Thailand Premier League 1996/97

Infobox Football league season
season = 1996/97
competition = Thailand Premier League
winners = Bangkok Bank
relegated = Thailand Tobacco Monopoly
Osotsapa
Bangkok Bank of Commerce
Rajvithi-Agfatech
Krung Thai Bank
Singha-Thamrongthai
continentalcup1 = Asian Club Championship
continentalcup1 qualifiers = Thai Farmers Bank FC: 2nd Round
continentalcup2 =
continentalcup2 qualifiers =
continentalcup3 =
continentalcup3 qualifiers =
league topscorer = flagicon|Thailand Ampon Ampansuwan (TOT) (21)
biggest home win =
biggest away win =
highest scoring = Royal Thai Air Force 4-3
Port Authority of Thailand
Rajvithi-Agfatech 4-3
Royal Thai Police
(7 goals)
total goals =
average goals =
longest wins =
longest unbeaten =
longest losses =
highest attendance =
lowest attendance =
average attendance =
prevseason = Kor Royal Cup 1995
nextseason = 1997

Since 1916-1995, Kor Royal Cup was the top level of club football competition, Until in 1996 Thailand Premier League or official name, Johnnie Walker Thailand Soccer League was first formally formed by Football Association of Thailand with the sponser, Johnnie Walker.

For league system, The 1996/97 Thailand Premier League consisted of 18 teams which drew from Kor Royal Cup. Top 4 in final league table would be qualified for championship playoffs and six teams in The bottom of league table would be relegated to the Thailand Division 1 League which was created in next season (1997).

Defending Champions of Kor Royal Cup (Which changed to Thailand Premier League in 1996/97 season), Thai Farmers Bank would enter the next edition of the Asian Club Championship.

Member clubs

*Bangkok Bank
*Bangkok Bank of Commerce
*Krung Thai Bank
*Osotsapa M-150
*Port Authority of Thailand
*UCOM Raj Pracha
*Rajvithi-Agfatech
*Royal Thai Air Force
*Royal Thai Army
*Royal Thai Navy
*Royal Thai Police
*Singha Tero Sasana
*Singha-Thamrongthai
*Sinthana
*Stock Exchange of Thailand
*Thai Farmers Bank
*Thailand Tobacco Monopoly
*TOT

Final League Table

Final

March 16, 1997

† "Champions" : Bangkok Bank (Qualification for the Asian Club Championship).

Season Notes

* The league will be reduced in size to consist of only 12 teams for season 1997. The competing clubs will be: Bangkok Bank, Stock Exchange of Thailand, Thai Farmers Bank FC, TOT , Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Air Force, Sinthana, UCOM-Rajpracha, Royal Thai Navy, Port Authority BEC Tero Sasana and Royal Thai Police.

* Another six teams, who failed to make it into the top 12 elite, Thailand Tobacco Monopoly, Osotsapa, Bangkok Bank of Commerce, Raj Vithi, Krung Thai Bank and Thamrongthai will join the top four teams from the old second division - Rayong, Samut Prakan, Royal Household Bureau and Bank for Agriculture and Co-Operatives - to make up a new second tier. It was also confirmed that there will be no play-offs for the championship this year and just one team will go either down to the Second Division and up to the first. However, the second bottom team in the top division will have to face. The second placed team in the second division to decide who takes up a place in the top 12 next year.

Asian Representation

* Thai Farmers Bank represented Thailand in the Asian Club Championship, where they would reach the second round, where they were beaten by eventual winners Pohang Steelers of South Korea

Awards of the Year

Coach of the Year

*flagicon|Thailand Withaya Laohakul - Bangkok Bank

Player of the Year

*flagicon|Thailand Amporn Amparnsuwan - TOT

Top Scorer

*flagicon|Thailand Amporn Amparnsuwan - TOT

References

* [http://www.rsssf.com/tablest/thai97.html Thailand 1996/97] RSSSF

External links

* [http://www.thaifootballleague.com/ Official Website]