The Thailand Tigers. Est. 1996.
Established in 1996 and based in Bangkok, the Thailand Tigers play competitive intra-club matches throughout the year.
The ‘Blues’ and the ‘Reds’ battle it out weekly for the honor of holding up the prestigous ‘Bob & Gerry Cup’, named after the Club’s founders. Their names, believe it of not, are Bob and Gerry.
May 1996 saw the Tigers play host to the touring Hong Kong Dragons and play their first game of “competitive football”, Asian style, at Kasetsart University.
It was a long time between drinks for the Tigers as it wasn’t until September 1997 that they played their next game, this time a tour and a return match against Hong Kong, played at the Military Hospital Grounds in Hong Kong.
November of the same year the Tigers again played host, this time to the Singapore Wombats in a game played at Thana City which was to become the Tigers home ground for the next few years.
1998 was a busier year for the Tigers, playing five games during the year. Two games were against the Hong Kong Dragons: one held in Ho Chi Minh City and the other in Bangkok.
Other matches involved the then Hanoi Hawks, also in Ho Chi Minh City and games against the then Saigon Saints and the Singapore Wombats were played in Bangkok. A lean spell followed for the next 12 months before the Tigers hosted what is arguably the prelude to the now Asian Championships – The 4 Nations Cup – at Thana City. Attended by Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia, the Tigers played only the two games, one against Hong Kong the other against Indonesia. The 4 Nations Cup was ultimately won by Singapore.
The Tigers were finding it difficult to tour and April 2000, the Tigers again played host to the then Saigon Saints. August had a small band of Tigers on tour, back to Ho Chi Minh City, where they played games against Malaysia and then Indonesia. The Tigers came away with wins in both games.
For further information:
- Visit the Thailand Tigers’ website.
