Friday, August 07, 2020
The Story Of Muba United
You see the rabbit holes football can take you down? After being triggered to look at some PSMS players of yore I learn of a merger that went down in March and what looks like serious investment in a new club in South Sumatra.
It can be difficult keeping track of the mergers and changes of ownership in Indonesian football when you're living there and following it every day. But when you're thousands of miles away? No chance.
First, for me as much as anything, some background. Back in 2010 Aceh United were formed to play in the Liga Premier Indonesia. Remember that? They lasted half a season and life carried on with Persiraja the main team in Banda Aceh.
They kind of fell off the radar after that short lived campaign before returning to Liga 3 in 2017. It's worth pointing out many clubs are little more than licenses. Owners come and go and depending on the owner a club's fortunes ebb and flow. So after 2011 Aceh United would have existed as little more than a sheet of paper tucked away in a draw somewhere.
Aceh United were promoted to Liga 2 at the end of their first season back and did well enough to reach the play offs though they finished bottom of their group.
Established in Liga 2, Aceh United then went and merged with PS Timah BaBel, previously known as PS Bangka and they were based in Pangkal Pinang. The new team was known as BaBel United (an acronym of Bangka Belitung islands) and were skippered by Agus Indra Kurniawan who previously had a lengthy spell with Persija.
BaBel United finished the 2019 season comfortably in mid table but were to be soon on the move again. Dodi Reza Alex Noerdin, who had previously been involved with Sriwijaya, set up Musi Banyuasi and merged them with BaBel United to form Musa Banyuasi United or, for the sake of brevity, Muba BaBel United.
Former international striker Bambang Nurdiansyah was brought in to coach the team and money was spent to recruit big name players like Agus Indra Kurniawan, Bobby Satria (pictured in action for Persikabo), Ichsan Kurniawan and Airlangga Sucipto. The new team started the season well, defeating newly promoted Persekat 3-0 in their opening game to go top of the table, and since the pandemic brought the campaign to a halt, they remain league leaders ahead of the season restarting in October.
Will any fans of Aceh United or PS Timah feel any affinity with the new club? Unlikely. Football fans are used to seeing clubs come and go. And as for the town of Banyausi there used to be another team there called PS Banyuasi which has recently started training under new coach Mahyadi Panggabean. How does that work? Do PS Banyuasi fans start following Muba BaBel United or is there a new breed of supporter wearing their colours?
