What you say about Bangkok having just one club is exactly the situation in Beijing and is part of the reason the club is so well supported. Part of Shanghai Shenhua's problem is location, as more and more fans move to Pudong, they can't be arsed making the trip to Hongkou on weekends, but that doesn't fully explain the piddly attendance the club gets. I don't buy into the "Shanghai only likes the Euro leagues" as 5-6 years ago when the city had 2 teams, both did okay.
Man it´s a joy to watch Hao Junmin play again, i know most of you if not all wanted him to stay in Europe but i´d much rather see him play week in week out in CSL. He´s been directly involved in both Shandongs goals with one "real" assist against Shenhua and has been wreaking havoc all day long
liaoning vs guangdong was so fierce! i didnt realize it was thursday nightt that they were playing! almost thought guangdong lost. no one can stop them lol
China - Super League Round 20 August 12 Liaoning Hongyun 1 - 1 Guangzhou Evergrande (25,812) August 13 Changchun Yatai 3 - 0 Shaanxi Chanba (11,560) Beijing Guoan 1 - 0 Nanchang Bayi (35,722) Dalian Shide 3 - 2 Qingdao Jonoon (20,137) Shandong Luneng 2 - 0 Shanghai Shenhua (22,615) Shenzhen Ruby 0 - 0 Hangzhou Greentown (5,130) Chengdu Blades 1 - 1 Tianjin Teda (5,267) Henan Jianye 0 - 0 Jiangsu Sainty (19,730) Table Code: 1 Guangzhou 45 2 Beijing 36 3 Shandong 33 ---------------- 4 Liaoning 31 5 Shaanxi 28 6 Hangzhou 27 7 Jiangsu 26 8 Changchun 26 9 Tianjin 26 10 Shanghai 24 11 Qingdao 23 12 Henan 18 13 Dalian 18 14 Nanchang 17 ------------------ 15 Shenzhen 13 16 Chengdu 13 Attendance summary update to August 13 Code: Rank Team Total Average 1 Guangzhou 459,170 45,917 2 Beijing 413,145 41,315 3 Shaanxi 301,174 33,464 4 Liaoning 205,607 20,561 5 Henan 166,200 18,467 6 Tianjin 131,997 16,500 7 Jiangsu 139,665 15,518 8 Dalian 153,914 15,391 9 Shandong 127,411 14,157 10 Changchun 119,672 13,297 11 Shanghai 94,379 10,487 12 Nanchang 103,670 10,367 13 Hangzhou 91,790 9,179 14 Chengdu 70,807 7,867 15 Shenzhen 68,540 7,616 16 Qingdao 75,313 7,531 League total 2,722,454 18,150
China - Super League August 17 Round 21 Shaanxi Chanba 1 - 1 Tianjin Teda 27,668 Beijing Guoan 3 - 1 Chengdu Blades 33,526 Dalian Shide 1 - 1 Liaoning Whowin 24,790 Hangzhou Greentown 1 - 2 Henan Jianye 12,156 Nanchang Bayi 0 - 0 Qingdao Jonoon 10,754 Jiangsu Sainty 2 - 0 Shandong Luneng 18,560 Shanghai Shenhua 0 - 2 Changchun Yatai 8,325 Guangzhou Evergrande 4 - 1 Shenzhen Ruby 48,020 update to August 17, Total attendance 2,906,253 Average attendance 18,394 Code: Table 1. Guangzhou 48 2. Beijing 39 3. Shandong 33 ----------------- 4. Liaoning 32 5. Jiangsu 29 6. Changchun 29 7. Shaanxi 29 8. Tianjin 27 9. Hangzhou 27 10. Qingdao 24 11. Shanghai 24 12. Henan 21 13. Dalian 19 14. Nanchang 18 ------------------ 15. Shenzhen 13 16. Chengdu 13 Average attendance by club as of August 17 Code: Guangzhou 46108 Beijing 40606 Shanxi 32884 Liaoning 20561 Henan 18467 Tianjin 16500 Dalian 16246 Jiangsu 15823 Shandong 14157 Changchun 13297 Nanchang 10402 Shanghai 10270 Hangzhou 9450 Chengdu 7867 Shenzhen 7616 Qingdao 7531
The problem for Shenhua isn't connected to location. If you consider people's square to be the very centre of Shanghai, Hongkou stadium is three miles north of it. In Shanghai terms, thats pretty close, Hongkou district is on the north side of the city proper. Subway line 8, and number 3, the elevated rail, goes there. The NW side of the city is heavily residental so this means a lot of fans don't have a long way to travel. Also no connection with Pudong, when Shenhua played at Yuanshen stadium in pudong in 2008, they got smaller crowds than they did at Hongkou. Rather the problem with SHanghai is that the team does not really match the aspirations of the city. The city is China's biggest, most progressive and most modern and outward-looking metropolis. Yet for years the team has under achieved, two championships in 17 years is a very poor haul. You could turn that argument on its head by poiting to Beijing who get 40k a match and yet only won the championship once - but that was two years ago. Shenhua havent won anything in nearly a decade. In the late 90s in the CSLs boom years they were getting 35k fans a week. So the following is there. When you speak to locals, they often say that they followed the team feverishly during the 90s and the side was very "cool" then. But SHanghai is a city of trends. And the corruption problems which taint the game seem even more unseemly to Shanghainese who live in a city which is said to be the most well-regulated and, compared to other cities, less affected by corruption. I think Shanghai is more sensitive to foreign standards and influences than other parts of CHina. New trends in China always start in SHanghai and everywhere else follows. So i think Shanghainese compare their own team with those of foreign origin more. The latest trend is for watching big match football like the champions league final in bars with groups of friends, drinking and going crazy in support of a team you have little connection with other than deciding one day you will follow this team because its successful. If the CSL gains more credibility, and the game in general in China can lift itself from the doldrums, then Shenhua's support base will increase along with this. But, unlike most things, don't look to Shanghai to lead the way in making the CSL more popular. But once the crowds come back to Hongkou, thats when you know the CSL will have "made it" again.
