The takeover of Leicester City football club in England by Thailand’s King Power International Group has not gone completely according to plan.  The Raksriasksorn family have been disappointed that since the beginning of the season, Leicester have won only two Championship games, drawn two and lost 6.  This has left the team stranded in the relegation zone with the threat of dropping into the 3rd tier for only the second time in the club’s illustrious 126-year history.
   
In a high profile attempt to reverse the team’s sliding fortunes, former England and Manchester City manager Sven-Göran Eriksson has been appointed and the team’s players have been treated to a lightning 12,000 mile trip to Thailand where they will play the Thailand national team.

While most football fans have focused on what the new owners and manager will bring to the club in the hope of changing their current dire situation, political analysts in Thailand are having a field day trying to work out what this means in the context of Thailand colour-coded politics.

It has been noted that Eriksson’s last contact with a Thai football team owner was when he managed Manchester City for Thaksin Shinawatra, then viewed by the Football League as a ‘fit and proper person’ and now accused by the Thai government of being a right proper terrorist. 

The Raksriasksorn family, on the other hand, are closely allied to Newin Chidchob, who is banned from politics for 5 years while he controls the Bhum Jai Thai Party, the Ministry of Interior and stable of party-hopping MPs whose number grows by the day.  As a de facto leading member of the current government coalition, Newin is diametrically opposed to the Red Shirts.  The government of course accuses Thaksin of instigating, funding and controlling the Red Shirts.

Does this mean that Eriksson, like Newin himself, has abandoned his former allegiance to the Red Shirts?  Careful observers have noted that mobs of Newin supporters have been seen in Blue Shirts attacking Red Shirts.  This seems to be confirmed by the fact that Leicester’s home colours are blue.  More than that, Leicester’s away colours are yellow, the colour of the anti-Red Popular Alliance for Democracy. 

Observers are divided on the issue of Leicester’s third strip, which, though almost never used, is largely black.  Some see this as confirmation that the mysterious ‘men in black’, thought to be responsible for numerous killings during the protests in April and May, are in fact Yellow-Shirt-allied Blue Shirts in disguise.  Others think this is fanciful speculation based on mere coincidence.

What perhaps will be more interesting is the way King Power will attempt to exercise its control of the club to ensure better results than they have been getting to date.  After a brief excursion to Phuket, the players will arrive in Bangkok where they will be accommodated at the Pullman Bangkok Hotel. 

In accordance with the group’s policy in dealing with possibly intransigent employees, they will be given luxury suites but the doors will be locked and their mobile phones will be removed.  Transport to and from the training ground and the match will be in locked minibuses.

It is reported that when players learned of these arrangements, there was some discontent.  However, it was explained to them that these measures were simply to prevent untoward defections. 

When it was pointed out to the King Power minders that ‘defections’ in football are called ‘transfers’ and no transfer is possible until the January transfer window, Leicester City officials were told to shut up and do what they were told. 

There are rumours that similarly heavy-handed tactics have been threatened against any part of Leicester City operations that fails to perform to the owners’ expectations.  It is reported that armed men briefly took over the collection of parking fees at the Walkers Stadium after a contractual dispute with the franchisee. 

The new owners promise to bring a new management style to the club.  Wages are generous but dependent on a dramatic improvement in performance.  Players have been warned that if results continue poor, they will be immediately transferred on loan to Newin’s Buriram PEA football team and can expect to end their careers in the northeast of Thailand, where they will be ‘looked after’ by blue-shirted ‘supporters’.