The sincere relationship between fans and clubs and sharing weal and woe is a core part of football culture and must be protected with all our strength.
On April 3, in the green stands of the Beijing Workers' Stadium, a seat was spray-painted with several white snowflakes. According to reports, the snowflakes were made in memory of Yang Xue. Yang Xue is a senior female fan in Beijing. She has supported the Guoan team through thick and thin for many years. Last year, she also won the "Fan Attendance Award" from the club. On April 2, Yang Xue died of a sudden illness at the age of 39. Guoan Club has permanently sealed her season ticket seats as a memorial.
A Chinese professional football club permanently sealed a seat for a fan, which may be the first time in the history of Chinese football. Just like Yang Xuebing's clear name, this sentimental and righteous approach has also written an unforgettable page in the history of Chinese football.
Guoan Club is a veteran Chinese professional football club and has long been active in the top Chinese football leagues. The harmonious relationship established between the Guoan Club and the fans is also quite symbolic. 39-year-old Yang Xue is a die-hard fan of Beijing Guoan. In 2005, the fans organization "Yulin Army" was officially established, and she was one of them. Over the years, she has frequently attended Guoan's home and away games, and won the Guoan "Fan Attendance Award" in 2023. Yang Xue's husband, Mr. Zhang, works in sports services. The two often cheer for Guoan together and also go to watch games abroad together. The love Yang Xue showed for the club is a vivid illustration of "running in both directions".
In the field of football, the highest respect people can show to a star is probably to permanently seal a certain jersey number. And permanently sealing the seats once owned by fans also expresses respect. Relatively speaking, sealing a seat for a fan is even more rare and special. This is not only the disappearance of the practical function of a seat, but also represents the sublimation of a seat in a spiritual sense. The die-hard fans have passed away, but the seats that have witnessed the joys and sorrows of football are still in the stadium. This scene may symbolize that the fans' love and passion will always remain in the stadium and will not disappear.
It is a common phenomenon in football at home and abroad for players to express concern and consideration for sick fans, and for clubs to express commemoration and gratitude to fans who have died. The respect from the club and the resonance from the fan groups have made football culture more profound time and time again. This is also the fundamental reason why football culture makes waves in the hearts of generations. The core of football culture is "love" and "respect". As Li Ming, general manager of Guoan Club, said in an interview with the media, "Guoan's heritage and achievements come from the fans, and the fans are our wealth. We respect the fans, and every fan is like our family." Obviously, respecting fans can win the respect of more people.
As a club that has never been relegated since joining the top league of Chinese football, Guoan Club is also one of the clubs most promising to become a "Century Club". Building a "centennial club" is the dream of countless clubs, but how to build it takes a lot of thought. The "century-old clubs" in developed foreign football countries have repeatedly reminded the importance of "fans and clubs being together".
The strength of a club is reflected in its investment and management level, competitive level, operating capabilities, etc., but it is also reflected in its fans. Many coaches and players refer to fans as the "12th man" on the field. This analogy is not an exaggeration. It can be said that the sincere relationship between fans and clubs and sharing weal and woe is the core part of football culture and must be fully protected.
In fact, Chinese fans who have witnessed the national football team's "repeated defeats" for a long time are the most difficult group of people in the world, but they are also a group of people who have always placed high hopes on the revitalization of Chinese football. Our football level may not be high, but the level of our fans is. Whether it is the Chinese Super League or the World Cup preliminaries, we have seen the persistence and cheering of countless fans. These fans are the force that Chinese football needs most when it comes out of the trough at this stage. The best way to respect and treat them well is to play clean football, play real games, and play passionate and creative football.
Chengdu Commercial Daily-Red Star News special commentator Wu Lichuan