Supporters, the forgotten chain in Asian football: fandom in the Chinese Super League and the Australian A League

Abstract

The Australian League (A-League) and the Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) have both only been established for just over a decade. However, since their earliest years, their teams have attracted passionate fans. These fans dedicate a great deal of emotional and physical energy to supporting their teams and actively disdain the intense commodification that is embedded in these professional football competitions. Both sets of supporters “fanatically” strive to impress the opposition with vivid animated performances which include songs, chants, flags and massive colourful banners. In doing so, both the Chinese and the Australian fans are in fact mimicking their European ultras counterparts. This paper analyses the origins of the ultras movement in European football and seeks to relate this movement to the Chinese and the Australian active fans. Then, using data collected on the football stands of both countries, combined with a content analysis of the fans’ social media channels, it explores some of the similarities and differences between both groups. It concludes by questioning whether the football fans in Australia and China will have any real power in the corporate and political contexts of Asian football or if their call against “modern football” will remain just a folkloric gesture without any significant political consequences.