So sews seeds for football in Tianjin

[clarkey]

So sews seeds for football in Tianjin
Chelsea Roffey
AFL website
04 June, 2008

MELBOURNE Lord Mayor John So has attended a sod turning ceremony in China to launch an Australian football ground in Melbourne’s sister city, Tianjin.

AFL Community facilities manager Ken Gannon accompanied Mr So at Thursday’s announcement, which revealed the City of Tianjin is investing $1.5 million to develop the community facility.

The trip also included the assessment of a potential venue for a match to be played at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.

Mr Gannon addressed Tianjin government officials, Melbourne City Council representatives and Chinese businessmen at Thursday’s ceremony.

“Our game, which was born 150 years ago in Melbourne, is now having a birthplace in China here in the sister city of Tianjin,” Mr Gannon said.

“Many of Melbourne’s diversified communities, including a strong Chinese community, have all embraced our game in Melbourne.

“We believe its unique characteristics bring people together, and we hope that these characteristics can be engendered here and grow and develop as our game crosses many cultures and brings its values through that game.”

China’s AFL link was established when the Melbourne Demons introduced its China Strategy more than 18 months ago, designed to increase links with the Chinese community in Melbourne with the hope of establishing interest in the game abroad.

Part of that relationship has included pre-season staff and player visits to China to conduct training clinics, and the selection of two Chinese players to visit Melbourne and join the AFL club for training sessions at Junction Oval earlier this year.

The nation hopes to attend the 2008 International Cup in Melbourne and Warrnambool in August, and held a national team selection training camp in Tianjin on the weekend of May 10-11.

All players at the camp received a copy of a book published in simplified Chinese that explains the rules and background of Australian football.

The book’s author, Nankai University Professor Gao, hopes to offer Australian football as a formal class in his university in the near future.

Source: http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsid=60791

 

[Bouvet_Island]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/vi...-footy-dust-bowl/story-fni0fit3-1227053066831


$1.5m down drain on Chinese footy dust bowl

• JAMES DOWLING
• HERALD SUN
• SEPTEMBER 09, 2014 7:49PM

The site of the Tianjin AFL oval in China.

AN AFL oval launched in China with much fanfare and a $1.5 million investment has been sitting unused with a power pole in the field of play.

Melbourne City Council Lord Mayor Robert Doyle and two other councillors opened the oval in 2011, during an $18,000 ratepayer-funded trip to China, but since the launch the ground has sat idle.

At the time, the council said the oval was the result of a five-year collaboration between the City of Melbourne, AFL and Melbourne Football Club.

The council even enlisted Melbourne architect firm Thomson Perrett to design and deliver the oval.

In 2011, Melbourne Football Club chief executive Cameron Schwab said the club was excited about supporting a team in the Tianjin region — to be called the Demons.

Since then the growth of the game in the region has stalled — with the Tianjin Demons failing to be formalised.

Robert Doyle in Tianjin, launching what was meant to be the first purpose-built Aussie Rules oval in China.



The AFL turned to leagues in Shanghai, southern China and Hong Kong, leaving the ground dormant — other than the electricity surging through the power pole.

While Tianjin, a city of 14 million people, has boasted a couple of players in the AFL China team that played in the International Cup, it does not have a team of its own.

A council spokeswoman said there were plans to remove the pole in due course.

“During a business mission to China, we supported the launch of the oval with the AFL and Melbourne Football Club to promote the game and Melbourne to China and to encourage visitors,’’ she said.

AFL spokesman Patrick Keane said the league did not contribute to the oval and does not have a presence in Tianjin.

Mr Keane said the AFL had a limited budget to help grow the game internationally.

A Melbourne Football Club spokesman said it had supplied local players with jumpers and some training gear.

“Aside from the opening of the ground, MFC hasn’t travelled to Tianjin and believes the ground was no longer in use due to the lack of AFL activity in Tianjin,” the spokesman said.

 

[The_Wookie]

Nice bump on a 6 year old thread with a 1 year old article. This and your post history forces me to conclude you're nothing but a troll.

 

[*Crash*]

Nice bump on a 6 year old thread with a 1 year old article. This and your post history forces me to conclude you're nothing but a troll.

Bouvet is a long term RL Troll to this forum.

 

[The_Wookie]

indeed, as his posting history shows.

 

[Aucklander]

Bouvet is a long term RL Troll to this forum.

indeed, as his posting history shows.

I've found no matter who the troll they get instantly associated with RL. Personally I find the soccer guys far worse and I'm pretty certain this guy is a soccer fan.

 

[TWLS]

I've found no matter who the troll they get instantly associated with RL. Personally I find the soccer guys far worse and I'm pretty certain this guy is a soccer fan.

So sews seeds for football in Tianjin
Chelsea Roffey
AFL website
04 June, 2008

MELBOURNE Lord Mayor John So has attended a sod turning ceremony in China to launch an Australian football ground in Melbourne’s sister city, Tianjin.

AFL Community facilities manager Ken Gannon accompanied Mr So at Thursday’s announcement, which revealed the City of Tianjin is investing $1.5 million to develop the community facility.

