We continue our series of in-depth explorations of the personal journeys taken by WEF’s leading contributors – this week host Steve Crooks speaks one-to-one with Brandon Chemers to learn more about a story leading from Chicago to Beijing, via Shanghai – just how close did Brandon come to taking up the Shenhua religion?
We chat about the great Beijing-Shanghai rivalry and how it manifests in football, and some stories from away trips over the years – including a recap of a harrowing away debut in Henan.
A wide-ranging conversation also covers the club-country conundrum, process from football tourism through to getting behind a club and becoming part of a fan group – and then transitioning from solo match going to getting a young family into the game and a top parenting tip on ‘stadium language’.
Along with some top anecdotes and matchgoing memories, Brandon shares some recommendations to encourage newer fans to get into the game in China and embrace their local club – and hints at a couple more stories which may come out in future interviews.
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Steve hosts the Chinese Football Podcast, having joined the WEF team as correspondent for Shanghai Shenhua, the side he has followed since moving to Shanghai in 2010. Exiled from the Victorian town-centre idyll of Feethams along with his childhood football team, Steve spent many an (un)happy year on Hongkou's North Terrace along with the Shenhua Element Crew and Blue Devils before relocating to Sydney from where he continues to follow the Chinese game from afar.
Join in the discussion on #chinafootypod
Previous Podcasts
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Beijing Guoan’s surprise loss to a struggling Jiangsu is the lead story this week – with Evergrande back at the top and just a couple of points covering the top …
With fan protests escalating in Nanjing, the pod takes a deep-dive into the story to understand more. What are the key issues and why has the club’s response left fans …
The transfer season is in full swing – the pod gets stuck into how Marko Arnautovic will fit into the red quarter of Shanghai, and what to make of El …
We’re back with a discussion on the soul of Chinese football – are naturalized Brazilians the answer to World Cup qualification woes, or yet another example of the governing bodies …
We’re back with a discussion on the soul of Chinese football – are naturalized Brazilians the answer to World Cup qualification woes, or yet another example of the governing bodies …
In our latest “fan journey” special, we take the term literally – host Steve Crooks and regular pod expert Cameron Wilson are joined by a packed sleeper train compartment of …
This week we wait until the dust settles on the AFC Champions League group stage before reflecting on the last-day drama – how disappointed will Guoan be to exit the …
This week’s pod opens with a review of Beijing Guoan’s ninth straight win, and more goals for Cedric Bakambu – begging the question of why some fans are still dissatisfied …
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