Okay, I still hold location is one of the issues. I know more and more friends who were living in the "city" who've moved out to the middle of ********ing nowhere Pudong over the years as the city housing prices have risen. Granted, none were Shenhua fans, but I think this is a general trend in the city and its only true over the past 3 years especially. I think you hit it on the head when you talk about the underachieving. Fans really started coming back when Beijing moved back to Gongti in 2009 and as they got closer and closer to winning the title, they've stayed on and gotten more rampant since. Shenhua have had little succes ovver the past few years, I'm not sure if attendance got better when they were in the title race or not, but I think winning a title would help. I'm sorry, I simply don't buy this "Shanghai is more foreign" argument. There are 4 first tier cities in China, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Beijing and Guangzhou have massive attendance, Shanghai's is mediocre at best, and Shenzhen sucks. I don't buy that 2011 Shanghai is any more foreign looking than Beijing or Guangzhou, this is the Shanghainese （oft missplaced) self pride, and so they like to believe it. That said, I honestly can't offer any other reason, beyond the fact they haven't won and everyone loves a winner.
LOL. In Guangzhou, Shanghai is often synonymous with lao tu. Might, a big might, be a little unfair since it's arguably slightly less tu than Beijing. But at least Beijing is tu for a good reason. And, uh, of course, not that there's anything wrong with being lao tu. That's reason enough. Beijing won recently and Guangzhou is looking great as of late. Except in some second or third tier cities, attendance usually follows performance of the team.
CSL Round 22 August 21 Chengdu 1-3 Shaanxi (5,868) Tianjin 1-0 Shanghai (18,683) Changchun 1-0 Jiangsu (12,000) Shandong 1-2 Hangzhou (12,793) Henan 1-1 Guangzhou (20,688) Shenzhen 4-2 Dalian (6,352) Liaoning 1-0 Nanchang (15,821) Qingdao 1-0 Beijing (12,180) CSL round 4 postpond match August 24 Shenzhen 2-1 Jiangsu (16,760) Shenzhen ruby back to the Shenzhen city and opened their new home venue, the Bao'an Stadium "Bamboo Grove", capacity 40,462
And is there any new about it? Just curiosity seeing attendance, how much does it cost a ticket for a Guangzhou or Beijing match? And how much TV pays for broadcasting the matches? And BTW do you think we must expect a resurge in attendance in a great city like Shenzhen with the new stadium?
As mentioned on wildeastfootball, the Shanghai boss has been called in by the Shanghai sports bureau, rumours abound about the conversation, but basically a "put up or shut up" situation, either he starts paying to make the team better or he pays to be the 100% owner or he sells the club. TV pays next to nothing for the broadcasting rights and some teams games aren't even broadcast. The most expensive single match ticket in Beijing is RMB80, the cheapest is RMB30, and a season tickets costs RMB350. Not sure about Guangzhou, but it can't be much more. I don't expect any resurgence in attendance in Shenzhen, it was the first game in a new stadium, an anamoly. If you look at Shenzhen's attendance, the first home match of the season had 15k, the first match in Huizhou got close to that, and then they got nothing, until this first match at the new stadium. While Bao'an district has a large population, it is "Guan Wai", the population consists of mostly factory workers, and doesn't contain many local Shenzheners.
Although Shenzhen have pulled out of the relegation zone for now and have strung a couple wins together - if they continue their winning streak maybe the crowd numbers will stay up as well?
Guangzhou Evergrande 2-0 Shanghai Shenhua Guangzhou is still undefeated, and they might take the CSL title if they win next week.
Yeah it was a pretty straight forward game for Guangzhou, Shanghai actually played ok and strung some decent passes but their final ball was terriable. As a Shanghai supporter I am kinda annoyed with the ref today Shanghai had a blatant penalty turned down and Cheng Liangs red card was soft to say the least, however Guangzhou did what they've done all season which is grind out a result and hope that a bit Individual skill will get them the win.
Changchun Yatai 2-1 Guangzhou Evergrande Changchun keeps the home advantage of not losing a match this season. Guangzhou ended it's undefeated streak (for 23 matches).
i woke up and could not believe the results lol. guangzhou lost... maybe changchun does have what it takes to be in acl
Did anyone watch the match? if so, did Zhang Wenzhao play? and if he did, how did he perform? That's an interesting one, we will get to see Huang Bowen up against some key players from the NT such as Deng Zhuoxiang and Hao Junmin as well as some players who could/should be in Team China such as Han Peng.
Changchun definitely has what it takes, they started out badly and went through the whole "Fire Shen Xiangfu" experience, but it seems to be that's just Changchun's culture, the moment they are losing, even when they're near the top of the table, they want Shen fired, it's almost becoming a running joke... Zhang played and played well, he looked impressive against both Guoan and Changchun, the kid can hold his own and it's no surprise that Camacho is looking at him. It will require more juggling in central midfield, but the kid should at least see some minutes in a friendly.
I wouldn't put a lot of hope in him, he's an attacking central midfielder, he's 24 which isn't that young and playing a position that China has a large number of young options at already, plus a few who are a year or two behind. Though I could see him becoming Camacho's guy, if he's picked he'd be the manager's first real independent choice.
haha i think you quote the stuff from long time ago that was the afc champions league match of shandong luneng vs. jeonbuk motors months ago (when huang just signed for jeonbuk) shandong luneng did not make through the group stage and jeonbuk is still alive
Oh whoops, I think I make it obvious I only REALLY pay attention to the NT Kind of embarrassing mistake there.