The trip also included the assessment of a potential venue for a match to be played at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.

Mr Gannon addressed Tianjin government officials, Melbourne City Council representatives and Chinese businessmen at Thursday’s ceremony.

“Our game, which was born 150 years ago in Melbourne, is now having a birthplace in China here in the sister city of Tianjin,” Mr Gannon said.

“Many of Melbourne’s diversified communities, including a strong Chinese community, have all embraced our game in Melbourne.

“We believe its unique characteristics bring people together, and we hope that these characteristics can be engendered here and grow and develop as our game crosses many cultures and brings its values through that game.”

China’s AFL link was established when the Melbourne Demons introduced its China Strategy more than 18 months ago, designed to increase links with the Chinese community in Melbourne with the hope of establishing interest in the game abroad.

Part of that relationship has included pre-season staff and player visits to China to conduct training clinics, and the selection of two Chinese players to visit Melbourne and join the AFL club for training sessions at Junction Oval earlier this year.

The nation hopes to attend the 2008 International Cup in Melbourne and Warrnambool in August, and held a national team selection training camp in Tianjin on the weekend of May 10-11.

All players at the camp received a copy of a book published in simplified Chinese that explains the rules and background of Australian football.

The book’s author, Nankai University Professor Gao, hopes to offer Australian football as a formal class in his university in the near future.

Source: http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsid=60791

Port Adelaide are continuing their China push with this announcement. They are also associated with a footy league up there and are scouting players to bring down to Adelaide. The club also assisted the AFL China team to get to Melbourne for IC14 and will no doubt assist for IC17.
Have to say earlier efforts up there by other entities were not followed through however Port are on the right track with their talent search.
http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/2016-04-03/port-adelaide-cctv-partnership

 

[TWLS]

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan has travelled to China along with two AFL Port Adelaide executives, as part of a 1500 strong business group led by PM Malcolm Turnbull.
They are in China to investigate the holding of an regular AFL Match up there in 2017 in the seasons bye by Port Adelaide and an opponent yet to be found. The venue is not decided also.
It appears that the Port club is serious in developing footy up there following on their TV deal with the CCCTV Network, and other activities up there.
http://www.theroar.com.au/2016/04/14/port-adelaide-set-to-play-for-afl-premiership-points-in-china/

 

[TWLS]

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan has travelled to China along with two AFL Port Adelaide executives, as part of a 1500 strong business group led by PM Malcolm Turnbull.
They are in China to investigate the holding of an regular AFL Match up there in 2017 in the seasons bye by Port Adelaide and an opponent yet to be found. The venue is not decided also.
It appears that the Port club is serious in developing footy up there following on their TV deal with the CCCTV Network, and other activities up there.
http://www.theroar.com.au/2016/04/14/port-adelaide-set-to-play-for-afl-premiership-points-in-china/

The second AFL Club for the match in China has been found but its name not released yet according to the report below.
Some very interesting items in this report
Shanghai Outdoor Stadium seats 56,000 and maximum 80,000 gets a mention as possible venue. Normally used for Soccer Football and Athletics
The Chinese TV audience on the CCTV coverage of Port v Essendon was double the the Australian audience for that match -but as was was said curiosity factor at play.
AFL International Development funds for this venture will be funnelled through the Port club. Perhaps Gil is loosening the purse strings for International Footy, because the funding for NZ from 2017 is rumoured to be increased.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-04-...for-proposed-china-game-says-gillon-mclachlan

 

[TWLS]

The second AFL Club for the match in China has been found but its name not released yet according to the report below.
Some very interesting items in this report
Shanghai Outdoor Stadium seats 56,000 and maximum 80,000 gets a mention as possible venue. Normally used for Soccer Football and Athletics
The Chinese TV audience on the CCTV coverage of Port v Essendon was double the the Australian audience for that match -but as was was said curiosity factor at play.
AFL International Development funds for this venture will be funnelled through the Port club. Perhaps Gil is loosening the purse strings for International Footy, because the funding for NZ from 2017 is rumoured to be increased.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-04-...for-proposed-china-game-says-gillon-mclachlan

The Venue for this match is the only hold up according to the AFL. Still no mention of the other club.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-04-16/venue-the-only-issue-for-proposed-2017-china-game

 

[TWLS]

All of the rumours were correct - The AFL Gold Coast Suns have got the gig with the Port Adelaide club in Shanghai next year. Did not know the Suns had so many Chinese connections and look like picking up a tidy sum of money in the process.
Despite all of the naysayers around the place the above clubs are venturing into new territory.

http://www.skynewssport.com.au/afl-news-display/suns-to-host-port-in-china-for-afl-match/5695

 

[TWLS]

Here is a great article courtesy of the AFL ASIA web site discussing a recent 12 a side Tournament held in Macau (Where the Casinos are).
It reveals the number of teams in the South China AFL AND Hong Kong AFL.
Apparently things are still ticking over up there, and AFL Asia has had a big expansion in the number of affiliated Countries, and looks very organised now.
https://www.afl-asia.com/south-china-afl-shows-womens-debut/