Bangkok 7s write up
BFC took advantage of a hiatus in league matches to send a group of players on the team’s first international tour since 2019, this time to the blistering heat of Bangkok, Thailand. The club was represented by players spread across 3 teams in the annual Bangkok International 7s Football Tournament (see their Facebook page for more details), which has been a club tradition for many years and is part of a regional series hosted by the Asia Pacific Football Club (APFC). This year’s event was held from June 3-4 on GRASS at the pristine grounds of the Patana School. About 10 current club players from Tokyo were joined by old friends and former players from across the globe to field a team in the +35 age group (BFC Tokyo), with some also invited to join teams in the +45 group (Footy Japan) and +55 group (Tokyo Pirates). Captains and diligent caretakers were Sid, Martin and Pabs.
For those who arrived in Bangkok early, the weekend kicked off with an Opening Party and Captain’s Meeting at The Sportsman bar, followed by team “strategy sessions” at Nana Plaza.
The group eventually splintered around midnight, with most players returning to The Rembrandt, which acted as the official tournament hotel and headquarters. After a sparsely-attended team breakfast at the hotel buffet on Saturday morning, players made their way to the tournament grounds in whatever fashion they could find, with savvy members using the Grab app and others opting for tuk-tuks.
The tournament organizers prepared the grounds splendidly and welcomed all of the international players with top-notch facilities, including cold water stations spread across 6 fields, hot food, 80s music, medical services, and, most popular of all, on-demand massages.
Warm-ups and practice sessions were minimal, as players adjusted to the heat and prepared for a long day of 16 or 20-minute games. Three groups of 4 teams were used to set the playoffs, which were separated into cup, plate, bowl and spoon levels. After watching the masters open up play, the younger BFC lost their first group match 0-1 on a heart-breaking rebound but took advantage of a short rest period to make adjustments and win their second match 2-1. As the afternoon heated up and players either utilized the massage services or filled up on gapao, BFC conceded an own goal and eventually lost their final group match 0-3 against a strong team from Taipei. But upon seeing inspired efforts by their brothers in the upper divisions (some of whom played in more than one), BFC regained form to dominate their final match of the day 5-1, which opened up what looked to be a deep bowl run continuing on Sunday. Some of the football played in this last game – woof!
As Saturday was a Buddhist holiday in Thailand and some players had logged minutes in over 10 games spread across the 3 divisions, the team laid relatively low after the matches ended, opting for some pool time back at the hotel or longer massages and dinner nearby. Sid struggled a bit to find open laundry services for washing the kit, resulting in the need for some players to use their own hotel showers – fortunately, thanks to Steve the BFC managed to have their kits sorted. Most of the team members eventually made their way to the hotel lounge that evening to order coconut drinks and watch the FA Cup final on primetime TV (with a few wise old men bringing their own whiskey and umeshu to share).
Sunday saw an earlier start for the BFC, and maybe as some could have predicted, a few players were late for the 10am kickoff or missing altogether, perhaps still recovering from the grind of the previous day or lost in one of the Soi alleys of Sukhumvit. In any case, the BFC opened the day with a 2-2 draw and looked set up for another long day of games. But, alas, the second match proved to be the last, as BFC could not muster up the energy to avoid a loss and got knocked out of the bowl based on overall results. After confirming their tournament was indeed over, the BFC players hit the showers and grabbed a few complimentary beers to enjoy the rest of the afternoon by watching the Open division games and cheering on the +45 and +55 teams still in action, until the medal ceremonies wrapped things up around 4pm.
A memorable highlight for many of us from the tournament was seeing Brian Malone (who played with BFC up until around 18 years ago) respond to a late call-up for the +55s. It was fitting that he would score a perfect hattrick in the semi-final wearing JDs shirt:
Players went their separate ways after that, either saying goodbye at the pitch or back at the hotel. A large group hit the pool and then returned for another night out at Nana, where there was a Santa Claus sighting, among other incidents. By Monday, most had left Bangkok, either returning home or moving on to other destinations, with some heading south to the islands or north for more exploring.
This match report cannot really capture the comradery and spirit created by the friendships that were either renewed or created over the course of the weekend. The breadth of BFC really crosses global boundaries and the club has supporters in faraway places. Now the team looks to be represented even better next year when the APFC series comes to Tokyo for the Samurai 7s. 
BFC players: Andy (Abu Dhabi), Pabs (captain), Senz (Singapore), Hide, Akira, Takumi, Steve (Bangkok), Ranga, Mo
Last but by no means least – put this in your diaries and prepare for next tour to Phuket 2024. Come on BFC!
