Podcast Ep. #18: Soccer in Chengdu

In this episode of the Chengdu Living podcast, we sit down with veteran Chengdu expat Andy McAuley who has, along with several other foreigners, had a huge impact on the soccer scene in Chengdu. This podcast touches upon a variety of topics, including Chinese nationalism in sports, the Chengdu International Football League, sports education, memorable moments from the various soccer leagues that have existed in Chengdu, and hooliganism.

Below, you’ll find download and streaming links for the podcast, as well as a full, time-stamped list of topics discussed in the show. Click here if you want to find out more about soccer in Chengdu.

Download & Stream Links

Download Episode #18

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Topics Discussed

  • 00:00 Intro
  • 01:50 Why Andy came to Chengdu
  • 02:45 Playing football in Taiwan
  • 03:25 A note on terminology (pardon us, but we’ll be calling it both soccer and football)
  • 04:30 The Wanderers and expat soccer in 2007
  • 07:20 Soccer as a social scene
  • 09:00 The Chengdu City League
  • 10:20 Relations between foreigners and the City League administration
  • 15:15 Nationalism and soccer
  • 17:30 The trials and tribulations of organizing a sports league in Chengdu
  • 20:15 Conflicts with the Jinniu soccer team
  • 25:10 The Babi fight
  • 29:10 The beginning of the Chengdu International Football League (CIFL)
  • 34:00 The social dynamic of CIFL
  • 36:25 Eli and Andy strike a bet
  • 40:50 The logistical challenges of running CIFL
  • 42:20 How does CIFL find referees
  • 48:20 Close competition and heightened emotions
  • 49:40 Changes coming to CIFL
  • 55:30 Eli’s dramatic match reports
  • 57:10 High quality Chinese teams
  • 59:45 Plans for expanding ADI
  • 60:45 Xi Jinping’s drive to improve Chinese national soccer
  • 62:40 Changes in parental and educational mindset
  • 67:20 BBC teachers exchange program
  • 70:00 The role foreigners’ play and have played in popularizing soccer in America and China

Songs Featured in this Podcast

Got an idea of what we should record our next podcast about? Let us know in the comments and if you like what you heard, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and stay tuned for the next one!

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