Parents of players from a Super League team in Liaoning have come to Beijing for a week-long protest, claiming the club owes 1.6 million yuan in back pay. Twelve parents of players from Liaoning FC marched into the offices of the Chinese Football Association and demanded the authorities force the club to pay outstanding salaries and bonuses. The Super League has been mired in controversy since it was formed two years ago, strangled by illegal gambling, match-fixing and corrupt referees. In the face of frequent scandals, title sponsor Siemens pulled out and attendance figures dropped sharply, so almost all of the 14 Super League clubs are in financial trouble. The parents told the CFA they believed the owners of the club were in the process of selling it, and they feared the new owners would not assume responsibility for the outstanding pay. The club is reported to have bank debts of 5.6 million yuan. 'This money might not seem like a lot to other people but it is a lot to us,' said one mother, who asked to be identified only as Ms Liu. 'Most of us are laid-off workers in our 50s or 60s. We need this money. Most of our sons are now 27 or 28, so their golden time for playing football is over.' A spokesperson for the association said: 'This pay issue is not the association's responsibility. It really should be worked out by the two parties involved, through the courts if necessary,' but added that it would be prepared to play an intermediary role. No one at Liaoning FC could be reached for comment, but the parents said the CFA had requested that club representatives come to Beijing to discuss the dispute. They hoped to have a meeting last night. Liaoning FC, who finished ninth in last season's Super League, have been dogged by accusations of mismanagement. Zhao Benshan, China's most popular comedian, became club chairman last year, but quit in disgust after only a few months.