True blue fans curse soccer's money culture

Wu Guangjian has only been a Guangzhou fan for two turbulent years, but his fervour for the city's soccer team remains undimmed, even though it was relegated from the mainland's first division this year for match-fixing.

He even asked his wife to postpone a prenatal examination because it clashed with the team's first game this season. 'What I care most of all about is my local team, and I will follow them no matter whether it is up or down,' he said.

Liu Xiaowu was another fan who travelled to a proletarian, concrete pit of a stadium on Guangzhou's eastern outskirts early last month to see the local side kick off their 17th season.

A former deputy business manager of the side and one of those who helped bring the mainland's professional leagues into being in 1994, Liu, 55, was among 8,000 Guangzhou fans who filled the terraces of the lowly Zengcheng Stadium to see their side beat Beijing Institute of Technology 3-1 on the opening day of the Jia League second division competition.

It was a long way from the 30,000 ticket holders who crammed into the 20,000-seat Yuexiu Mountain Stadium on August 21, 1994, to see Guangzhou defeat eventual first division champions Dalian Wanda 3-2. Guangzhou went on to finish runners-up in that inaugural season.

But then again, Guangzhou had already fallen a long way before the new season even kicked off - demoted to the second division in February for match-fixing in 2006 that, ironically, still failed to clinch their promotion to the first division.

At least the rain stopped by the time the match kicked off at 3pm, meaning fans could dispense with their umbrellas and use their hands for clapping. And Liu said that, at last, he could just enjoy the game, feeling none of the anxiety or pressure he had felt during his tenure as deputy manager. He cheered when Guangzhou scored, smiled as he greeted local soccer officials and sports reporters and hugged some players he had worked with in the past.