 Thai Premier League, 2011 Thai FA Cup, and 2011 Thai League Cup) in Thailand.[1]
their current home stadium is New I-Mobile Stadium which has a capacity of 32,600.[2]
History edit
Provincial Electricity Authority FC edit
The club was founded in 1970. But first successes came in 1998 with winning the third division of the Kor Royal Cup. The club was then in the Thai Division 1 League. 2002–03 the club finished third in the second division. In the Thai Premier League Relegation to be lost at the end of the Thailand Tobacco Monopoly FC after round match with 0–1. A year later, with space, then succeeded in the end of season 2003–04 promotion to the Thai Premier League.PEA surprised everyone by becoming the league runner-up at the end of their first Premier League season. Being the runner-up entitled the club to participate in the AFC Champions League. It was the first participation in an international competition for the club. However the club was excluded from the competition.[3] In the following two seasons, 2006 and 2007, the PEA took place only 10 and 8 at the end of the season.
In 2008 Provincial Electricity Authority won their first championship in Thai League after they changed their home stadium from Bangkok to Ayutthaya, where they have a bigger fan base.
Relocation to Buriram edit
2010 season edit
In December 2009 it was announced that a politician based in Buriram, Newin Chidchob was to take over the club. He had already tried unsuccessfully to take over TOT SC and Royal Thai Army FC[4] Newin moved the club to Buriram and gave it the name Buriram PEA Football Club. Pongphan Wongsuwan was instated as coach. Since 1998 he had been the coach of FC TOT.
2012-present season edit
At the start of the 2012 season, the club was renamed Buriram United Football Club. In the first match of the group stages of the 2012 AFC Champions League, Buriram beat the 2011 J-League champion, Kashiwa Reysol, 3–2 and became "the first Thai and South East Asian club" to earn a victory against a J-League club in ACL since starting the Champions League system in 2003.[5] On the second match, Buriram was the visiting team against the 2011 CSL Champion, Guangzhou Evergrande. Buriram also became "the first Thai and South East Asian club" to earn a victory against a Chinese club "in China" after beating Guangzhou Evergrande 1–2 in Tianhe Stadium from Suchao Nuchnum and Frank Acheampong's goals.[6] That match was the end of a two-year unbeaten home record for Guangzhou.[7]
- ^ "บุรีรัมย์ ซิว 3 แชมป์!สมใจ บิ๊กเน" (in Thai). truesport.truelife. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "Buri Ram scores in sports tourism". ttrweekly. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "Asian Champions League 2006 Details". rsssf. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
- ^ "เนวินนำบุรีรัมย์ควบรวมทีโอทีบู๊ไทยลีก" (in Thai). siamsport. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "Buriram United 3–2 Kashiwa Reysol". the-afc. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "Guangzhou Evergrande 1–2 Buriram United". the-afc. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "บุรีรัมย์เฉียบบุกโค่นกว่างโจว2–1เอเอฟซีชปล" (in Thai). siamsport. Retrieved 30 October 2014.